NEW WESTMINSTER POLICE BOARD OPEN AGENDA Tuesday, 30 June, 2020 @ 0930
√ Indicates Attachment
1 ADOPTION √ 1.1 Adoption of Open Agenda: 30 June, 2020 Police Board 1.2 Delegations
2 CONSENT AGENDA Police Board √ 2.1 Approval of Open Minutes: 19 May, 2020 2.2 Police Board Member Reports √ 2.3 Statistics 2.4 Policy √ Vulnerable Person and At Risk Guidelines √ OD110: Homicide Investigations √ AC30: Funeral and Flag Protocols √ AB170: Absence from Duty - Illness 2.5 Correspondence √ Appointment of Karim Hachlaf to the Police Board √ FSGV Correspondence √ Junior Officer Detective Briefcase Correspondence √ Man Charged In Sexual Assault Investigation √ Lower Mainland District Integrated Team Annual Report 2019 √ Public Correspondence
3 ONGOING BUSINESS 3.1 NWVAA Board Representative Police Board √ 3.2 CAPG Call for Nominations to Board of Directors Term 2020 -2022 Police Board 3.3 BCAPB Authorised and Alternate Representative Police Board
4 NEW BUSINESS √ 4.1 Public Concerns and Questions Regarding NWPD Practices and Chief Constable Jansen Policies √ 4.2 Motion for Consideration Mayor Cote
NEXT MEETING Date: Tuesday, 21 July, 2020 at 0930 Location: ZOOM Video Conference
ADJOURNMENT OF OPEN MEETING
NEW WESTMINSTER MUNICIPAL POLICE BOARD May 19, 2020 at 0930 New Westminster Police Executive Boardroom
MINUTES of Regular Meeting
PRESENT: Mayor Jonathan Coté Chair Ms. Christine Dacre Mr. Sasha Ramnarine Ms. Natalia Bryant
STAFF: Acting Chief Constable D. Jansen Acting Deputy Chief P. Hyland Inspector T. Matsumoto Inspector T. Dudar Acting Inspector D. McDaniel Acting Inspector R. Boyd Mr. M. Wilson Ms. D. Dyer Board Secretary
GUESTS Ms. H. Finnigan
1. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
MOVED AND SECONDED (Ramnarine/Bryant)
THAT: The New Westminster Police Board approve the May 19, 2020 Regular Agenda CARRIED
1.2 Delegations
None.
1.3 Presentation of Next Door
Ms. Finnigan presented the Next Door platform to the Board.
Mayor Cote raised some concerns regarding privacy and asked Ms. Finnigan for further clarity. Ms. Finnigan assured the Board that the privacy concerns are similar to those that exist around current platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook. Ms. Finnigan
New Westminster Municipal Police Board
further elucidated that no personal information that is shared on the platform is given to the Police.
There was further dialogue concerning Crime Mapping. Ms. Finnigan stated that the NWPD App would become obsolete and that Crime Mapping would be available through the New Westminster Police Website.
Discussion ensued.
Received for information.
2. CONSENT AGENDA (Bryant/ Ramnarine)
2.1 Police Board Member Reports
2.2 Statistics
2.3 Policy
AB145 – COVID-19 Remote Work AF160 – Public Information Disclosure AB95 – Disability Management
2.4 Correspondence
Transition of Police Governance Unit Director Role New BCAPB President Naloxone Supplies Minister Approves Establishment of a Surrey Police Board Re-Appointment of Natalia Bryant Deferral of E-Comm Annual General Meeting Diversity and Inclusion Report to Council Extension of Jack McGee’s Position CAPG AGM and Call for Resolutions CAPG Emil Kolb Award Nominations Christine Dacre Board Appointment Expiry
MOVED AND SECONDED (Bryant/Dacre)
THAT: The Consent Agenda items be approved. CARRIED
Minutes of NWPB – 19 May, 2020 Page 2 of 4
New Westminster Municipal Police Board
3. ONGOING BUSINESS/ DISCUSSION
3.1 Governance: Tri Annual Financial Report
Mr. Wilson presented the Tri Annual Financial Report.
As of April 30, 2020 the Police Department is under-budget by $257,500.
Salaries and benefits are under- budget by $107,400 mainly as a result of unfilled civilian positions. Seconded positions are over-budget by $60,800 which is fully recoverable.
Additional revenues received for the period include provincial grants of $16,300 for Naloxone, $35,000 for recovery of costs in a police file, and $6,400 screening equipment.
Received for information.
4. NEW BUSINESS
4.1 CAPG Call for Nominations to Board of Directors Term 2020 – 2022
Mayor Cote directed that this be discussed amongst the Board members and be included on the agenda in June.
4.2 Appointment of NWPB Member to NWVAA (Verbal)
There is currently a vacancy on the NWVAA Board since the expiry of Ms. Hotel’s Police Board appointment. Mayor Cote requested that Mr. Ramnarine and Ms. Bryant reach an agreement between them as to who will represent the Police Board on the NWVAA Board. This matter is to be finalised at the Police Board meeting on June 30, 2020.
4.3 Funding from MPSSG (Verbal)
Inspector Matsumoto reported that following a meeting with the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General on 29 January, 2020, a one-time grant of $90,000 has been provided for the funding of a Sex Assault Councillor position. It was proposed that this program be put in place for two years in order to examine the delivery of sex assault investigations and services to the community. The City of New Westminster has paid for the primary year with the Ministry agreeing to pay for the subsequent year.
Mayor Cote requested that a memo on this matter be included on the next Police Board agenda on 30 June, 2020.
Minutes of NWPB – 19 May, 2020 Page 3 of 4
New Westminster Municipal Police Board
ADJOURNMENT of Regular Meeting
Chair Jonathan Coté adjourned the meeting at 1000 hrs.
Next meeting: June 30, 2020 at 0930 AM New Westminster Police Executive Boardroom 555 Columbia St., New Westminster BC
MAYOR JONATHAN COTE D. DYER CHAIR RECORDING SECRETARY
Minutes of NWPB – 19 May, 2020 Page 4 of 4
UCR Monthly Offence Overview – May 2020
General UCR categories:
Persons offences and other Criminal Code offences are within the five‐year average range for May. All other monitored categories are significantly below the monthly range.
Year‐to‐date totals for all monitored categories are decreased in comparison to 2019.
UCR (general) May 2020 2019 % change 2019 2020 range YTD YTD/1000 YTD YTD/1000 YTD per 1000 Total Criminal Code 504 343 376‐488 1810 22.7 2213 28.3 ‐18% ‐20% ‐ Persons offences 111 59 39‐93 371 4.6 397 5.1 ‐7% ‐8% ‐ Property offences 323 209 259‐321 1176 14.7 1503 19.2 ‐22% ‐23% ‐ Other CC offences 94 88 82‐104 320 4.0 383 4.9 ‐16% ‐18% Above normal range Within normal range Below normal range
Specific UCR groups:
Totals for all groups are within the average monthly range, with the exception of CDSA‐related offences (below range).
Totals for all monitored groups are at or below year‐to‐date totals for the previous year.
UCR (specific) May 2020 2019 % change 2019 2020 range YTD YTD/1000 YTD YTD/1000 YTD per 1000 Robbery 332‐4 17 0.2 15 0.2 13% 11% Assault 46 34 21‐40 177 2.2 174 2.2 2% 0% Break & Enter 35 29 23‐36 143 1.8 172 2.2 ‐17% ‐18% Vehicle Theft 26 21 14‐30 68 0.9 121 1.5 ‐44% ‐45% Theft from Vehicle 78 72 54‐79 357 4.5 382 4.9 ‐7% ‐8% Drugs (CDSA) 12 6 7‐21 27 0.3 33 0.4 ‐18% ‐20% Above normal range Within normal range Below normal range
CONFIDENTIAL This document is the property of the New Westminster Police Board and may not be further disseminated without the approval of the Chief Constable. Prepared on 2020‐06‐22 by CP‐NWPD‐CIU. This report reflects the most current data available at the time of writing.
NWPD Guidelines – At Risk and Vulnerable Persons
Overview:
The New Westminster Police Department (“NWPD) is committed to protecting the safety and security of all persons while respecting their fundamental human rights. All members of the NWPD will acknowledge that being homeless is not a crime and ensure that they treat at risk and vulnerable persons with compassion, empathy and understanding.
These guidelines will serve to clarify police protocols and authorities when engaging with at risk and vulnerable persons living in the community, including how to deal with the construction of living structures on private and public property within the City.
Procedures:
In the vast majority of cases, there is no urgency in removing an occupied living structure or at risk or vulnerable person. When NWPD members encounter occupied living structures, either proactively or in response to a call for service, the first consideration is to determine if the living structure or at risk or vulnerable person is on City or private property. Protocols on how to respond will vary between the two designations.
NWPD Protocol for City Owned Property:
The City of New Westminster has the primary authority and responsibility for living structures set up on City property and the City Bylaw Department will take lead role in these situations. If NWPD members encounter a living structure, they shall contact Licensing and Integrated Services at 604- 527-4657 to arrange for City Bylaws to attend the scene. City Bylaws staff may request NWPD to assist and stand by and keep the peace to ensure the public safety of everyone involved. This could include situations where a Bylaw Officer has concerns about their personal safety or the safety of others, or if a criminal offence is being committed.
If persons in terfere with City Engineering removing a living structure on public property, NWPD members may be called to assist if the persons are committing a criminal offence such as Mischief or Assault. NWPD members will not physically dismantle or take down tents or structures on City property.
If an occupied living structure or at risk or vulnerable person is encountered in a New Westminster City park between the hours of 7:00 pm and 9:00 am, NWPD members shall not request they move or make any attempt to move them from the park. Although City Bylaws have not been updated to reflect this, recent case law in the City of Abbotsford and the City of Victoria have confirmed that persons may camp on public property between the hours of 7:00 pm and 9:00 am if shelter space is unavailable. If an occupied living structure or at risk or vulnerable person is located in a New Westminster City park outside of the hours of 7:00 pm and 9:00 am, NWPD members may then request that they leave the park if required. If they refuse to leave then City Bylaws should be contacted to follow up.
Personal identification, cash or other valuables recovered from a living structure will be turned over by City staff to the NWPD by attending at the police station. A backpack, purse, duffle bag, or other item that staff suspect could contain personal identification, will also be turned over to the NWPD.
Any other property seized by the City Staff will be stored at Engineering Operations for ten business days. The Coordinator, Parks & Open Space Maintenance will be responsible for the management of the items to be stored. City Bylaw Officers will notify the camper of the process for retrieving their property.
NWPD Protocol for Private Property:
In situations where NWPD members encounter living structures that have been constructed, or at risk or vulnerable person who has occupied private property (either proactively or as a result of a call for service) they should first identify the lawful owner of the property and determine their wishes.
If the lawful owner of property requests that the living structure or at risk or vulnerable persons be removed, then the members on scene should make every effort to gain voluntary compliance.
Should at risk or vulnerable persons refuse to voluntarily comply, then NWPD members may consider enforcement options. All situations that may involve enforcement options should be conducted in consultation with a supervisor.
If non-compliant enforcement is determined to be necessary, then members may consider the removal of at risk or vulnerable persons under the authority of the BC Trespass Act (NWPD members will not engage in the dismantling or removal of actual living structures on private property).
Members shall arrange for the lawful owner of the property owner or representative to direct at risk or vulnerable persons, either verbally or in writing that they are not allowed on the property.
A police officer can be designated as an authorized person by the occupier of the premises and therefore can also give that direction. In situations where this occurs, a statement must be obtained from the lawful property owner providing the designation.
Section 7 of the Trespass Act gives the Police the authority to arrest a person contravening either Section 2 (Trespass prohibited) or Section 6 (Trespasser must give name and address) of the Trespass Act.
Section 2 - Trespass prohibited:
A person commits an offence if they enter premises that are enclosed land; enter premises after they had received notice from an occupier of the premises, or an authorized person, that their entry was prohibited, or engage in activity on or in the premises after the person had received notice from an occupier of the premise s, or an authorized person, that the activity was prohibited.
The notice may be given verbally or in writing, or by posting a sign at or near the ordinary point of access to the premises. The signs must be posted so that the sign, any writing, and any graphic representation is clearly visible and legible, in daylight and under normal weather conditions, from the approach to any ordinary point of access to the enclosed land.
