Ontario government slammed for undermining police watchdog
The Canadian Press
Posted: Dec 14, 2011 11:51 AM ET
Last Updated: Dec 14, 2011 10:54 PM ET
Ontario's ombudsman says the government has "actively undermined" its independent police watchdog despite his calls to strengthen the Special Investigations Unit with legislation.
The SIU investigates when police kill or seriously injure a civilian on duty.
In a report released Wednesday, Andre Marin says government officials "systematically" discouraged the SIU director from speaking out about unco-operative police officers and dismissed concerns about the vetting of police notes by lawyers.
He says the Ministry of the Attorney General also suppressed an internal SIU report that raised similar concerns, calling it "provocative" and not "useful."
Marin released another report in 2008 on the SIU that found the civilian body lacked resources, failed to conduct rigorous and transparent investigations and suffered from a perceived pro-police bias.
This time his criticisms are mainly directed at police and the government.
Marin said police forces often wait too long before notifying the SIU of an incident. In other cases, Marin said the SIU is never notified, something he calls "disturbing."
Officers often fail to co-operate
He also said police officers either obstructed or failed to co-operate with the SIU in more than one-third of its cases in the past three years.
Marin wants the government to make it an offence for police officers to fail to co-operate.
He recommended that legislation be enacted to support the watchdog, which the government and the SIU welcomed at the time.
"When I launched this investigation, I discovered that the ministry really had no intention of acting on my most important recommendations," Marin said Wednesday.
SIU director Ian Scott said 25 of the 46 recommendations called for in the ombudsman’s 2008 report “were addressed directly” by the SIU.
“As with any organization, there is always room for improvement,” Scott said in a release. “We took the ombudsman’s recommendations seriously and feel that today, the SIU is even better at serving the needs of the public.”
Attorney General John Gerretsen said he's seen the report and is concerned about the allegations but so far won't commit to any changes.
Share Tools
Latest Toronto News Headlines
- Brampton man charged in wife's slaying
- Peel Regional Police have charged a man with second-degree murder after his wife was found dead in a Brampton home Monday morning. more »
- Driver dies after vehicle struck by tire on Highway 400
- A male driver has died from injuries he sustained in an accident involving a flying tire on Highway 400 on Monday morning. more »
- Toronto archbishop opposes gay-straight alliance bill
- The Archbishop of Toronto spoke out against the Ontario government's plan to introduce anti-bullying legislation that would allow anti-homophobic clubs to be called 'gay-straight alliances.' more »
- Tory MP asks Supreme Court to uphold Toronto riding result
- Conservative MP Ted Opitz will appeal an Ontario Superior Court decision overturning the 2011 federal election result in Toronto's Etobicoke Centre. more »
Top News Headlines
- B.C. police shooting video sparks calls for new probe
- Amateur video of the shooting of a mentally ill Vancouver man five years ago has prompted calls for B.C.'s police complaint commissioner and Crown prosecutors to take another look at the case. more »
- 'Engine shutdown' forced Air Canada jet to land
- A Japan-bound Air Canada Boeing 777 made an emergency landing at Toronto's Pearson airport on Monday, after one of its engines failed. more »
- CP Rail union, Tories battle over collective bargaining
- The federal Conservatives are defending their plan to force striking Canadian Pacific Railway employees back to work as a way to keep the economy on track, while the union representing 4,800 workers says their collective bargaining rights are under attack. more »
- Quebec student talks resume amid continuing protests
- A new round of negotiations between students and Quebec's Liberal government over the province's tuition-fee crisis extended into the night, while thousands took to the street in protest, leading to dozens of arrests. more »
- 'Engine shutdown' forced Air Canada jet to land
- Driver dies after vehicle struck by tire on Highway 400
- Canadian Everest climber's body recovered
- Brampton man charged in wife's slaying
- Toronto archbishop opposes gay-straight alliance bill
- Truck dangles on overpass after 401 crash in Ajax
- Toronto could set heat record on Monday
- Man hits car driven by nun, has iPhone stolen
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford 'not even dieting anymore'
