Independent police watchdog officially launched by B.C. AG

B.C. Attorney GeneralShirley Bond unveiled the provinces first ever independent police review agencyat a news conference Monday morning.

The much-anticipated Independent Investigations Office (IIO) will be responsible for reviewing police incidents involving fatalities or serious injury.

Bond was joined by chief civilian director Richard Rosenthal in what theattorney generalcalled "an historic day for the province of British Columbia."

The office will oversee RCMP and municipal forces, as well as transit police forces.

"Our mandate is to provide British Columbians with fair, thorough, competent investigation, conducted in a timely manner with a spirit of transparency and openness," said Rosenthal.

He says the goal is to restore public confidence and ensure police are treated the same way civilians are.

"It used to be that officer witnesses were not interviewed for hours, if not days or weeks," he said. "The expectation now is they will be interviewed before the end of their shift or within 24 hours."

B.C. 4th province to launch independent watchdog

The civilian-led oversight agency was set up after complaints about police investigating themselves in cases of civilian deaths or injuries, including theshooting death of Ian Bushin 2005 and the 2007stun gun death of Robert Dziekanksi.

A similar agency in Ontario, the Special Investigations Unit, has been in place since 1990 but has fallen under public criticism for its ineffectiveness due to what some say is a conflicting relationship with police.

B.C. is the fourth province to launch such an independent investigative body and promises to provide greater civilian presence than anywhere in Canada.

The IIO will consist of roughly 36 investigators as well as dozens of support staff and legal counsel with an equal split between experienced civilian investigators and former police officers, none of whom have served in the past five years.

"We felt it was important for British Columbians to see this office as being civilian-led, while maintaining the level of experience and competence needed to conduct these sensitive investigations," said Bond.

The IIO has the ability to review incidents on a case-by-case basis and recommend charges to the Crown when warranted.

Rosenthal said his office will also publicly exonerate any officer found innocent of wrongdoing and release the details behind such a decision in the spirit of transparency.

Theoffice expects to handle about 100 cases every year.

The IIOs budget is set at $9.3 million for the first year, and will rise to $10.1 million in the years following.