Section 6 - Trespasser must give name and address
A person must provide their name and address on the demand of an occupier of premises, or an authorized person, who has reasonable grounds to believe that a person is on or in the premises, or was on or in the premises, in contravention of s.2
Section 7 - Arrest without warrant
A peace officer may arrest without warrant any person found on or in premises if the peace officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that the person is committing an offence under section 2 (Trespass Prohibited) of the Trespass Act in relation to the premises.
If a peace officer believes on reasonable and probable grounds that a person has committed an offence under section 2 (Trespass Prohibited) of the BC Trespass Act and has recently departed from the premises, the peace officer may arrest the person without warrant if the person refuses to give his or her name and address to the peace officer on demand, or the peace officer believes, on reasonable and probable grounds, that the name or address given by the person to the peace officer is false.
The suspect can be released on a Provincial appearance notice. Alternatively a Provincial Violation Ticket (VT) can be used as an option for dealing with the suspect and can be issued for the following offences:
Description Section Fine Trespass on enclosed land or s. 2(1) $115 premises, or engage in prohibited activity Fail to leave premises or stop s. 2(3)(c) or (d) $115 prohibited activity, or re- enter premises or resume prohibited activity Remove, alter or deface a s. 5(1)(b) $115 sign Fail to give name or address 6(1) $115 Remain on premises after 6(3) $115 failure to give name or address
As circumstances permit, NWPD members may also consider their authorities under the Criminal Code including Mischief, Causing a Disturbance and Obstructing Police Officer offences.
Members will maintain their ability to exercise discretion, ranging from the legal authority to arrest, warn, issue a VT, or take no action. It is the NWPD’s view that a compassionate approach to vulnerable members of society should be the priority with a view to providing education and resources.
If any actions are taken, the circumstances should clearly be articulated in a GO, especially in those cases of an arrest or where future police attendance may occur. Property seized on private property can be given back to the person directly at the scene or lodged in the Property Services Section as evidence or to be released to the owner.
Translink Property
The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (SCBCTAPS) has the primary authority and responsibility over all land surrounding the Skytrain platforms. SCBCTAPS will determine if and how a living structure or at risk or vulnerable person will be removed from Translink property.
It is NWPD’s position that the SCBCTAPS will take lead in these scenarios. NWPD members may be requested to attend to stand by and Keep the Peace to ensure the public safety of everyone involved.
Contact the SCBCTAPS homeless outreach officer, Constable Cheryl Simpkin [email protected]), to advise of any complaints of living structures or at risk or vulnerable persons on Translink property.
NWPD members are not to dismantle or take down living structures on Translink property.
COVID-19 Response:
City Bylaws are currently part of a working group called “COVID-19 Education and Enforcement Working Group”. Their mandate is to provide education and information regarding the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 and to support enforcement, or enforce where authorized, in situations in which voluntary compliance is not obtained, speci fically related to City or Provincial advisories, protocols and Public Health Orders.
Areas of focus will include public opens spaces and parks, constructions sites, businesses, and institutional or non-profit operators. They are currently scheduled to work seven days per week. The NWPD will continue to patrol the city, be visible to the public and assist when there are public safety concerns or criminal matters to investigate.
Shelter Resources:
It is recommended that members carry with them a copy of the City of New Westminster Helping Hands Brochure. Members are encouraged to hand out the brochure to any at risk or vulnerable person:
New/West/Helping/Hands/Brochure/2019
Members can also contact 2-1-1 to locate a shelter bed for the night.
PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
ORDER OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL
Order in Council No. 302 , Approved and Ordered June 8, 2020
Lieutenant Governor
Executive Council Chambers, Victoria
On the recommendation of the undersigned, the Lieutenant Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, orders that, effective June 30, 2020, Karim Joseph Hachlaf is appointed as a member of the New Westminster Police Board for a term ending June 30, 2021.
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Presiding~ Member of the Executive Council
(This part is for administrative purposes only and is not part of the Order.) Authority under which Order is made:
Act and section: Police Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 367, ss. 23 and 24 Other: O10420933 Page 1 of 1
May 22, 2020
TO: Mayor Jonathan Coté And Council Members
RE: New Westminster Police Partnership with Family Services Greater Vancouver, Victim Service Worker Update
In March 2018 the New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) formed the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), pairing specialized detectives trained in domestic violence and sex assault investigations with victim service workers from Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV). In early 2019 we learned that funding for the specialized victim service worker would end in October of the same year and we decided to bridge this funding until the end of December with the hopes of securing a commitment from the provincial government.
In January 2020, a delegation of City and NWPD staff lead by Mayor Coté met with Minister Farnworth and his staff to present information about the SIU program and the difficulties in confirming a funding source. The Minister and his staff were interested in the presentation and asked a number of questions about the program goals and expectations. Although a funding commitment was not made at the conclusion of the meeting, Minister Farnworth advised that Ministry staff would consider the request and provide an update at the fiscal year-end.
In April 2020, the Program Manager for Victim Services and Crime Prevention (Province) advised that the Ministry would provide one year of funding to FSGV for the sex assault victim service worker as the NWPD had committed to providing a year’s worth of funding as well. This partnership would allow the SIU program to continue for the three years as originally proposed in order to provide sufficient data for program analysis and assessment.
We wanted to take this opportunity to update City Council on this issue and to thank you for your continued interest, support and passion for victims of sexual violence and the NWPD Special Investigations Unit.
Acting Chief Dave Jansen New Westminster Police Department
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Burnaby RCMP - Man charged in child sexual assault investigation Page 1 of 2
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca) Home B.C. Burnaby Home Newsroom Man charged in child sexual assault investigation Burnaby
2020-06-09 08:39 PDT
File # 2020-18941
Burnaby RCMP Media Relations Officer, Corporal Michael Kalanj will be available to media outside the main Burnaby RCMP detachment at 6355 Deer Lake Avenue at 11:15 a.m.
Burnaby RCMP is announcing charges against an adult male Burnaby resident in relation to an alleged sexual assault of a female child.
On May 7, 2020, the victim attended an RCMP detachment with her mother to report that she had been sexually assaulted by a man she had met online.
The man is alleged to have befriended the victim online, to have arranged to meet with her and is alleged to have sexually assaulted her.
Burnaby RCMP’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Unit (CASO) took conduct of the investigation after being made aware by a neighbouring police agency that the offence had allegedly taken place in Burnaby.
The CASO investigation led to the approval of the following charges by the BC Prosecution Service;
• Sexual assault with a weapon • Sexual interference • Luring a child • Possession of a restricted weapon • Using a firearm in the commission of an offence
The suspect remains in custody.
As this matter is now before the courts and a publication ban is in place, police are unable to speak to any further details with regard to the investigation.
http://bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=2114&languageId=1&contentId=6... 2020/06/09 Burnaby RCMP - Man charged in child sexual assault investigation Page 2 of 2
Burnaby RCMP would like to thank our partner agencies at Surrey RCMP and in particular, New Westminster Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
“Our CASO Unit has done remarkable work in this investigation,” says Inspector Matt Toews with Burnaby RCMP. “Through this team and our Victim Services team we are ensuring that the victim and her family are being supported through this difficult time.”
Today, police are asking that parents take some time in the coming days to sit with their children and speak with them about the dangers associated with using social media platforms. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, police are aware that many of the social connections being made by young people are virtual but it’s hugely important that those connections are being made with people they know and trust.
It’s important that these conversations are ongoing and do not just take place when dangers associated with social media are being discussed. Please take time to educate yourselves on the social media platforms being used by your children. Get to know who they interact with online and how that interaction takes place.
“With so many new social media platforms being used by young people each and every day we understand that it can be overwhelming for parents,” says Corporal Mike Kalanj with Burnaby RCMP. “What we’re asking today, is to follow the advice we’ve outlined, take the time to sit and chat with any young person using social media in your home.”
For practical advice on having conversations with your children around safe social media use, consider checking out this guide (https://www.getcybersafe.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/cmpgns/cmpgn-06/gd-prnts-en.aspx))
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ANNUAL REPORT 2019
Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams (I-Teams)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Message from the Lower Mainland District Commander ______1 Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams ______2 Authorized Strength (2018/19) ______3 2019 Highlights ______4 I-Teams Finances ______5 5-Year Municipal Budget (000) ______6 2018/19 Municipal costs at applicable cost share (000)______7 2018/19 Provincial and Federal costs at applicable cost share (000) ______8 2019 Calls for Service ______9 Municipal Calls for Service ______10 Provincial Calls for Service ______12 Federal Calls for Service ______14 Call type by I-Team ______15 I-Teams Leadership ______17 Partners ______18
Message from the Lower Mainland District Commander
Welcome to the 2019 Integrated Teams Annual Report. The report summarizes calls for service, financial contributions of each partner, notable achievements, and future plans.
The I-Teams are a specialized support service to 33 municipal and provincial jurisdiction communities throughout the Lower Mainland, leveraging partnerships and collaboration in order to improve public safety for Canadians. My goal at the Lower Mainland District Office is to support community policing approaches with regional specialized policing services.
As policing becomes more costly, time-consuming, multi-jurisdictional and complex, the integrated model approach to investigations such as homicide, vehicle fatalities, police dog searches, forensic identification and high-risk emergency response continues to demonstrate an effective and efficient specialized service delivery. In 2020, I anticipate our current municipal police agency partners to expand their integration within the I-Teams. For Lower Mainland District Commander Assistant Commissioner example, work is underway to have the Delta Police Department join the Stephen Thatcher Integrated Forensic Identification Service and the Abbotsford Police Department join the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service. I am looking forward to working with these police forces to provide quality service to their communities.
The Integrated Teams are a cooperative endeavor and I would like to thank the participating municipalities and the Province of BC for their support of this integrated policing model. Many of the Chief Administrative Officers as well as the Province of BC contribute their time to quarterly meetings of the Integrated Teams Advisory Committee and respond to our requests for consultation and advice.
The new look and feel of this annual report is a product of that consultative process. Requested changes implemented in this report include:
• A shift towards a more data-driven presentation so that each stakeholder can quickly identify financial contributions and calls for service for their jurisdiction. • Increased clarity about the contributions of each funding partner. • Shift to reporting calls for service on a calendar year instead of the federal fiscal year. • Greater detail regarding the calls for service for each I-Team including notes for calls outside of the Lower Mainland District. • Inclusion of the high level strategic goals for the Integrated Teams and initiation of a strategic planning process for the I-Teams as a single entity. The key performance indicators for the forthcoming strategic plan will be reported on annually beginning in the 2020 report.
I would like to thank the members of the integrated teams for their dedication to their profession. These teams require a significant commitment in time, training and knowledge. Their service is appreciated.
Stephen Thatcher, Assistant Commissioner
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Lower Mainland District Integrated Teams
The Integrated Teams comprise 334 people providing specialized police services to 33 municipalities and 40 Indigenous communities in the Lower Mainland. These teams are a partnership between the Lower Mainland municipalities, the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada. They provide policing services where the required expertise, training and equipment make it financially and operationally effective to deliver such services in an integrated manner.
I-TEAMS • Integrated Collision Analysis Reconstruction Service (ICARS) • Lower Mainland District Emergency Response Team (LMD ERT) • Integrated Forensic Identification Service (IFIS) • Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) • Integrated Teams Internal Investigator (III) • Integrated Police Dog Service (IPDS)
JURISDICTIONS Five municipal police agencies that report to a police board contribute officers to one or more of the I-Teams. They are Abbotsford, Delta, New Westminster, Port Moody and West Vancouver.
28 RCMP-policed municipalities are served by the I-Teams. They are: Agassiz, Anmore, Belcarra, Boston Bar, Bowen Island, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Gibsons, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, Kent, Langley City and Langley Township, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, Mission, North Vancouver City and North Vancouver District, Pemberton, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Richmond, Sechelt, Squamish, Surrey, Whistler, and White Rock.
I-Team membership by municipality and team MUNICIPALITY ICARS LMD IFIS IHIT III IPDS ERT Abbotsfordi ✖ ✖ ✖ ✔ ✖ ✔
Deltaii ✖ ✔ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✔
New Westminster ✖ ✔ ✖ ✖ ✖ ✔
Port Moody ✖ ✔ ✖ ✔ ✖ ✔ RCMP – 28 Lower Mainland ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ municipalities
West Vancouver ✔ ✖ ✔ ✔ ✖ ✖
i Abbotsford began the process to join ICARS in 2019. ii Delta began the process to join IFIS in 2019.
