Prince George, B.C. The Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP (CPC) will neither confirm, nor deny that a complaint has been filed against three RCMP officers in the  Prince George detachment. Spokesperson Kate McDerby   says the typical practice is not to go public when a complaint is filed as it would deter others from stepping forward.  

 

In a release issued Sunday, P.G. Detachment Superintendent Brenda Butterworth-Carr said a complaint had been issued with the CPC and that an investigation is underway by that body, and that an internal investigation is also underway.  According to Butterworth-Carr’s release, the incident involves how a woman, arrested for causing a disturbance, was handled by three officers, ( one female two male) during the booking process.

 

There has been speculation the incident involved the removal of clothing . Anyone who is to spend time in a cell is required to remove clothing which could be used by the person arrested, to harm themselves or others. Those items could include shoe laces, drawstrings, or a bra.

 

In June of 2008 , 42 year old Cheryl Anne Bouey strangled herself in the P.G. detachment cells with the drawstring from her sweatpants. She had been picked up for being drunk in a public place.  The Coroner’s inquest recommended the RCMP be more specific in their Operations Manual on Search and Seizure procedures to ”provide examples of what to look for such as; draw strings in pant waists, ankles or  belts, bras, shoe laces, jewellery etc.”