Head of B.C. police watchdog says lack of resources hampering ability to hold officers accountable
The head of the civilian agency responsible for investigating when someone is seriously injured or killed in an interaction with police in B.C. says the province hasn’t provided the resources for his team to do its job effectively.
Ron MacDonald, director of the Independent Investigations Office, currently oversees a team of 19 investigators and says there are 17 investigator positions unfilled at this time.
“I am concerned about the well-being of my investigators. They are hard-workers. They are excellent at what they do but they are stretched way too thin right now,” he said in an interview with CTV News. “My people are significantly overworked. Our case load has almost doubled and this year we saw a tripling in the number of officer-involved shootings than we normally see.”
For the fiscal year ending in March 2022, the IIO opened 193 investigations and the year before that it deployed 232 times.
MacDonald blames the staffing shortage for the length of time it is taking to complete complex investigations like the one involving Dale Culver.
The 35-year-old Indigenous man died after being tackled to the ground and pepper-sprayed by Prince George RCMP in 2017.
This week, almost six years after Culver’s death, two of the officers involved were charged with manslaughter and three others were charged with attempting to obstruct justice.
"I hope no other family has to wait this long for justice for their family member,” Culver’s daughter Lili Speed-Namox told CTV News.
The IIO has 90 open investigations right now and 38 of those involve a death – with two unresolved cases dating back to 2016.
The head of the national union representing RCMP officers says his members would like to see investigations completed in a timely manner, rather than have the possibility of charges hanging over their heads for years.
"None of this is good from a transparency perspective for the community, none of it's good for our membership and none of it is good for British Columbians,” said Brian Sauve, president of the National Police Federation. “So, the IIO needs to figure it out.”
MacDonald says he has raised his concerns with the province repeatedly over the past several years but has not gotten the additional resources he’s been asking for.
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma declined a CTV News request for an interview, but she did provide a statement.
“I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Dale Culver. Preserving public trust in the impartiality of the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) while recruiting and retaining highly qualified investigators is of the utmost importance,” Sharma said. “I take the concerns raised by the IIO seriously and have already met with them to find solutions to how we can improve efficiencies and ensure that they can continue to do their important work.”
Temporary changes were made to the Police Act to remove restrictions related to hiring investigators who recently worked as police officers in B.C., but those changes expired in 2021.
MacDonald says that unless more significant changes are made that allow him to hire more investigators, his agency’s ability to hold police accountable will be compromised.
“I’m not encouraged by what I’ve heard and about how I’m going to be able to solve this situation,” MacDonald said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Already expensive, planning for fertility treatment difficult as costs vary widely
Being unable to have a child naturally can be extremely difficult. But when you factor in the high costs of fertility treatments, the range of individual circumstances and the fact that the industry itself is secretive about fees, it can make the whole ordeal even more devastating and hard to plan for.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.