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Authorized Strength (2018/19)
iii RM CM PB PSE ME TOTAL ICARS Municipal 15 1 16 ICARS Provincial 4 4 I-TEAMS ICARS Total 19 0 1 0 0 20 LMD ERT
Responsible for resolving high- LMD ERT Municipal 28 5 2 35 LMD ERT Provincial 20 20 risk police operations, or those with that potential. LMD ERT Federal 13 13
LMD ERT Total 61 0 5 2 0 68 IFIS Responsible for collecting, IFIS Municipal 47 14 3 9 73 processing, analyzing, and IFIS Provincial 5 1 1 7 interpreting evidence found at IFIS Federaliv 0 0 0 the scene of a crime. IFIS Total 52 15 3 1 9 80 IHIT Responsible for investigating IHIT Municipal 57 11 8 15 91 homicides, high-risk missing IHIT Provincial 15 3 1 19 persons and suspicious deaths. IHIT Total 72 14 8 16 0 110 ICARS
III Municipal 1 1 Responsible for investigating the forensic aspect of vehicle III Total 1 1 collisions that result in serious
injury or death. IPDS Municipal 33 11 44 IPDS Provincial 4 4 III IPDS Total 37 0 11 0 0 48 Responsible for public complaints and code of Communications 1 1 conduct investigations against Admin Support 6 6 RCMP RMs and CMs. Admin Total 1 6 7 IPDS Responsible for supporting Municipal Total 181 26 28 23 9 267 front line policing with police Provincial Total 48 4 0 2 0 54 dog teams trained to search for suspects, evidence, drugs, Federal Total 13 0 13 334 explosives, and human remains.
iii RM: Regular Member, CM: Civilian Member, PSE: Public Service Employee, ME: Municipal Employee, PB: Municipal police force employees reporting to a Police Board. iv On January 30, 2017, three federally-funded forensic identification positions changed their reporting line from the IFIS Inspector position to a new Superintendent position responsible for the forensic identification program in the Province of BC. This changed the Authorized Strength of IFIS from 83 to 80 FTE. This reporting line change had no financial impact as the positions were not part of the cost allocation to the province and municipalities. These positions were reported in error under the I-Teams authorized strength in the 2018/19 annual report.
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2019 Highlights
In 2019 the I-Teams:
• Attended 18,615 calls for service. • In June, received a formal request from Delta police department to join IFIS. Support for this expansion was received from the Integrated Teams Advisory Committee (ITAC) v in October. Full integration is expected in 2020. • In September, received a formal request from Abbotsford Police department to join ICARS. The business case will be submitted to ITAC for review in June, 2020. • Conducted analysis and consultation into desired future police dog service model and service level standard, future facility requirements, outcomes of different call types and effectiveness of existing deployment model. Consultation and analysis will continue in 2020. • Changed report release date to better align the forecast in the report with the municipal partners’ budget cycle planning process. • Supported by a business case to ITAC, existing resources were reallocated to create a Performance and Operations Support Officer position. • The appointment of the first Officer-in-Charge of the I-Teams Chief Superintendent Brian Edwards in September 2019, replaced by Chief Superintendent Edward Boettcher in February, 2020. • The Officer-in-Charge of the I-Teams and the I-Team Commanders presented at four municipal council meetings.
FINANCES • I-Teams operating costs for fiscal 2018/19 were $66,888,556.
2020 OBJECTIVES
Planning • Develop a multi-year strategic plan for the I-Teams focused on service delivery excellence, organizational performance and continuous improvement, engagement with internal and external stakeholders, and employee wellness.
Financevi • Continue multi-year financial modelling in order to support the goals and objectives set out in the strategic plan.
Engagement • Continue outreach by I-Teams to the 33 council participants of I-Teams with the goal to present to each council. • Continue outreach to public and I-Teams’ stakeholders by attending community and detachment events. • Explore opportunities for further collaboration with police departments in the Lower Mainland. • Proactively communicate the I-Teams activities to public and Detachments. • Create and staff an employee health and wellness position.
v ITAC is a working group consisting of Chief Administrative Officers and Principal Police Contacts from some of the communities that the I-Teams serve as well as the Province of BC. They represent community interests and are a key part of the I-Teams accountability framework. ITAC provides advice to the CAO/PPC committee, and through them, to the Mayors Forum. vi The cost drivers in the forecast are predominately salary and benefits.
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I-Teams Finances
FUNDING MODEL The I-Teams are funded by municipal, provincial and federal contributions.
The level of support from each partner varies between the teams because of varying contribution models.
The terms of the 2012 Provincial and Municipal Policing Services agreements provide for cost-sharing of actual expenses based on the population of the RCMP policing jurisdiction. This cost-share results in provincial and federal payment of expenditures that are greater than their proportionate responsibility for funding.
Municipalities that have their own municipal police force do not receive a federal or provincial cost share on expenditures.
COST ALLOCATION FOR PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS The Province of British Columbia and Government of Canada contribute funding and positions to the I-Teams. Contribution levels are due to both negotiated funding levels and historical positions assigned to the mandates when each of the I-Teams was created.
COST ALLOCATION FOR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS All the I-Teams use the same weighted formula to allocate costs to municipalities. This formula is based on population (25%) and a rolling five-year average of Criminal Code offences (75%). This formula was approved through the Mayors Consultative Forum (now referred to as the Mayors Forum) in 2002.
Page 5
5-Year Municipal Budget (000)
The I-Teams project a five-year budget to assist partners in planning their multi-year resource allocation. This budget is reviewed and updated annually in consultation with the Integrated Teams Advisory Committee (ITAC).
The increases below reflect anticipated salary pressures over the period,vii an allocation for on-call pay, a small increase in authorized strength, and set asides for expected equipment and facility capital expenditures.
Throughout the budget period, the I-Teams have committed to partners to operate within their planned budgets.
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT III IPDS 20/21 3,274 16,188 12,994 24,422 206 11,380 21/22 3,497 16,852 13,375 25,294 211 11,632 22/23 3,729 17,393 13,783 26,164 216 11,913 23/24 3,934 17,994 14,435 26,803 221 12,186 24/25 4,034 18,471 14,825 27,474 226 12,493
20/21 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25
vii Forecast assumes a 2.5% increase per annum for salary and benefits. It is not known if that amount will be sufficient.
Page 6
2018/19 Municipal costs at applicable cost share (000)
PARTNER ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT III IPDS Total $ Total % Abbotsford 0 0 0 1216 0 563 1,779 4.10% Burnaby 280 697 1118 1469 15 879 4,458 10.20% Chilliwack 162 403 646 850 8 509 2,578 5.90% Coquitlam 164 409 656 862 9 515 2,615 6.00% Delta 0 286 0 0 0 363 649 1.50% Hope 12 29 47 77 1 36 201 0.50% Kent 6 15 24 40 0 19 105 0.20% Langley City 67 166 266 350 3 210 1,061 2.40% Langley Township 159 396 635 834 8 499 2,532 5.80% Maple Ridge 123 306 491 645 6 386 1,957 4.50% Mission 68 169 270 355 4 213 1,078 2.50% New Westminster 0 280 0 767 0 355 1,401 3.20% North Vancouver City 70 173 278 366 4 219 1,109 2.50% North Vancouver District 78 194 311 409 4 244 1,240 2.80% Pitt Meadows 25 62 100 131 1 78 397 0.90% Port Coquitlam 79 196 314 413 4 247 1,253 2.90% Port Moody 0 73 0 201 0 93 367 0.80% Richmond 235 586 940 1,235 12 739 3,748 8.60% Sechelt 9 23 37 61 29 159 0.40% Squamish 29 73 117 154 2 92 466 1.10% Surrey 829 2,064 3,309 4,351 43 2,605 13,201 30.30% West Vancouver 46 0 185 316 0 0 547 1.30% Whistler 19 46 73 121 1 57 317 0.70% White Rock 24 60 97 127 1 76 386 0.90% TOTAL 2,483 6,707 9,915 15,348 128 9,024 43,605 100%
Page 7
2018/19 Provincial and Federal costs at applicable cost share (000)
The Province of BC and the Government of Canada contribute to the operating and capital costs of the I-Teams.viii
The Province of BC paid 18% of the operating costs for the I-Teams in 2018/19 ($12.2 million of $66.9 million).
The Government of Canada paid 16% of the operating costs for the I-Teams in 2018/19 ($11 million of $66.9 million).
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS BY BRITISH COLUMBIA AND CANADA (000) ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT III IPDS Total Province of BC 409 3,386 699 7,106 14 636 12,250 Government of Canada 420 5,126 1,329 3,005 31 1,122 11,034 Total 829 8,512 2,028 10,111 46 1,758 23,284
viii Due to cost-sharing clauses within the 2012 Provincial Policing Services Agreement and the 2012 Municipal Policing Services Agreement the amount a contributing partner pays can differ from the initial cost allocation. For example: a municipality with a population greater than 15,000 people could be responsible for $100,000 of costs related to integrated policing operations. When the invoice is issued to the municipality by the Government of Canada it would be for $90,000. The municipality receives a 10% credit on policing services based on the agreement.
Page 8
2019 Calls for Service
SUMMARY CALLS FOR SERVICE BY BUSINESS LINE (2019) BUSINESS LINE ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT IPDS Federal 0 29 0 0 10 Municipal 125 158 5,667 36 12,086 Provincial 19 33 37 2 413 Grand Total 144 220 5,704 38 12,509
SERVICE AREA The I-Teams respond to calls throughout the Lower Mainland region. The eastern boundary is Boston Bar/Manning Park and the western boundary is Earls Cove on the Sunshine Coast. The northern boundary is the community of Mount Currie and the southern boundary is the US-Canada border. The call count is tabulated based on where the activity physically occurs. For example, IHIT may request that the LMD ERT conduct high-risk arrests of suspects that live in Surrey and Chilliwack in relation to a homicide that occurred in New Westminster. This hypothetical example would result in LMD ERT recording one call in Surrey and one call in Chilliwack.
Where possible, calls for service have been categorized by the location of the call and the contributing partner (Municipalities, Province of BC, and Government of Canada.)
SERVICE CALLS EXPLAINED a. The definition of a call for service and the related workload varies between the teams. One call for IHIT may reflect thousands of hours of work whereas a break and enter call for IPDS may be resolved in two hours. b. The jurisdiction where the call is recorded can differ from the jurisdiction requesting the service. For example, a property crime team in North Vancouver may request IFIS investigate a stolen car recovered in Burnaby. c. The number of calls does not correspond to the number of investigations undertaken. One investigation could generate multiple calls for service from different I-Teams in one or multiple jurisdictions. For example, IHIT responds to a homicide in Coquitlam which would be captured as one call, however this one homicide may generate multiple calls for service from other I-Teams such as LMD ERT who support the IHIT investigation over a period of time in multiple capacities in one or more jurisdictions. d. The number of resources assigned to a ‘call’ varies from team to team. For example, an IPDS call is usually managed by one police officer and one police dog. An LMD ERT call is usually a team of 12 officers as well as a critical incident commander, a crisis negotiator and technical operational support. e. Occasionally, an I-Team call will occur outside the Lower Mainland. These calls are usually related to a federal or provincial mandate or due to the discovery that a Lower Mainland District file has a crime scene or suspect outside the Lower Mainland. f. There was a short period of time in 2019 where LMD ERT and ICARS provided assistance to the RCMP Southeast District due to resource shortages. These calls have been noted by community in the call count. Costs for these calls were recovered from the requesting jurisdiction. g. Generally, the Vancouver Police Department Emergency Response Team and LMD ERT, as a matter of professional courtesy, will serve high-risk warrants or conduct arrests for the other party in their own jurisdictions. For example: a Coquitlam RCMP file where the risk profile required an Emergency Response Team and the subject of the complaint was resident in Vancouver – this file would be handled by the VPD Emergency Response Team. h. IHIT took conduct of 38 death investigations in 2019, however, only 37 were confirmed homicides.
