Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Victoria, BC – The Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board Governance Committee has requested an external review in response to a Service or Policy complaint.
On February 16, the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board received a Service or Policy complaint. As per Section 171(1)(e) of the Police Act, the Board delegated the processing of the complaint to the Governance Committee.
“Integrity and accountability are key values of the Victoria Police Department and it’s important that the Board has input from the citizens of Victoria and Esquimalt in our governance of the Department,” said Lead Co-Chair Mayor Barbara Desjardins. “As a Board we have confidence in the policies, training and leadership within our Department, which we pay very close attention to, but we have a responsibility to listen and respond to concerns from our communities.”
On Tuesday, March 19, the Governance Committee reported to the Board that external police agencies have been requested to investigate the complaint.
The Service or Policy complaint included six points of concern. Four of the concerns will be reviewed by the Delta Police Department, as they are related to an ongoing OPCC investigation that Delta Police are already leading. Two of the concerns will be reviewed by the Surrey Police Service.
“We take submissions seriously and felt that an external review was necessary to ensure transparency and public trust,” said Governance Committee Chair Paul Faoro. “We feel confident that the Delta Police Department and Surrey Police Service will be able to effectively review these concerns and provide the Governance Committee with enough information to recommend a course of action to the Board.”
The Governance Committee expects an initial update to be delivered to them in Fall 2024.
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