The NOW published a story yesterday (Tuesday) about a Burnaby family filing a complaint against RCMP officers who ordered them out of their own house with guns drawn, despite the family having been the ones who called police in the first place.
The family has filed a complaint with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, the independent agency that reviews complaints made by the public about the on-duty conduct of RCMP members.
But what do citizens do when the complaint is against a member of a municipal police force?
What happens is now being audited after the legislative assembly of British Columbia appointed the all-party Special Committee to Review the Police Complaint Process. The goal is to assess the outcome of police complaints and investigations conducted by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, pursuant to section 51.2 of the Police Act.
As part of its work, the committee is launching a public consultation to determine how well the police complaint process is meeting its objectives as it relates to municipal police officers in British Columbia.
The special committee is inviting British Columbians to provide a written, audio or video submission focused on the following questions:
* Is the police complaint process efficient, effective and accessible?
* Are there aspects of the police complaint process that could be improved?
* What changes to the Police Act - Part 11 (Misconduct, Complaints, Investigations, Discipline and Proceedings), if any, should be made?
"We want to hear from British Columbians about their experiences with the municipal police complaint process," said Rachna Singh, committee chair. "To help the committee in its work, we invite comments on how to enhance and improve the process for all."
"Are the police complaint processes and procedures robust enough?" said Mike Morris, deputy chair. "The committee looks forward to receiving input and suggestions on this important topic."
The results of the audit and the public consultation will inform the special committee's report, which must be prepared by Nov. 26, 2019.
Submissions will be accepted until 5 p.m., Friday, June 28, 2019. To make a submission or to learn more about the work of the special committee, visit its website: https://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/pcp