Page 9
Municipal Calls for Service
JURISDICTION ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT IPDS Abbotsford 2ix 2x 0 1 1,366 Agassiz 0 0 88 0 53 Burnaby 16 6 1,046 1 961 Chilliwack 8 18 465 5 1,175 Coquitlam 4 4 457 2 461 Delta 0 4 0 0 415 Hope 1 2 67 0 35 Kamloops 0 0 0 0 6xi Kelowna 1xii 1xiii 0 0 2xiv Kent 2 0 0 0 0 Langley City 2 2 153 1 412 Langley Township 13 6 240 1 683 Maple Ridge 6 9 327 0 659 Merritt 0 0 0 0 6xv Mission 6 5 119 0 194 Metro Vancouver Transit Police 0 0 0 0 4xvi Multi-jurisdiction 0 4xvii 0 0 2xviii New Westminster 0 15 0 1 423 North Vancouver City 2 4 119 1 154 North Vancouver District 0 4 176 0 148 Pitt Meadows 3 4 11 0 102 Port Coquitlam 0 2 57 0 231 Port Mann Traffic Services 0 0 0 0 3xix Port Moody 0 1 0 0 68 Richmond 14 5 515 2 899 Salmon Arm 0 0 0 0 2xx
ix Requested by Provincial Traffic Services on Highway #1 (1 pedestrian fatality and 1 passenger vehicle fatality). x One Mental Health Act file on behalf of Langley RCMP and one assist to Abbotsford Police Department. xi Homicide (1), Deployment with LMD ERT (3), Assist Other Agency (2). Costs were recovered from the requesting jurisdiction. xii Vacancy coverage for Southeast District. Costs were recovered from the requesting jurisdiction. xiii Support to RCMP Southeast District. Costs were recovered from the requesting jurisdiction. xiv Deployment with LMD ERT. Costs were recovered from the requesting jurisdiction. xv Homicide investigation (1). Missing person investigation (5). xvi Assistance to Metro Vancouver Transit Police on 4 files (Assist Other Agency, Robbery, Weapons, Assault) xvii Multiple sites for file (School Threat (1), Hostage (2), Threat (1)) xviii Deployment with LMD ERT. xix Assistance requested by Port Mann Traffic Service (2 cancelled calls and 1 track). Address recorded as Trans-Canada Highway. Office location and policing area assigned makes it likely the call occurred within a municipal jurisdiction. xx Missing person investigation (2)
Page 10
JURISDICTION ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT IPDS Sechelt 1 0 37 0 8 Squamish 0 2 51 0 36 Surrey 40 56 1,470 21 3,460 Unknown 0 0 0 0 2xxi Vancouver 0 1xxii 0 0 19xxiii West Vancouver 4 0 221 0 24 Whistler 0 1 18 0 8 White Rock 0 0 30 0 65
xxi Missing address. Backup (1), Cancelled (1) xxii LMD ERT served a search warrant in Vancouver on behalf of North Vancouver RCMP. xxiii IPDS – 8 searches for explosives, 2 LMD ERT calls, 3 weapon calls, backup on 1 robbery, 2 other criminal code calls, 2 break and enter calls, 1 training.
Page 11
Provincial Calls for Service
JURISDICTION ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT IPDS Agassiz 0 1 0 0 53 Ahousaht 0 0 0 0 1xxiv Anglemont 0 0 0 0 2xxv Anmore 0 0 0 0 5 Argenta 0 0 0 0 2xxvi Bamfield 1xxvii 0 0 0 0 Belcarra 0 0 0 0 2 Boston Bar 2 0 3 0 2 Bowen Island 0 0 1 0 3 Burnaby 0 3 0 1 0 Chilliwack 0 3 0 0 141 Delta 0 1 0 0 0 Deroche 2 0 0 0 0 Gibsons 0 0 0 0 5 Hatzic 2 0 0 0 0 Herrling Island (btw Chilliwack and Hope) 1 0 0 0 0 Hope 2 0 0 0 42 Houston 0 1xxviii 0 0 0 Kamloops 0 2xxix 0 0 0 Kent 1 0 0 0 0 Langley Township 0 2 0 0 0 Lillooet 1 0 0 0 0 Lions Bay 1 0 0 0 0 Lytton 1 0 0 0 0 Mission 0 0 0 0 83 Multi-jurisdiction 0 1xxx 0 0 0 New Westminster 0 1 0 0 0 Oliver 0 1xxxi 0 0 1xxxii
xxiv Search for a missing person (1) xxv Homicide investigation (1), Deployment with LMD ERT (1) xxvi Deployment with LMD ERT (2) xxvii Bus rollover crash on gravel road between Port Alberni and Bamfield. 48 victims (2 fatalities and 17 hospitalized). xxviii Enforcement of court injunction. xxix Provincial investigation – Barricaded Individual (1), Surveillance (1) xxx VIP Security xxxi LMD ERT response to barricaded individual. Costs were recovered from the requesting jurisdiction. xxxii Deployment with LMD ERT (1). Costs were recovered from the requesting jurisdiction.
Page 12
JURISDICTION ICARS LMD ERT IFIS IHIT IPDS Other 0 5xxxiii 0 0 3xxxiv Pemberton 3 0 5 0 8 Richmond 0 1 0 0 0 Sechelt 0 0 0 1 15 Squamish 1 0 0 0 22 Sunshine Coast Regional District 0 0 13 0 0 Surrey 0 11 0 0 0 Tofino 0 0 0 0 1xxxv University Detachment (UBC) 1xxxvi 0 15 0 21 Vernon 0 0 0 0 1xxxvii
xxxiii Court injunction (1), prisoner escort (1), mischief (1), security (1), homicide investigation (1) xxxiv Deployment with LMD ERT (2), Other criminal code (1) xxxv VIP Security xxxvi ICARS file for University Detachment (UBC). Fatality involving a passenger vehicle. xxxvii Missing person investigation (1).
Page 13
Federal Calls for Service
JURISDICTION LMD ERT IPDS Chilliwack 1 0 Coquitlam 1 0 Federal RCMP 0 9 Integrated Border Enforcement Team 0 1 Kamloops 1 0 Langley Township 2 0 Maple Ridge 1 0 Multi-jurisdiction 14xxxviii 0 Other 2xxxix 0 Port Coquitlam 1 0 Surrey 4 0 Vancouver 2xl 0
xxxviii VIP Security xxxix National security xl VIP security
Page 14
Call type by I-Team
ICARS The chart below shows the categorization of 95% of the files ICARS attended in 2019 (137/144).
2019 Top 5 ICARS File Types 70 64
60
50
40 36
30 19 20 10 10 8
0 Assist Other Motorcycle Passenger Vehicle Only Pedestrian Police Car Involved
IFIS IFIS attended 5,704 calls in 2019. Their top five call types are shown below and represent 83% of their recorded calls (4739/5704).
2019 Top 5 IFIS Call Types
2,500 2,324
2,000 1,759
1,500
1,000
500 348 129 179
0 B & E Mischief Robbery Stolen Auto Theft from Auto
Page 15
LMD ERT LMD ERT attended 220 calls in 2019. The chart below represents 66% of the calls (145/220).
2019 Top 5 LMD ERT Call Types 60 55
50
40
29 30 26 23 20 12 10
0 Arrest Barricaded Search warrant Security / Protection Weapons
IPDS IPDS attended 12,449 calls in 2019. The chart below represents 44% of their workload (5,349/12,449)xli.
2019 Top 5 IPDS Call Types 2,500
2,085 2,000
1,454 1,500
1,018 992 935 1,000
500
0 Alarm Assaults Break And Enter Other Criminal Code Weapons
xli As part of their patrol mandate, IPDS members attend a variety of calls. Calls that do not fit in the other 29 call types are recorded under ‘Other Criminal Code’. Calls in this category include among others: causing a disturbance, impaired driving, dangerous driver, trespass at night, breach of conditions, failure to stop.
Page 16
I-Teams Leadershipxlii
Lower Mainland District Commander Assistant Commissioner Stephen Thatcher
OIC Integrated Teams Chief Superintendent Edward Boettcher
Performance and OIC IHIT Operations Support OIC IFIS OIC LMD ERT Superintendent Dave Officer Inspector Shawna Inspector Kevin Cyr Chauhan Inspector Joseph McPherson Fortin
Integrated Internal NCO i/c IPDS NCO i/c ICARS Investigator Sergeant Derek King Staff Sergeant Dave Corporal Sean Cleary (Acting) Jewers (Acting)
xlii OIC – Officer in Charge; NCO i/c – Non-commissioned Officer in Charge; Organizational Chart as of May 19, 2020.
Page 17
Partners
ABBOTSFORD POLICE DEPARTMENT Chief Constable Mike Serr
604-859-5225 | http://abbypd.ca |@AbbyPoliceDept
DELTA POLICE DEPARTMENT Chief Constable Neil Dubord
604-946-4411 | http://deltapolice.ca | @deltapolice
NEW WESTMINSTER POLICE DEPARTMENT Chief Constable Dave Jansen (Acting)
604-525-5411 | http://nwpolice.org |@NewWestPD
PORT MOODY POLICE DEPARTMENT Chief Constable David Fleugel
604-461-3456 | http://portmoodypolice.ca | @PortMoodyPD
PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Policing and Security Branch
250-387-1751 | https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/policing-in-bc/
RCMP LOWER MAINLAND DISTRICT INTEGRATED TEAMS Officer in Charge - Chief Superintendent Edward Boettcher
778-290-4844 | http://bc.rcmp.ca | @BCRCMP
WEST VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT Chief Constable Len Goerke
604-925-7300 | http://wvpd.ca | @WestVanPolice
Page 18 1.
From: Confidential Sent: Friday, June 12, 2020 9:40 AM To: External-Clerks
Dear Mayor Jonathan Cote,
I am sure that you join me in grief at the senseless murder of Chantel Moore, D’Andre Campbell, Eisha Hudson , Jason Collins, and Stewart Andrews this year. Their deaths are tragic reminders of the racialized violence of policing that has been brought into such stark relief in the past weeks. In response to these deaths and in an inspired continuation of American political movements, Canadians are reflecting on the role of policing in their communities. I am sure that you have noticed within New Westminster and across Canada, there is growing support for defunding the police.
New Westminster has a unique opportunity to take an innovative and compassionate approach to ensure the safety and sustainability of our community. How can municipalities anticipate and extinguish violence and crime rather than merely respond to it? In Closing the Gap, a 1994 report on police and communities in BC, policing was described as a “reactive” and “incident- driven” system. By contrast, a truly proactive approach would eliminate the conditions that allow crime to thrive in the first place. This would include the decriminalization of moral offenses like drug possession and more importantly; ensuring that we all have access to the shelter of a good home and the nourishment of good food. Programs that proactively support our community should be enhanced at the expense of those that reactively punish.
Since 2015, the New Westminster police budget has increased both in absolute value and as a proportion of general services expenses. This trend was projected to continue in the Draft 2020-2024 Budget Plan. Given the financial constraints resulting from the pandemic and the prevailing public sentiment in favour of proactive alternatives to policing, I urge you to take immediate action to reduce the police budget.
Thank you for your time, Liam Kennedy-Slaney.
301-56 Merivale St.
New Westminster, BC
V3L-2P6
______PhD Student SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓ əm, Skwxwú7mesh, Səl̓ ílwətaɬ and kʷikʷəƛ̓ əm nations
2.
> -----Original Message----- > From: Confidential > Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2020 10:40 PM > To: Jonathan Cote
3.
From: Confidential Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2020 2:12 AM To: Jonathan Cote
Dear Mayor Jonathan Cote,
I am writing to you today to call on you to take meaningful action in response to the senseless murders of Black and Indigenous people.
The police in our communities prove time and time again that they are unprepared and unwilling to protect or serve our communities. In the cases of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Jason Collins, D’Andre Campbell, Olando Brown, Andrew Loku, Jermaine Carby, Kwasi Skene-Peters, Marc Ekamba-Boekwa, Sammy Yatim, Ian Pryce, Alain Magloire, Nicholas Thorne-Belance, Phuong Na (Tony) Du, René Gallant, Abdurahman Ibrahim Hassan, Bony Jean-Pierre, Abdirahman Abdi, Pierre Coriolan, Brydon Whitstone, Josephine Pelletier, Nicholas Gibbs, Jaskamal Singh Lail, Chad Williams, Greg Ritchie, Machuar Madut, Sean Thompson, Randy Cochrane, Eishia Husdon, and so many more people, interaction with the police leads to death.
I am not comfortable continuing to fund racist policing in my community at the expense of essential services like housing, firefighting, transit, libraries, and community health centres.
I am asking that you, as an elected official, pledge to do the following:
1. To never again vote to increase the police services budget;
2. To propose and implement a cut to the police services budget to support our community's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. To prioritize the expansion of community-led health and safety initiatives over future financial investments into policing.
