Prince George, B.C.- Starting today, there is a new , independent investigative body that will conduct criminal investigations in police incidents that result in death or serious harm.

 

Later this morning, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond along with Chief Civilian Director of the Independent Investigations Office, Richard Rosenthal,  will  announce  the IIO is ready to take on cases.

 

The development of this office, which is located in Surrey, fulfills one of the major recommendations from two separate inquiries into police related deaths.  The death of Robert Dziekanski  who died at the Vancouver Airport after being repeatedly zapped with a Conducted Energy Weapon(CEW) was one case, while the other was that of Frank Paul who died of exposure after being  kicked out of the Vancouver drunk tank by Vancouver Police.

 

Minister Bond has said she believes this office , which will have civilian lead investigations, will “enhance public confidence in overall policing in our province.”

 

Richard Rosenthal heads up the IIO having left a similar post in Colorado.   He has been on the job since last December, recruiting his staff, developing policy, training civilian members of his team. While there are investigators on the team who have been former members of a police force, they must be at least 5 years off that   former policing job.

 

Last month, a Memorandum of Understanding  was signed between the IIO and the RCMP, eleven municipal police departments, the South Coast BC Transportation Authority Police Service and Stl’atl’mx Tribal Police . The MOU addresses all aspects of investigations including notification to the IIO, scene security, designation of subject and witness officers and concurrent investigations.