RCMP Launch New Program for Investigations

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 05:00 PM

In the wake of the Coroner's inquest into the police shooting death of Kevin St. Arnaud in Vanderhoof, and the pending inquest into the police shooting death of Ian Bush in Houston, the RCMP have announced something new.

They call it the Independent Observer Pilot Project.

What is it?

It is an initiative undertaken by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP and the RCMP. The idea, says the offiicial release from the RCMP, is to "scrutinize the impartiality of RCMP investigations where the actions of RCMP members have resulted in serious injury or death, and for other investigations that are high profile and sensitive in nature".

In the event of an incident as just described, an Independent Observer from the Commission for Public Complaints, along with an RCMP member from the Office of Investigative Standards and Practices, would be sent in.

What is not clear is when that would happen.

The quote from Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass, the Commanding Officer for B.C. would make it appear this is another layer of review process after the investigation has been completed in the normal fashion "The RCMP has always welcomed review of our investigations by mandated oversight bodies such as the CPC" reads the quote.

There is nothing to sugest any such review could result in any action.

The project will be conducted in B.C. for one year, and then it will be reviewed. It is not clear who or how the program's merits will be evaluated.

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Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 05:00 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: lmorg on March 22 2007 1:13 AM

This is just a whitewash. The CPC has always been an oversight body to which the public can complain to if not satisfied by the way an internal investigation by the RCMP has concluded.
They can only recommend...it is up to RCMP management to decide if they will implement some of the CPC's recommendations and if their analysis doesn't jive with the CPC's then nothing happens. The Commissioner of the rcmp sends a PFO letter to the CPC and that is that. Now if serious stuff happens they will automatically do a parallelle investigation. But the outcome will always be the same: No action unless RCMP management agrees.....and we all know how useless RCMP management is, eh? Don't we remember Mr. Zackardelli???
What should be done is more civil cases against the RCMP who have clearly done the public wrong such as broken the law and caused harm to people.

Posted by: lmorg on March 22 2007 1:15 AM

OH and check out the CPC website..there's a list of decisions on it.

Posted by: heidi1555 on March 22 2007 9:09 AM

"The CPC Independent Observer and the OISP member would be called to an incident as described above." Called to the incident right away??? Or a day or two later after it snows??? I need to go back and read CPC website a few more times. You know it is nice to see though people care enough to try to make change (Global tv and Opinion250 crew) And yes civil action Imorg against members who clearly broken the law would be the ultimate justice. I think other things still must change though with training and age of officers so it doesnt have to come to the project being used. Which we all know it will be used sadly but you know what I mean. Need to work more on Prevention.

Posted by: lmorg on March 22 2007 9:19 AM

What they need is yet another independant body that will examine both reports...the CPC report and/or the RCMP internal investigation report...and have the statutory authority to enforce or institute the most appropriate decision. What there is now is the CPC report which may contradict the RCMP internal reports, however if the RCMP brass do not agree, the RCMP toss it in the circular file. (trash bin). I've heard it said amoungst the rank and file of the rcmp that management is basically out of touch and just a bunch of careerists. A masonic group sounds like to me.

Posted by: heidi1555 on March 22 2007 10:16 AM

Who do you contact then to improve a project that only started yesterday? Mike Farnworth???

Posted by: lmorg on March 22 2007 8:50 PM

Ha ha Heidi.....this program should have been instituted a long time ago.

Posted by: heidi1555 on March 22 2007 9:10 PM

Amen ;)

Posted by: heidi1555 on March 22 2007 9:46 PM

I'm a total fish out of water when it comes to this stuff as you all can tell i'm sure lol. Think with my heart so I guess it's a good thing my occupation is being a Mommy. Anyway, was there any mention about age and training of officers thrown out there anywhere or is it just baby steps through the investigation process for now? Ask me how impatient I am. Oh and speaking of thinking with heart I found this man very amazing:http://www.b-cap.org/bcap_media.html

Posted by: lmorg on March 23 2007 9:15 AM

Heidi, all you need to join the RCMP is a high school degree, a valid drivers license, canadian citizenship and a clean background. True the process tries to weed out people that may not be suited to the occupation and 6 months in regina also identifies unsuitable recruits, but for the most part the RCMP are facing huge staffing and recruitment shortages they are taking and passing everybody, just to have a warm body at a detachment. Personally, I would like to see some older people join who have had some life experience, but then you run into salary issues. Some people leave jobs that pay much higher in order to become a cop....which if you compare the salary to private sector jobs etc...is still lacking. The meat manager at safeway makes 90 - 100 K and he doesnt have to deal with knives, violent offenders, disease etc...the underbelly of society. Heck he doesnt have to wear a bullet proof vest to work. At any rate since I went off on a tangent, as I said before, the CPC can only make recomendations to the RCMP and the rcmp has to reply be either agreeing or disagreeing but they are not bound by the decision of the CPC. So, it would take parliament to enact new legislation to do that....this pilot project doesnt mention anything about that.