In the face of cyclical police violence happening throughout North America right now, there is no better time to commit ourselves to change. We have seen that investing in body cameras, civilian reviews or de-escalation and implicit bias training doesn’t work. What we need is leadership that can initiate a reduction in the immense police violence that targets our most marginalized people, toward the eventual abolition of police and prisons. In order to do this, I call on you and the City Council to reduce funding in these ways:
• In excessive force cases withhold pensions and do not rehire cops involved • Require cops to be liable for misconduct settlements • Reduce the size of the police force and stop sending armed/uniformed cops on mental health and poverty-related calls,
An increased police presence, which includes transit inspectors and enforcement officers, does not keep us safe. Rather, it directly threatens the lives of our most vulnerable communities (BIPOC, the LGBTQ2S+ community, unhoused people, street-based sex workers, people with disabilities, people experiencing poverty, etc). Instead of investing in policing, our city must prioritize alternatives like education, increased mental health services, housing initiatives, income security, harm reduction services, accessible rehabilitation, mutual aid, community workers, conflict resolution services, transformative justice, and other vital community-based support systems. These initiatives must support our most vulnerable communities and centre the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour in our city.
Our city can lead the way in defining public safety through community, not cops, where Black, Indigenous and people of colour are free from police oppression. I am asking you to create a better future for all residents in our city by divesting from harmful policing and investing in life- affirming services.
Sincerely, Linda Huang [email protected] V3M 6T8
4.
From: Confidential Sent: Sunday, June 7, 2020 8:12 PM To: [email protected]; Jonathan Cote
Dear Mayor Cote,
I am writing to you today to express my deep concern regarding the recent news of ongoing police violence and racial bias. It is clear that this issue transcends borders, and has brought to light many decades - indeed centuries - of racism that pervades both American and Canadian society.
I also want to express my shock and outrage regarding the lack of transparency in the NWPD's public recent public statement following the death of George Floyd. Residents of New Westminster, especially in the wake of these times, deserve to have clear and accessible information on what external processes are in place to hold police accountable. How much of police training is dedicated to de-escalation and anti-racism as opposed to use of force? How they are working to address issues of reconciliation with racialized and Indigenous peoples in our community? How are the NWPD working to end disproportionate use of force amongst its officers?
Without real and substantial work in these areas, it is frankly unacceptable that police should be the first point of contact when people in our community are in crisis. New Westminster residents, especially residents of colour, deserve to see a portion of the gargantuan policing budget reallocated towards preventative, community-based programming such as mental health crisis response teams, poverty reduction programs, affordable housing, addictions services, immigrant and refugee services, and family support programs (to name a few).
It is clear that policing and the criminalization of poverty is not an effective tactic to address the many social problems our communities face nowadays - problems that affect marginalized people the most. As a social worker, I have worked on the Downtown Eastside and in New Westminster in mental health, crisis response and disability support. In my work I have found that even the most well-established nonprofits are struggling every year to keep programs running and to address the very real needs of the community. People who are trying to access programs often face years of waitlists and burnt out workers who struggle to manage obscenely high caseloads. It is beyond time that we change the way our cities are run and instead redistribute our tax dollars to organizations that work to truly serve our communities. The events in recent news have only served to highlight this.
I'm asking that our city is among the first to eradicate the notion that human beings are disposable and that harmful policing is the only solution to the many issues we face as a community. We must create a better future for all, not just for the most privileged among us.
Yours sincerely, --- Zoë Biggs Pronouns: She/her BSW, BA I live and work on the unceded territories of the Qayqayt, Kwantlen, xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations
5.
From: Confidential Sent: Tuesday, June 9, 2020 6:41 PM To: Jonathan Cote
Hello Mayor Cote and Acting Chief Constable Dave Janse ,
As the leaders of the NWPD, I am writing to ask that you consider the following suggestions.
1. Please immediately create a task force to create new policies to disarm officers as often as possible (including but not limited to when taking a statement from victims of crime, during visits to our schools, during routine patrols around the community, during traffic stops, during wellness checks, etc). Seeing armed individuals around the community has the opposite effect of making many people feel safe. 2. Please immediately create a task force to create a plan to reallocate resources directed towards the police to other community organizations so we can rejig who gets sent as a first responder. Currently police are dealing with many situations that frankly shouldn't be handled by an armed force. This can help ensure that the most appropriately trained individual can respond to different situations. 3. Please create a system to solicit feedback from everyone who has an interaction with our police. I would hope that this would be welcome information to add information for proper management of staff, and also ensure that our police board has better information about how people feel about their police encounters. 4. Please publicly report on the actions that have been taken in response to the actions outlined in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Inquiry. Perhaps consider a quarterly report card style report that shows all recommendations and where NWPD stands in implementing each one.
I hope that these will be seen as a starting point and that we in New Westminster can be leaders in making innovative changes to our force and improving community safety.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely, Jeremy Perry
-- Jeremy Perry Mobile : (604) 441-1475 Email : [email protected]
6.
From: Confidential Sent: Saturday, June 6, 2020 5:42 PM To: Jonathan Cote
Honourable Mayor Cote, and the Honourable City Council,
I am writing to you all as a dedicated community member and born & raised New Westminster resident. You may all remember me as I worked tirelessly on the most recent municipal campaign and was excited and thrilled by our victory (and I still am). I am a full-time media artist and theatre artist, working in a Collective based out of Vancouver's Chinatown. We are a group of artists/activists, all of marginalised identities, some of which have been engaging in anti-racism work as early as the 90's.
I am writing to you all, with an immense respect for your progressive values and the action you have already taken in our community, and I imagine that none of what I am going to write to you is news. I am writing to you all in response to the current state of the world, with my focus on Canada, our issues here, and in particular, the racism that is alive and well in our city.
Since being born in New Westminster in 1997, I have had countless interactions with our New Westminster Police Department. I grew up being taught by my school, through field trips, class visits, and lesson plans, that our police are heroes that keep us all safe. I'm a white settler of Irish and Welsh heritage, extremely white presenting, and part of a middle-class white family. You can probably imagine that I have had no negative experiences with our police.
But since Elementary School, I slowly began to realise that what I was always taught, about how the duty of the police is to protect the people, was a lie. I know now that the police, including the RCMP nationally, our NWPD and the VPD on a larger scale, exist solely to protect property. Police, upon completion of training, are allowed a license to kill. This is not right.
I bring this to you while acknowledging that my place in this community is as an artist, and an activist who wants to amplify the voices and concerns of marginalised people. I acknowledge that my knowledge in city operations is limited, so I ask for your understanding and consideration when you read my suggestions. I watched your team bring about effective changes around the Climate Crisis, and I will always be proud of the boldness and fearlessness of that plan.
I am asking that you continue in your steps of fearlessness and boldness by taking the next step in justice for this city, by reallocating resources that currently sit with our police department. In reading the budget, I am unsure which sector policing falls under - Core Services at $13M or Public Realm at $320M. Whichever it is, or if it sits somewhere entirely separately as I know our NWPD is private and likely has private funding as well, I see that the smallest percentage in our budget is $0.4M, for Reconciliation, Inclusion and Engagement. These are three huge words and not a lot of resources. When we consider the weight of these words, where our city sits, on unceded territory, with the horrific histories of lynchings, executions, incarceration in both our penitentiary and mental hospital, it makes me feel like more should be done to reconcile, include, and engage with these painful histories.
A few things that I believe could bring about positive change:
- A reallocation of at least 10% of NWPD funding, directly channelled into community support, especially for our Black & Indigenous communities.
- Body cam requirements & legislation for all police officers and RCMP who work in New Westminster (I believe this was once discussed but I cannot find any documentation stating whether is was put into effect)
- Annual, publicly documented and shared re-training in de-escalation, overdose prevention, anti- racism and diversity training (https://www.cicelyblainconsulting.com/ would be a great choice to train your city staff and public sectors as well)
- Ban militarised weapons within our NWPD
Hundreds of folks will be writing to the Vancouver City Council this month requesting that they do the same. Calls to defund police in Toronto are being ignored: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/06/05/news/calls-defund-police-grow-torontos- mayor-not-buying
These are changes that need to be made quickly and efficiently if we want to bring systemic racism down before we lose any more of our BIPOC brothers and sisters to police brutality. Measures must be put in place proactively, while acknowledging the violent, colonial beginnings of policing in Canada. We should not need any more reasons to channel more resources to our marginalised communities. I know that you all know that we deserve better, and that BIPOC deserve to live safe, beautiful lives, free of harm at the hands of a racist, colonial settler system. Police in Canada have proven again and again that they are not equipped, qualified or deserving of our trust. We must take action now, before a tragedy finds itself happening in our city too.
I look forward to hearing from you.
In solidarity with my BIPOC communities on unceded Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, and Musqueam territories, in memory and honour of Chantel Moore and Regis Korchinski-Paquet.
Black & Indigenous Lives Matter. https://blacklivesmattervancouver.com/
-- Andie Lloyd she/he/they White + Settler + Queer + Artist + Activist Chimerik 似不像 Collective
7. Confidential
From Sent: Friday, June 12, 2020 8:51 AM To: Jonathan Cote
Dear Mayor Coté and Chief Constable Jensen: Kathleen Oliphant has written an outstanding letter to The Record (see below) with the questions that I, too, would like answered. I have already written to the Mayor and to the Minister for Mental Health and Addictions expressing my concerns about police response to citizens of colour and those in distress from addiction, injury, abuse or mental illness. Gavin Deloes, a black man, walked out of RCH on a Sunday morning in a hospital gown the day after George Floyd was murdered by police. No one called 911 when they saw Gavin. He walked and wandered for hours and no one helped him, not even the staff at Royal Columbian who did not notify the family. How would this disoriented black man have reacted if approached by uniformed police officers with guns? This is just one example of why we need different emergency services to provide support to those in distress who are not criminals. Chantel Moore was not a criminal either but a NB police officer chose to shoot this young Indigenous mother five times rather than de-escalate the situation. What training is provided to our NWPD officers to give them the skills to resolve conflicts and calm down distressed individuals? I hope that you will not delay in providing answers to the questions in Ms. Oliphant's letter. I have lived in New Westminster for over 30 years and our community is more multicultural than ever. We all want to know the answers -- but many are recent immigrants from Africa and the Middle East and may not be able or inclined to ask such questions. We are their allies, their white allies, who are standing up for them. Sincerely, Elizabeth Bancroft An open letter to New Westminster Police Department’s acting Chief Constable Dave Jensen and Mayor Jonathan Cote in response to their recent public statement: This statement from the NWPD, while well intentioned, is essentially meaningless. It is a very easy letter to write. What is less easy is taking concrete action to address the systemic racism in the NWPD experienced by Black people, Indigenous people, and other people of colour. That is what I would like others in New Westminster to join me to do - ask for firm commitment to concrete action, transparency, and accountability from the NWPD on this issue. I'd like answers to the following questions: What are the current numbers (last three years) in New Westminster for the NWPD stopping, using force, arresting, and charging people, broken down in percentage by racial group? If you do not collect these numbers, I ask that you start to ASAP and share the results publicly on a regular basis. There is evidence from other Canadian jurisdictions that Black and Indigenous people are much more likely to be stopped and harmed by Police, such as in Montreal, Vancouver, and Halifax. Black people in Torontoare more than 20 times more likely than a white person to be shot and killed by Police. We need to know what is happening in our community with regards to these racist practices. What are the current percentages in the NWPD leadership (management and up) of representation of each of the following groups: Black people, Indigenous people, other people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+ people, disabled people, and women? Again, if you do not have this information I ask that you start to collect it ASAP and share the results publicly on a regular basis. We need the leadership of the NWPD to be diverse and reflective of the community it serves so that diverse voices are heard in the push for change. How many complaints from community members in New Westminster have been made with regards to the NWPD in the last three years related to racial profiling or excessive use of force towards Black people, Indigenous people, other people of colour or other equity seeking groups? How have these complaints been handled and what has the outcome been? We need to see that NWPD is accountable and takes action quickly and decisively to ensure the message is sent loud and clear that racism is not tolerated within its ranks. What specific actions have been taken by the NWPD to address the findings of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) report? Response and action by local police forces across the countryin response to the report have been uneven and inconsistent. What are you doing in New Westminster? Has the NWPD considered replacing armed police officers with unarmed crisis intervention workers trained to de-escalate conflict and connect people with the support they need? Experts say that there are many situations where police get involved which are mental health crises better handled by mental health experts. How will you ensure your new partnership with the Nextdoor app is not weaponized by white community membersto increase and worsen the over policing already experienced by Black people, Indigenous people, other people of colour, and other equity seeking groups in our city? What are the specific actions being taken to address system racism in the NWPD? What impact do you anticipate these actions will have? What can we expect to see change and within what time frame? I would like to invite everyone in New Westminster to join me in asking these questions, loudly and repeatedly, until we see answers and action. Allies - particularly white allies - this is our opportunity to do something concrete to make a difference. Please join me. Write an email, send a tweet, go to public consultations, and talk to your neighbours about why this is important. People's lives are at stake. Please join me. Kathleen Oliphant, New Westminster
8.
