End to police investigating police in Quebec?

KEVIN DOUGHERTY
Postmedia News

QUEBEC — Robert Dutil, Quebec’s public security minister, presented a bill Friday to create a civilian bureau to oversee the work of police forces investigating other police forces.

The Bureau civil de surveillance des enquetes independantes would be headed by a retired judge and a member of the Quebec Bar.

Its members would be citizens who have never been peace officers.

The new body would have the power, in the event it detects irregularities, to point them out to the minister — who could then replace the force investigating an incident with another police force.

Dutil presented the bill in response to criticism that having the police investigate the police may favour the police. Quebec’s ombudsman and the Commission des droits de la personne et de la jeunesse — the independent body that promotes and upholds the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms — have called for full civilian review, pointing to the way the Surete du Quebec conducted an investigation into the 2008 killing by Montreal police of Dany Villaneuva in Montreal North.

Since 1999, there have been 339 such investigations in Quebec [note: some in Nunavik as well].

But only in three cases did police officers subsequently face charges.

Bill 46 states that when a person dies during a police operation or detention as the result of a serious injury or a gunshot wound from a police weapon, the police force will inform the minister.

The minister then names another police force “to ensure impartiality” to conduct “an independent inquiry.”

The bill calls for financial aid so the family of the victim can pay for legal counsel during the inquiry.