Former Vice Chair of RCMP Complants Commission Calls for Change in System

By 250 News

Former Vice Chair of the CPC Brooke McNabb and  CPC Media  relations person Nelson Khalil, across the desk  from Ben  Meisner

Prince George, B.C.-  Brooke McNabb is in his final days as Vice Chair of the Commission for  Public Complaints Agianst the RCMP.   Although he has  stepped down from  the post, he is  visiting communities where he feels  there is a need to tie up some loose  ends. 

McNabb says the big issue of police investigationg police is  not always the  quality of the investigation, rather, public perception.  Speaking on the Meisner program on CFISFM this morning, McNabb says investigators are in a no win situation when  the case is serious "In serious cases, the optics are so bad , it really doesn't matter what we  (the CPC) say, people say you're only working  with what the police gave you."

McNabb says the current look at the Clay Willey 2003 tasering case  came as a result of the  Solicitor General of B.C. requesting  a deeper look at the incident "It is a very old case, there had already been a Coroner's inquest, but the Solicitor General has said  this is not going away, there are still questions, and we need a deeper look at it."   At issue is a video which shows a hog tied Willey being tasered.  There  are calls for the full video to be made public.  This investigation will focus on:

"In a case like this, we are going to do our own investigation and we have put together our own team of investigators, non RCMP,  but we have to make sure we are able to see everything.  We  have to be sure we have access to everything.  Then we make our findings, and once we  reach a decision, that should be the end of it.  Under the  current system,  the Comissioner (for the RCMP) can look at it and say, thank you very much, but I disagree."

McNabb says there needs to be a system   that  has  recommendations made and if there is a disagreement, a review process,  but  once  the review process is complete,  the final decision is  the final  decision which must be acted upon.

A  survey  conducted by the  CPC indicates 60%  of the public do not feel comfortable with making a complaint to the  RCMP. Some people feel  there will be retribution if they make a  complaint. There have been efforts to work with community to let people know they do have a voice if they want to speak out against the RCMP, that  they can contact the  Complaints Commission  where complaints don't have to be in writing  "We're doing what we can to make it accessible" says McNabb.

McNabb says  70% of the complaints received  by the CPC are  what he would consider "small claims court style complaints".  In New Zealand,  the model is that  most of the complaints go back to the detachment for investigation and if the citizen is still not  satisfied,  then it goes back to the Complaints Commission. 

"When  we make a decision , then that decision is the decision. That is fundamental in all of this,  but when you really think about it, how can you have legitimate oversight when the police are allowed to make the final decision?" asks  McNabb.

"Policing is tough work and most of the complaints I have looked at, the conduct of the officers has been fine, but that's not the issue, we need a process in place that is transparent and accountable"

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