From: Confidential Sent: Monday, June 8, 2020 4:08 PM To: Jonathan Cote
Dear Mr. Coté and Mr. Jansen,
I wanted to take the time to write to you in response to the statement that was issued by the NWPD this week. I have been a resident of New Westminster for the past 5 years and love our diverse and welcoming community.
While I'm heartened to hear that our police department acknowledges the systemic racism that black, indigenous, and people of colour face, it would be more encouraging to read of the practical actions that the police department is taking to ensure that members of our community feel safe and have access to resources that will not put them in danger.
Specifically, I am asking for 3 things to be addressed
1. How are the NWPD and City of New Westminster are taking the action items from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Report into account and enacting them in our city? How are you making it safer for the most vulnerable people in our population? The City of New Westminster Strategic Plan lists Reconciliation, Inclusion and Engagement as a key priority. How is the MMIWG report being used to direct activities within the police department? We have a horrible history of Indigenous women being ignored and abused by the police. This is a concrete place to start.
2. How is the NWPD addressing diversity and inclusion? When I search for NWPD and diversity, I can only find a page about the diverse volunteers in our community that are helping the police do their jobs. What are the current percentages in the NWPD of the following groups: Black people, Indigenous people, other people of colour, LGBTQIA2S+ people, disabled people, and women? Where is the diversity in your leadership team? Is the NWPD working to diversify the office of chief constable away from 5 men towards a group of people that better represents our city? Is this a priority for the City of New Westminster and the Mayor?
3. Disabled people and policing: How are the City and the NWPD working to ensure that officers understand and respond appropriately to disabled people, especially those in mental health crisis, who may be in distress? What community supports are in place so that people in need of help are not misunderstood and met with violence, such as in the case of Chantel Moore and Regis Korchinski-Paquet? My understanding is that the NWPD has one mental health officer to support the entire department. Are there plans to increase this program so that people in distress are not met with officers carrying deadly weapons?
Thank you for your time. I hope that the Mayor's office will take up the challenge of addressing racism head on in our police department and our city in an open and transparent way that will build trust with our most vulnerable populations.
Sincerely,
Megan Willems
Resident of Glenbrook North
9.
From: Confidential Sent: Friday, June 5, 2020 12:12 AM To: Jonathan Cote
Mayor Jonathan X. Coté
I lived in New Westminster in 2015-2016, and left for medical school in Toronto. I have since returned to New Westminster and will be working as a healthcare worker on the front-lines of COVID-19.
During my medical education, one of the core themes was that socioeconomic determinants of health play a significant role in healthcare outcomes. The city can and should use its resources to improve the wellbeing of those under its auspices who are not thriving. With this and the race riots of the United States in mind, I am asking you to put forward plans to significantly reduce the funding allotted to the police and use the savings to promote non-violent conflict interventions, mental health workers, social workers, and basic living supplies for disadvantaged communities.
I am not white, and I always feel threatened when I see police. Though I believe we do need some state employees who are authorized to use lethal force, I see the growth of police as a significant threat to the safety of marginalized people and ultimately an ineffective use of tax dollars. Crime is in large part a product of poverty, and there is no police solution to poverty.
Sincerely,
Sohrab Towfighi
BASc, MD
10.
From: Confidential Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2020 1:19 PM To: Jonathan Cote
Dear Mayor Coté,
I am writing to you today in support of the Black Lives Matter movement regarding the City of New Westminster’s annual budget, and the funding provided to the New Westminster Police Department (NWPD).
As we have witnessed over the past few weeks, the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis has incited fierce protests and discussion on police funding and practices. As a voter and resident of New Westminster and as an Indigenous person, I am outraged at the continued violence and systemic racism perpetuated by police officers across Canada towards those who are Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Colour (BIPOC).
Below I have provided several requests which I urge yourself, Council and city staff to strongly consider:
1. Vote for a funding freeze on the NWPD and amend the 2020 Capital Budget, effective immediately.
2. Reallocate current NWPD funds aimed at engagement, mental health and other areas not related to law-enforcement towards community-led institutions and initiatives.
3. Prioritize the expansion of community-led health and safety initiatives over future financial investment into the NWPD. These initiatives must have BIPOC participation and consent.
4. Exercise your position as head of the TransLink Mayors Council and board membership within the Metro Vancouver Regional District to act as a leader in police reform and encourage similar measures across the District and Province.
As outlined in the draft 2020 Capital Budget, the police services will receive $31.6 million, an increase of nearly $1.23 million over 2019. We will see a further yearly increase of $2.83 million, to a budget of $33.98 million by 2024. This represents a staggering 23.4% of the city’s annual capital expenses, which is unacceptable to taxpayers given the needs of the community.
In the 2016 Census, nearly 8% of individuals identified as being Black (3.7%) or Indigenous (4.2%) within New Westminster, with a further 35% as a member of another visible minority. This is very similar to Canada’s national average, and yet Black Canadians represent nearly 10% of the prison population, and Indigenous people represent over 30%. This is a direct result of over-policing and systemic racism affecting these communities.
With increased focus on the role of police in our society, now is the time to act swiftly and aggressively to ensure that no one continues to live in fear for the simple fact of the colour of their skin. We have seen time and again that implicit bias training and other incremental reforms have not been effective at reducing police violence and the perpetuation of systemic racism. The only way that we can achieve our goals is to reduce the funding and scope of police departments which allow this kind of behaviour.
I urge you and the rest of Council to enact these measures and ensure that the city’s tax dollars are working fairly for everyone, including BIPOC who are unfairly targeted by law enforcement.
Sincerely,
Gabriel Pidcock 834 Fourth Street, New Westminster BC, V3L 2W6
11.
From: Sent: Friday, June 12, 2020 10:00 PM To: External-Post Master
Field value subject Report a Problem Dear Mayor Cote and Acting Chief Constable Dave Jansen,
I know you to be thoughtful and reasonable leaders in our community. I also know you have the capacity to learn and respond quickly when you understand how vital it is to do so.
The calls for defunding police departments and changing the way we support residents of our communities is not a trend, it is an uprising. It is a call from those who have been most harmed by anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and legacies of racist policies, who are grieving their loved ones who have been killed by police officers. I’m adding my voice to this call.
Change must happen now and must be swift, thorough, and meaningful. Taking a knee is a performance for the community. Actions that will shatter the deeply embedded racism, misogyny, and collapse the colonial tradition of policing are necessary right now.
An increased police presence, which includes transit inspectors and enforcement officers, does not keep us safe. Rather, it directly threatens the lives of communities made vulnerable (BIPOC, the LGBTQ2S+ community, message unhoused people, street-based sex workers, people with disabilities, people experiencing poverty, etc).
In the face of cyclical police violence happening throughout North America right now, there is no better time to commit ourselves to change. We have seen that investing in body cameras, civilian reviews or de-escalation and implicit bias training doesn’t work. What we need is leadership that can initiate a reduction in the immense police violence that targets the most oppressed and repressed people, toward the eventual abolition of police and prisons.
In order to do this, I call on you and the City Council to do the following:
1. To never again vote to increase the police services budget.
2. To swiftly propose and implement a cut to the police services budget and divert those funds to prioritize the expansion of community-led health and safety initiatives over future financial investments into policing, and to continue to defund and divest police services funds to support this. These initiatives must support communities made vulnerable and centre the experiences of Black, Field value Indigenous, and other racialized people in our city.
4. To collect and report disaggregated data on all interactions the police have in New Westminster.
5. Take the actions outlined in the Final Report from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women National Inquiry. Start now. Be transparent about it.
This is a start, not an end. We are in the midst of the largest civil rights movement the world has ever seen, and even with this uprising Indigenous and Black people continue to be senselessly murdered. What will you do?
Amanda Fenton unceded Qayqayt territory (New Westminster) platform Mac reply Yes, please! I would like a response. name Amanda Fenton
email [email protected] address city postal_code province phone captcha dPVG
1.
I would like to express my gratitude to the 2 police officers who attended the 911 call that I made on Thursday, June 18th after observing a man trying to enter my condo unit late at night.
The officers handled the situation respectfully and professionally, and although I was very shaken by the incident, I felt a great deal of relief when the officers arrived.
I can't thank the New West police department enough for keeping our community safe.
Sincere regards,
Caroline Speers
1502-69 Jamieson Ct.
2.
Joy Gove
New Westminster, BC
June 20, 2020
The New Westminster Police Dept.
To all of those who service as police officers
I want to say thank you – thank you for how you lay your life on the line each and every day to protect our city and the people who live in it. I was told once that in a profession such as yours, if a person was to think of their very most day in their lives it probably wouldn’t even come close to what men and women who serve as our police face every day. You do this at great sacrifice to your own mental and emotional health, your physical safety, and at the potential peril to your family. There are few professions that would be able to attest to that type of service and commitment to their community.
I realize that there is currently no threat to the defunding of the New Westminster Police Dept. but I would imagine nonetheless it must be disheartening and discouraging to see that put forth as a proposal to any police depts. It would be completely naive and foolish, and even a recipe for anarchy in my opinion, if communities seriously take this step. To think that a social worker could or even would want to step into situations that you people deal with that are intensely dangerous and require incredible skill is complete stupidity from my perspective.
I realize that there are and will always be individuals in any profession who perhaps do not have noble intentions or reasons for being in that profession and perhaps are even what could legitimately be deemed “racist” but “throwing the baby out with the bath water” is no way to solve the issues at stake.
So the purpose of this letter is merely to encourage each and every one of you not to lose heart, to keep doing what you are doing for the betterment of our community, and to keep your heads held high.
Respectfully,
Joy Gove
3.
My name is Roderick Newby I have met some of you and I have a suggestion at this time of you guys all getting a bad rap maybe you need to change your PR giving blood in uniform is always a good start and rescue practice videos distributed to tv can always help. I have worked in film and live entertainment for over 30 years so if you need some direction please email me or call me 778-751-7792 and thank you for treating me with care and decency when we have met. Didn’t get that as a kid in Edmonton Have a great day
Sent from my iPhone
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS To: CAPG Members From: CAPG Executive Director Date: June 8, 2020
On behalf of the CAPG Nominations Committee, we are pleased to invite nominations to the Canadian Association of Police Governance (CAPG)’s Board of Directors for the term 2020-2022.
The following chart lists the positions that are currently vacant on the CAPG Board of Directors and those terms that will expire at the Annual General Meeting held in October 2020 (TBC either face to face or virtually).
All directors whose terms expire in 2020 are eligible to run for election for an additional one or two- year term BUT this provision does not preclude any other eligible and interested candidates from submitting their own nomination for the vacancy.
There are 12 vacancies listed below: Province Vacancies Current Director Term ends British Columbia 1 Vacancy N/A Alberta 2 Vacancies Micki Ruth AGM 2020 Marco de Iaco AGM 2020 Saskatchewan 1 Vacancy Darlene Brander AGM 2020 Manitoba 2 Vacancies Alicja Szarkiewicz AGM 2020 Vacant Ontario 1 Vacancy Mary Anne Silverthorn May 30, 2020 New Brunswick 1 Vacancy Vacant Nova Scotia 1 Vacancy Carole McDougall AGM 2020 First Nations 2 Vacancies Dan Bellegarde AGM 2020 Vacant Non-Police Board 1 Vacancy New Position AGM 2022
Nominations are an important responsibility of our members. The effectiveness and success of our Association depends on the strength and quality of our volunteer Board. It is up to you to propose nominees who will bring the necessary competencies and commitment.
CAPG Call for Nominations 1
CAPG By-Laws state:
5.1 Number of Directors The Board shall consist of the number of Directors specified in the Articles. If the Articles provide for a minimum and maximum number of Directors, the Board shall be comprised of the fixed number of Directors as determined from time to time by the Members by Ordinary Resolution or, if the Ordinary Resolution empowers the Directors to determine the number, by resolution of the Board. At least two (2) Directors shall not be Officers or employees of the Corporation or its affiliates.
