Overloaded and underfunded: B.C.'s police watchdog calls for funding as investigations slow
B.C.’s police watchdog says its investigations are taking too long, as its short-staffed team struggles to keep up with a growing workload.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) has taken on nine new cases since the beginning of April, putting its total number of open cases to 86.
"I’m really concerned about the IIO's abilities to continue to do the job going forward," chief civilian director Ron MacDonald told CTV News.
Several new cases came in over the weekend, including a man’s death in Campbell River, following a shootout with RCMP. MacDonald said he had to call in investigators who were off work in order to adequately respond to the weekend incidents.
"We’ve handled it by the good will and effort of my team," he said.
But, good will can only go so far, he added.
The IIO is funded for 30 frontline investigators, but currently only has 24.
"The way [a staff shortage] can affect investigations is that we wouldn’t have enough people to respond to a case and that would be nearly disastrous," he said.
Ideally, he said shooting investigations would wrap in nine months, while all other cases would close in six. Many of the IIO’s cases have been open for far longer than that.
"We’re underpaying [investigators]," MacDonald said. "It’s hard to keep people because of that; it’s hard to attract people. Bottom line is it’s just not fair."
NEXT STEPS
The head of the IIO has requested that the organization not be bound to provincial salary guidelines, which he says limits how much it can pay staff, and doesn't allow for overtime pay.
B.C.’s Public Service Agency denied that request, MacDonald said.
He’s also asking the province for an additional $2.9 million annually, on top of the office’s $9.1 million budget.
The goal of both requests is to grow the frontline team to 40 investigators, with salaries that can compete with those of police constables.
"The gap is tens of thousands of dollars," MacDonald said.
B.C.'s attorney general says he wants to help find a solution.
"I don’t want to prejudge what those solutions will be, but we will work with the IIO to make sure that they have the resources they need to get the job done," said David Eby in an interview with CTV in March.
"The IIO does need the resources to do these investigations and we do demand a very high standard of investigation from them," he said.
Eby said that while it's worth considering allowing the IIO to hire former police officers, he’s reluctant to do that, noting the watchdog’s strength is being civilian-run.
"If we have to go there we will," he said. "There’s a limited group of people that have… the skills to do a thorough investigation if they’re not former police officers."
Even with a bigger pool of potential applicants, MacDonald said the IIO still couldn’t offer competitive salaries in its current state.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.