BC RCMP Take Issue With BCCLA Report

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. -  Prince George RCMP are aware of and in the process of reviewing a 104-page report released by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association this morning, which details allegations of police misconduct in some of the province's rural and northern communities.

Initial reaction has been swift from BC's RCMP headquarters, "E" Division, in Vancouver.  But Prince George Media Liaison Officer, Corporal Craig Douglass, says there is no local comment, at this point.  He emphasizes that doesn't mean there won't be a comment...it's just that they're still in the process of looking through the document.

Prince George was one of three communities singled out by the BCCLA.  The report's author, David Eby, says complaints coming out a local meeting included use of excessive force, a lack of trust and concerns over self-investigation.

"E" Division spokesperson, Inspector Tim Shields, is highlighting a number of issues with the report, as a whole, and the process undertaken.  Shields says, while appreciative of efforts to engage the public in discussions, "it is difficult to respond to any one incident outlined in the report as they are anonymous complaints made through an outside party that lack specifics we can follow up."

"It is disappointing that the BCCLA did not solicit input from Mayors and Council, community leaders and local Aboriginal leaders, and that the RCMP was specifically asked not to take part in the process," says Shields.  "The turnout to the town hall meetings in some communities was very low, and the sentiments expressed in the report do not reflect the sentiments of the community as a whole."

Terrace was another community singled out in the report, where there was a fear of retaliation for police conduct complaints.  Inspector Shields points out that in response to the community ranking 13th in the 2009 Crime Severity Index, the detachment there created a Crime Reduction Unit that has reduced calls for service in the downtown core by 47-percent.

He says BC RCMP respond to approximately one-million calls for service each year, in addition to countless interactions through traffic stops, foot patrols, community policing and school visits.  On average, he says, there are 1,000 complaints annually.  "While we would like every interaction with the public to be positive, the reality is that officers are asked to respond to highly emotional and volatile situations."  He says BC's complaints average is well within industry standards and compares very favorably with other police forces.

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