5.2 Composition of the Board The Board shall be comprised of representatives of the geographic regions of Canada represented by its Members. The Nominations Committee shall be responsible for preparing a slate of nominees for election by the Members which complies with these By-laws and the operating policies of the Corporation. In addition, if permitted by the Articles, the directors may appoint one or more additional directors who shall hold office for a term expiring not later than the close of the next annual meeting of Members, but the total number of directors so appointed may not exceed one-third (1/3) of the number of directors elected at the previous annual meeting of Members. 5.3 Qualifications In addition to the qualifications for directors set out in the Act,
(a) Only those individuals who are appointees of a Police Board which is a Member of the Corporation or a representative of a Non-Police Board Organization which is a Member of the Corporation, are eligible to be elected as directors of the Corporation; and
(b) Candidates nominated for election to the Board must reside in the province or territory in which the Police Board or Non-Police Board Organization is located. 5.4 Election and Term of Directors The Directors shall be elected by the Members at each annual meeting of Members for which an election of Directors is required. Each Director shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring not later than the close of the second annual meeting of Members following the election, at which time each such Director shall retire as a Director, but, if qualified, shall be eligible for re-election. When more than one qualified nomination is received for the same vacancy the Nominations Committee will advise that this will require an election to be held by ballot at the Annual General Meeting. Each candidate will be given time to address the members to support their election.
Following the receipt of nominations and identification of eligible candidates, the Nominations Committee will present a slate for election at the Annual General Meeting the end of October 2020.
Attached to this document are the following:
CAPG Call for Nominations 2
• Schedule A is the form to be used by nominees who are not currently on the CAPG Board of Directors.
• Schedule B is the form to be used by current directors who meet all the same requirements and are looking to be nominated for another two-year term.
• Schedule C is the form to indicate areas of interest or expertise of the Nominee.
Please submit your nomination forms electronically to the attention of, Chair, Nominations Committee at the following address: [email protected] before Saturday, August 1, 2020.
The deadline for receipt of nomination papers is Saturday, August 1, 2020. The members of the Nominations Committee are: • Mary Collins, Victoria, British Columbia • Carolanne Inglis-McQuay, Saskatchewan • David Walker, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia • Eli El Chantiry, Ottawa, Ontario
If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to me via [email protected] or via [email protected] email.
Sincerely
Jennifer Malloy Sent on behalf of the Nominations Committee
CAPG Call for Nominations 3
CAPG Call for Nominations 4
CAPG Call for Nominations 5 Schedule A: Nomination Form
TO BE SIGNED BY BOARD/COMMISSION CHAIR/VICE CHAIR ANDNOMINEE:
We , being members in good standing of
CAPG, nominate for the position above.
We also confirm that: • We are members in good standing of the Association • The nominee resides in the province where our Police Board/Commission is located • The nominee is willing to commit to the Association for at least a one-year or two-year term • The nominee will commit to attend the annual board retreat in Toronto/Ottawa • The nominee will commit to attend the annual conference of CAPG • The nominee has the financial support of our Police Board/Commission to cover the cost of his/her attendance at these two meetings a year including airfare and accommodation (estimated financial commitment is $4,000) • The nominee is able to participate in a two-hour bi-monthly teleconference board meeting; and • The nominee is willing to sit on at least one working committee and actively participate in the work of that committee.
Signature: Name: (please print)
Chair of Board/Commission NOMINEE: I being a member of, consent to this nomination. I am currently a (provincial, municipal, citizen appointment) representative on my police board/commission and I have years left to serve. I am eligible for another reappointment for years.
Address: Telephone: Fax: Email: Date
Signature: Name: (please print)
Return this form by email to [email protected] by AUGUST 1, 2020 Schedule B: RE-CONFIRMATION FORM FOR DIRECTORS WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE RE-
NOMINATED TO BE SIGNED BY BOARD/COMMISSION CHAIR/VICE CHAIR & NOMINEE
We confirm that we are members in good standing of the CAPG and that all of the conditions set out in the original Nominations document are confirmed including the financial support and time commitment of the nominee and board/commission and that the Nominee is able to serve at least a one year term from AGM
2020 to AGM 2021.
Board Chair/Vice Chair
Signature: Name: (please print)
Chair of Board/Commission Nominee:
Signature: Name: (please print)
Nominee
Return this form by email to [email protected] by AUGUST 1, 2020 SCHEDULE C – Areas of Interest or Expertise
Experience Interest Governance – research on police governance Policy development for police governance authorities Advocacy on legislation effecting police governance authorities First Nations Police Governance Governance – emerging issues on board composition and appointments Conference and educational program development Innovations in crime prevention Victims services Team building and leadership development Risk management Labour Relations Human resources Strategic planning Knowledge of federal, provincial, municipal governments Contacts, networking, especially on a national level Community engagement Proposal and grant writing Information Technology Marketing & public relations Fundraising & special events Business administration, especially non-profit Accounting & Finance in non-profit Legal, especially non-profit & tax-law
R E P O R T
To: Mayor Coté and Members of the New Date: June 30, 2020 Westminster Police Board
From: Chief Constable Dave Jansen Item #: 4.1
Subject: Public Concerns and Questions Regarding New Westminster Police Practices and Policies Related to Recent Events in North America.
RECOMMENDATION
That the New Westminster Police Board approve the recommendations contained within this report.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to provide information for the Board and the public about New Westminster Police Department’s (NWPD) policies and practices related to a number of critical topics identified by the public through social media posts and emails.
BACKGROUND
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police during an arrest for allegedly passing counterfeit money. This and subsequent events have sparked protest in the United States and around the world with demands to radically change policing in many different ways. Many of these questions and concerns have been raised in the Canadian context as well. On June 3, 2020, the NWPD released a statement about the death of George Floyd and since then have received a number of emails and social media comments asking for information about a number of issues concerning police oversight and the use of force. As of June 16, 2020, the NWPD has received:
30 emails 26 comments on Instagram 12 comments on Twitter 74 comments on Facebook
New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 2
These emails and social media comments have been reviewed and several themes identified:
1. What is the oversight on misconduct and use of force by NWPD officers?
2. NWPD use of force / how is escalation of force handled especially in regards to people in crisis / how do you ensure the priority is de-escalation?
3. What is NWPD policy / use of “choke holds”?
4. What type of training do NWPD officers go through?
5. How often do NWPD officers use force?
6. Why are body-worn cameras not in use; how does the NWPD feel about these?
7. What are the NWPD doing about Crisis Intervention and De-escalation (CID)?
8. What outreach are the NWPD doing to strengthen relationships with diverse communities / how are the police handling diversity and inclusion?
9. What is the NWPD doing in response to the “calls for Justice” by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Inquiry (MMIWG)?
DISCUSSION
The discussion portion of this report provides information about the themes identified above, the questions appear as a heading with information and discussion points below.
What is the Oversight on Misconduct and Use of Force by NWPD Officers?
The BC Police Act1 and regulations govern policing in the province including how police conduct or misconduct is addressed. The Act identifies two separate entities primarily concerned with police oversight: the Independent Investigation Office (IIO) which conducts criminal investigations and the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC) which oversees regulatory investigations.
The IIO is mandated to investigate two types of incidents: (1) any incident in which a person may have died or suffered serious harm as a result of actions of a police officer whether on or off duty and (2) a police officer, on or off duty, who may have contravened a provision of the Criminal Code2 or any other federal or provincial enactment. The IIO has jurisdiction to investigate any police officer in the province (municipal or RCMP) and operates on an independent investigation model in that it does not rely on external police agencies to provide investigative resources or experience. The IIO
1 Police Act, Revised Statues of British Columbia, 1996, c. 367. 2 Criminal Code, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, c. C-46. New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 3 may compel witness officers to provide statements but subject officers are afforded the same rights and protections as any other person in Canada with respect to compelled statements as described in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.3 Following an investigation, the IIO may conclude its review with no further action or may submit a Report to Crown Counsel for charge approval. The thresholds to meet in determining charge recommendation are to a criminal standard (reasonable and probable grounds) which is the same standard to which police officers must meet in their criminal investigations involving the public. It is important to note that in British Columbia, Crown Counsel is the gatekeeper to approving charges and applies a two-pronged analysis: (1) reasonable likelihood of conviction and (2) public interest.
Within the context of police use of force, the IIO’s role is to conduct a criminal review of any police use of force that results in death or serious harm to anyone. This is an objective process conducted by investigators independent of any police agency (municipal or RCMP) in BC. If the IIO believes the evidence supports a charge recommendation they will submit a Report to Crown Counsel and are prepared to provide evidence in criminal court should the matter proceed.
Table 1: IIO Investigations of the NWPD4 No. of Subject Officer Date File Classification Outcome Files Designated? 2015 0 - - - IIO file concluded, no charges approved by 2016 1 Serious harm Yes Crown Counsel File concluded, further investigation 2017 1 Self-inflicted serious harm No unwarranted File concluded, further investigation 2018 1 In-custody serious harm No unwarranted Self-inflicted serious harm Yes File concluded, public report available5 (death) 2019 2 File concluded, further investigation Serious harm No unwarranted
The OPCC is mandated to investigate allegations of police misconduct. Part 11, Division 2 of the Police Act defines police misconduct while the remaining divisions set out process, disciplinary/corrective measures and complaint resolution (mediation). The OPCC are the gatekeepers for all complaints concerning municipal police departments; complaints involving the RCMP are processed though the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission. This means that only the OPCC can register a complaint, deem this to be admissible or inadmissible and discontinue the complaint under a number of specific situations.
The OPCC operates under an interdependent investigative model in that although they provide oversight of investigations, the investigations themselves are conducted by specially trained police
3 Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, s 7, Part 1 of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11. 4 Internal records of the NWPD 5 Public report may be found on the IIO website https://iiobc.ca/cases/?action=filter&case_number=&incident_year=2019&publish_year=&location=&agency=municipal-new-westminster- police-department&incident_classification=&case_status= New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 4 officers. These officers (known as professional standards investigators) may work in the same department as the subject officer or may be from an external police agency conducting the investigation regarding a subject officer from a different department. Unlike IIO investigations, police officers examining allegations of misconduct analyze the evidence to a civil standard (balance of probabilities) of proof. In taking the oversight role, the OPCC may reject an investigation or the decision on findings of misconduct by the discipline authority and may order a new hearing with a retired judge or may order a public hearing, also with a retired judge.
The OPCC also monitors all “reportable injuries” (see s. 89 of the Police Act) and may order an external investigation to review the circumstances of the reportable injury. Finally, the OPCC may submit a Report to Crown Counsel if the Commissioner considers that the conduct of a member or former member under investigation constitutes an offence under any enactment.
Table 2: Number of Registered Complaints and File Outcomes of NWPD Officers 2015 to 20196
Date Registered Admissible Complaints Registered Inadmissible Complaints Ordered Investigations Substantiated Unsubstantiated Informally Resolved Withdrawn Discontinued by OPCC Outcome pending 2015 9 11 4 4 2 5 1 1 - 2016 8 11 7 4 5 4 - 1 1 2017 4 4 1 1 2 1 2 - - 2018 5 10 5 3 3 2 1 2 - 2019 8 10 3 - 2 4 - 1 4
Having reviewed the subject matter and specific complaint characterizations of all the admissible complaints and ordered investigations in the table above; twelve of these involve an allegation of excessive force and none of the twelve were substantiated.
In addition to the IIO and OPCC oversights bodies, all actions and decision-making taken by NWPD officers are also subject to reviews by the BC Coroner’s Service, BC Human Rights Tribunal, Criminal and Civil Courts.
What Governs NWPD Use of Force?
Legal Framework for Use of Force:
Police authority to use force is derived from both common law – the duties imposed on police to preserve the peace, prevent crime, protect life and property, enforce the law and apprehend offenders – and statutory law. Legislation, regulations and policy (provincial and departmental) offer other ways in which police use of force is governed but these alone do not confer the authority to use force.
6 Internal records of the NWPD New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 5
If a police officer uses force, he or she is open to criminal liability unless the force is used in accordance with certain provisions of the Criminal Code. The Code itself does not authorize the use of force but instead offers a shield to prosecution when that force is justified. Section 25(1) sets out three essential elements to justify the use of force:
1. Are the actions of the police officer within the scope of the officer’s law enforcement duties – was he or she required or authorized by the enforcement or in administration of the law (“lawful duty”).7 This does not refer to a police officer who is simply on duty, but that the officer must be in the legal execution of duty (i.e. making a lawful arrest).
