UPDATE 4:28 p.m. BCMP Commander Dwayne McDonald responded to the commission’s report calling for a new provincial police force, saying it would take time to review the report but that he was proud of the RCMP’s work in British Columbia. “I’m very proud of the RCMP team that works incredibly hard every day to keep BC communities safe and secure and we remain committed to doing so.” “We will take the time to fully analyze and examine the Commission’s report and its recommendations. Until this full review is completed, we will not speculate on the next steps. Discussions on the role and future of policing are not limited. “BC and include ideas such as governance, accountability, service delivery and funding. Efforts are already being made to develop, modernize and strengthen policing,” McDonald said. The RCMP contract is valid until 2032. ORIGINAL 4:00 p.m. A special committee has recommended that British Columbia set up its own new provincial police force. The Special Commission for Police Law Reform has been appointed to look into policing in the province following allegations of systemic racism and other policing problems. CTV News Vancouver reports that the committee spent 15 months examining issues such as accountability and answering calls about mental health and addictions. The committee’s recommendations include 11 key points, including BC to enact a new Community law on security and policing and to set up a provincial police service governed by this legislation. “It has become clear that transformational change is needed to achieve a new vision of policing and community security rooted in decolonization, anti-racism, community and accountability,” the commission’s report to the legislature said on Thursday. . The RCMP is the default police service for municipalities with a population of less than 5,000, as well as rural and non-rural areas, but many larger areas such as Kelowna are also policed by the RCMP. The committee praised the Mounties for their efforts to evolve, but ultimately found that there was too much disconnect between provincial and municipal policing priorities, “in their experience, the RCMP is not in line with BC culture and BC rules. as effective as municipal police services “. “They stressed the importance of ensuring that police law focuses on public safety and allows local rules and expectations to be reflected in the provision of services,” the report said. Dr Bonnie Henry was particularly concerned about the criminal justice-based approach to the ongoing overdose crisis, noting that adjustments to the existing police law could help the county move towards decriminalization. The union of the National Police Federation, characterized the discussion “a little premature”. “From our point of view, we have made waves – a lot of waves – of independent policing research in British Columbia, and consistently British Colombians have told us they are very pleased with the policing they are receiving from the RCMP,” said Brian Sove, president of the union. he told CTV News. -with files from CTV News Vancouver
