Photo courtesy BC Government

By Caden Fanshaw

POLICE

Committee recommends transition new BC provincial police service

May 2, 2022 | 5:38 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – After many months of deliberations, the BC Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act has settled on 11 recommendations.

The committee was appointed to undertake a broad inquiry on policing and public safety in BC, including reforms related to oversight, transparency, governance, structure, service delivery, standards, funding, training and education.

After hundreds of submissions from individuals and organizations, the committee released their findings in late April.

“There are a lot of things to pack together and unpack in the colonial history of British Columbia and we won’t be able to do that with one swing of the bat,” said Premier John Horgan. “we need to revitalize the Mental Health Act, the work done by this committee will help us do that.”

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The recommendations include more engagement with Indigenous people on policing in communities across BC, the establishment of a provincial police force with greater oversight for municipalities and more funding.

“To address inconsistencies and improve local accountability, responsiveness, and decisionmaking, the Committee recommends transitioning to a new provincial police service, rather than contracting the RCMP,” the 96-page report states.

Committee Members agreed that all communities should have police boards or committees of their own that provide opportunities for local input on policing and community safety priorities.

Another segment of the report states the concerns around the current response to calls related to mental health, and the opioid crisis both of which make up many of the calls police are responding to on a daily basis.

You can view the complete report here.