B.C.'s police complaints commissioner to get new powers
Last Updated: Friday, September 11, 2009 | 12:10 PM PT
The Canadian Press
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B.C. Solicitor General Kash Heed says the province is sticking by its pledge to strengthen public confidence in municipal police departments, and he hopes the RCMP will do the same.
Heed plans to introduce changes to the police complaints process soon in the legislature, making it easier to complain about police and for the complaints commissioner to oversee any probes, he said Friday in Vancouver.
Some of the changes will upgrade the powers of the police complaints commissioner while ensuring complaints involving death or serious injury are properly investigated and resolved.
However, Heed noted more than 70 per cent of B.C. residents are under RCMP jurisdiction, and says it is vital for Ottawa to adopt similar accountable, transparent regulations to cover the Mounties.
Heed also has announced the province was handing over $40,000 to the Vancouver Police Department's Con Air program, which flies criminal suspects wanted on warrants in other provinces who are hiding out in B.C., back to those provinces to face trial.
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