Province to Establish Civilian Lead Investigative Unit

By 250 News

The Provincial government  will  not only  establish an independent investigative unit,  it will also appoaitn a specil prosecutor to re-examine the  discrepancies between what RCMP officers told investigators in 2008, and  what came out in the in inquiry.

The provincial government has immediately started work on all recommendations stemming from the Braidwood Commission's second and final report, "Why? The Robert Dziekanski Tragedy."

Within the next 12 months, the Province will create a new civilian-led unit to investigate all independent municipal police- and RCMP-related deaths and serious incidents across B.C., Attorney General and Solicitor General Michael de Jong, QC, announced today.

"Mr. Braidwood has done a tremendous job of unravelling and probing all the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Robert Dziekanski," said de Jong. "B.C. agrees with the intent, principal and purpose of each of the report's recommendations."

The new Independent Investigation Office (IIO) will:
* Be accountable to the Ministry of Attorney General.
* Be led by a civilian who has never served as police officer in Canada.
* Have its powers entrenched in legislation.
* Have a mandate to conduct criminal investigations into police-related incidents involving death or serious harm, with discretion to do other investigations.

"Moving to an IIO model will help prevent in future what played out during the inquiry and is highlighted in the commission's report - a number of discrepancies between what RCMP officers told investigators in 2008 and what came out at the inquiry," said de Jong. "Since receipt of this report, the assistant deputy attorney general, Bob Gillen, has determined, and I agree, that it is appropriate to appoint a special prosecutor to review this matter."

All other recommendations were accepted by the Province, and include:
* B.C.'s attorney general to urge the federal government to ensure that the Canada Border Services Agency and Vancouver Airport Authority:
* Improve tracking of international passengers through customs.
* Implement systems that allow for communication between passengers and people who are there to greet them.
* Provide interpreter services.
* Enhance security and medical response policies.
* B.C.'s solicitor general to report to the legislative assembly within two years on the status of all the recommendations in the report, including an explanation if one or more have not been met by that time.

The 470-page report details facts surrounding Dziekanski's death in October 2007 at Vancouver International Airport and makes recommendations to the Province, Canada Border Services Agency and others.

The recommendations contained in this report build on actions the Province has taken since Braidwood's first report last July, including severely restricting the use of Tasers by all police, sheriff's and corrections officers, and developing standardized police training for
Taser use, crisis intervention, and responding to emotionally-disturbed people.

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