2. Did the police officer have reasonable grounds to use force – the reasonable grounds test is made up from two elements: the officer’s subjective belief in the decision to use force and was this decision objectively verifiable.8 The subject portion of this analysis will change from officer to officer as each individual will perceive the same situation differently based on their physical abilities, skills and observations. The objective component requires the examiner to place themselves “in the shoes of the police officer” and to consider that officer’s background, experience and training.9
3. Did the police officer use only as much force as necessary for the purpose in question.10 Courts have determined that the use of force does not have to be measured to an exactitude. Courts have defined that “necessary” does not mean that police must apply the least amount of force that might be successful in achieving their objective.11 Courts have differentiated use of force decisions that were made quickly and those that had the benefit of reflection.12 Courts are aware of the difficulties police officers are faced in making use of force decisions:
Police officers do not have the luxury of freeze frame time as they confront various situations during their interactions with individuals. They deal with events in real time. They are required to make split- second decisions based on what is presented to them.
When citizens observe the police in physical contact with someone and an injury results, they may see the injury and immediately assume that there is “police brutality”. This conclusion may very well be the result of not having any experience with events that play out on the streets.
In the case at bar, the objective facts are that upon awakening a tall, intoxicated man, the officers were confronted with arm motions that were consistent with potentially escalating assaultive behaviour and
7 Crampton v Walton 2005 ABCA 81. 8 Paul Ceyssens, Legal Aspects of Policing, Vol. 1 (Saltspring Island: Earlscourt Legal Press Inc. 2016), 3-87. 9 R v Pompeo (2014) BCCA 317. 10 Paul Ceyssens, Legal Aspects of Policing, Vol. 1 (Saltspring Island: Earlscourt Legal Press Inc. 2016), 3-89. 11 Ibid, 3-94. 12 R v Angstadt, 2015 ABQB 547. New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 6
they controlled that individual quickly and efficiently by taking him to the ground thereby eliminating any potential danger.13
In cases where deadly force is used, section 25(3) adds the additional justification requirement that the officer believes on reasonable grounds that the deadly forced used is necessary for the self- preservation of the officer or the preservation of any one under that officer’s protection from death or grievous bodily harm.14 It is noted the “grievous bodily harm has been defined as serious hurt or pain.15
Regulations and Policy:
Police derive their authority to use force from common law duties and the Criminal Code provides protection from liability as long as the officer using force does so in accordance with the applicable sections. These are not however, instructive on the knowledge, skills and abilities a police officer requires to properly apply force or on what force options are appropriate or acceptable in a given situation. This is the role of Police Act regulations, provincial policy, training and departmental policy.
The Police Act Use of Force Regulation provides guidelines on a number of use of force topics such as firearms (types, ammunition permitted, maintenance etc.), training and certifications, creation of committees to develop policy and steps required after an officer discharges a firearm. For example, section 11 requires police agencies to create or adopt a use of force model approved by the director and create written policy that includes at a minimum the following force options: (1) officer presence, (2) communication, (3) physical control, (4) intermediate weapons and (5) lethal force.16
The NWPD trains officers using the National Use of Force Framework (NUFF) which is consistent with other police agencies across Canada and the BC Police Academy. The NUFF graphic is in the shape of a circle with the “SITUATION” facing the officer in the middle.17 The concentric rings of the circle visualize the officer’s assessment of the situation and his or her reasonable response to ensure officer and public safety. The key feature here is to constantly assess and evaluate not only the situation, but how the subject is responding to the officer’s actions and whether or not escalation or de- escalation of force is appropriate (a full description of the NUFF model may be accessed at https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/plcng/cnmcs-plcng/rsrch-prtl/dtls- en.aspx?d=PS&i=80440640). The outer rings of the circle offer guidance on appropriate force options based on the subject’s actions and response, the overlapping nature of the circles acknowledge the variabilities and imperfect nature of officer action and subject response.
Since its endorsement by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) in 2000, the NUFF model has been enhanced with an additional graphic depicting the Crisis Intervention and De- escalation (CID) process. The CID model is an essential tool to build trust and understanding with subjects who are experiencing crisis. The model teaches communication strategies and active
13 R v Tran, 2013 ONCJ 558. 14 Paul Ceyssens, Legal Aspects of Policing, Vol. 1 (Saltspring Island: Earlscourt Legal Press Inc. 2016), 3-90. 15 R v Leeson, 2008 ONCJ 720. 16 Use of Force Regulations, BC Reg. 203/98. 17 Tim Actil et al, A National Use of Force Framework, Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2000), 3. New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 7 listening skills to foster collaboration and to build solutions that increase the likelihood of problem resolution.
Figure 1: National Use of Force Framework with Crisis Intervention and De-escalation
All police departments in the province are required to have extensive use of force policies, annual training and qualifications in addition to annual reporting of the use, frequency and type of force used (this will be covered below).
What Type of Training do Police go Through / How is Escalation of Force Handled Especially in Regards to People in Distress or Crisis / How do you Ensure the Priority is De-escalation / What is Police Policy on Use of “Choke Holds”?
NWPD Police Training:
All municipal police officers in BC are legislated to be trained and certified by the Justice Institute of British Columbia (JIBC) Police Academy in order to become operational police officers. Training occurs over the course of ten months on average and includes both classroom, skills and in-field training with a Field Training Officer. Any training outside of the initial certification period is considered “advanced” training and is the responsibility of individual departments to identify and arrange.
The average NWPD police officer receives 40 hours of mandatory training a year which is focused on annual qualifications for firearms and use of force certifications, mandated provincial training requirements (i.e. unbiased police training), reality-based training scenarios involving use of force decision-making and knowledge-based training (i.e. legal studies). In addition to the 40 hours, many officers attend workshops, knowledge-specific learning (i.e. interviewing techniques) and seminars that are relevant to their specific assignments.
The NWPD attempts to balance mandatory training between use of force skills and decision-making, with that of soft skills including crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques, legal updates and New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 8 crime-specific investigational skills (i.e. sex assault investigations). It is recognized that on one hand the very high risk and critically dangerous situations that thankfully occur infrequently take up a significant portion of training hours to prepare for but nonetheless must be balanced with sustained training on communication and de-escalation skills that are used every day by every officer. Below is a list and description of common NWPD training topics:
1. Crisis Intervention and De-escalation (CID) training – the province requires this course to be completed every three years on-line. The NWPD implemented the mandatory provincial course but also added classroom and role-playing training as much as possible. For example, the Training Section has incorporated CID skills into use of force reality-based training sessions where officers must practice strategic communication and active listening while escalating or de-escalating force as the situation dictates. Following the conclusion of the scenario, officers are asked to justify their response either verbally or in writing (i.e. practice written articulation).
2. Legal studies – these sessions provide updates to changing legislation and recent court rulings that affect police response / actions to investigation of offences. Securing legal experts to provide training is more difficult than it sounds but vital in maintaining competence.
3. Driver’s training – these sessions teach maneuvering skills, tactical use of vehicles and officer driving attitudes as police spend many hours a day driving in patrol cars. Training occurs with a professional driving school and the Training section and include reality-based scenarios for use of force and use of “stop sticks” (tire deflation devices).
4. Unbiased policing (UBP) – this is a new requirement by the province since 2018 and includes training on implicit/unconscious bias, a framework for recognizing these, vulnerable populations and ethical decision-making. Included under the UBP umbrella and recently introduced to NWPD members is training on Trauma Informed Practice (TIP) which seeks to teach officers about how to approach victims of crime that experience trauma (i.e. sex assault victims) and how to elicit statements and conduct investigations in a way that preserves the trust of victims while also maintaining investigative integrity.
5. Immediate Rapid Deployment (IRD) training – is a skills-based training session that teaches a response model to an active and ongoing high risk crisis (i.e. multiple victim shooting / stabbing in a workplace). Emphasis is on decision-making, tactics, building searches, and teamwork.
Use of Force and De-escalation Involving People in Crisis:
The NWPD attends about 1050 (about 5.2% of total CFS) calls for service a year in which the attending officer has referred the file information to our Mental Health Unit (MHU). This suggests that these files are serious enough to require further triage and follow up by specially trained officers to connect mental health services in the community with people who may require help. There are many more New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 9 calls for service police attend to where mental health plays a role or even a significant role but are not flagged to our MHU and there is no way to track these numbers currently.
A comprehensive evaluation of police mental health calls for service in the Fraser Health catchment area by the Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies (ICURS) looked into mental health-related calls for service to try and quantify the number of files police attend to. The ICURS study examined data from both municipal and RCMP police agencies within the Fraser health region from 2009 to 2015 and found that persons with severe mental illness (PwSMI) were involved in about 15.5% of all calls for service.18 Other research across Canada estimated that the average call duration involving a PwSMI is about 90 minutes19 and the ICURS study attempted to determine the cost and full time equivalent (FTE) hours in policing this subset of the population. For 2015, the ICURS data showed approximately 170.5 police officers working fulltime were required to respond to PwSMI calls for service at about $24.6 million in costs.20 The majority of calls involving PwSMI do not end in arrest under the Mental Health Act and the ICURS study appears to support this.21
Although the NWPD data does not accurately reflect the amount of calls for service involving PwSMI, the in-depth studies of ICURS and others tells us that these types of calls take significant time and resources to manage. Police contact with PwSMI appears to be relatively common with one in three (34.4%) reporting some type of police contact for at least one reason while police contact with the general public is about 16.7%.22 These are not necessarily criminal contacts (i.e. criminal investigation) but the exact nature and reason for the contact is not entirely known.23
Police use of force across Canada involving PwSMI is not widely reported and difficult to determine how often and under what circumstances force is used. The NWPD examined the 2019 use of force events reportable to the province and found out of the 59 incidents (see below under heading “How often do NWPD officers use force” for details), 10 of these involved PwSMI.
Use of force on PwSMI has not been compared to that of the general population regarding what, if any, differences may be present that affects an officer’s decisions and perceptions on use force. Regardless, all officers are trained and expected to employ de-escalation techniques prior to, during and after use of force events. NWPD officers are taught about major psychiatric illnesses and how to recognize manifestations of disordered thinking and psychosis and how these may hinder a person’s ability to follow instructions and communicate with police. At the same time, officers are taught how to moderate their voice to reduce threat perceptions by subjects and ho to employ active listening techniques to build common ground and trust with persons that may be mistrustful and scared of a police officer’s presence.
18 Adam Vaughan et al, “Policing and Mental health: An Investigation into Police Interactions with Emotionally disturbed Persons” (unpublished report, Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies, 2017). 19 Yanik Charette, Anne Croker and Isabelle Billette, “Police Encounters Involving Citizens with mental Illness: Use of Resources and Outcome” Psychiatric Services (Washington, DC), 65(4), 511-516, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24337400/. 20 Adam Vaughan et al, “Policing and Mental health: An Investigation into Police Interactions with Emotionally disturbed Persons” (unpublished report, Institute for Canadian Urban Research Studies, 2017), 76. 21 Ibid, 77. 22 Jillian Boyce, Christine Rotenberg and Maisie Karam, “Mental Health and Contact with Police in Canada, 2012”, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (Ottawa: Minister of Industry, 2015), 14, accessed June 22, 2020. 23 Ibid, 13. New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 10
Use of “Choke Holds”:
The NWPD does not authorize use of “choke holds” but follows the provincial policing standard in the training and certifying of officers annually in use of the Lateral neck Restraint (LNR). In the LNR, Pressure is applied to the sides of the neck but the front of the throat and trachea are to be left untouched.
The LNR is one of the highest use of force techniques used by NWPD officers and is permitted for use on a violent subject in need of immediate control when lower levels of force are inappropriate or ineffective in the given situation. Application of the LNR is not without risk and officers are trained to know what subject groups represent the greatest risk in using this technique (i.e. elderly). Upon using the LNR, officers are trained to place the subject in the recovery position and to call for BC ambulance and a supervisor to attend. Officers are also taught not to kneel on a subject’s neck and back during handcuffing as these can interfere with breathing, especially in a subject that is already significantly under physical stress (i.e. after a struggle).
A comprehensive study on LNR in 2007 sought to compile and summarize recommendations that have resulted from legal cases involving the police use of LNR:
1. Training on the use of the vascular neck restraint should be provided on a regular basis. 2. In training, officers should be informed of the VNR’s potential for adverse medical outcomes. 3. The VNR should be limited by policy to situations where officers or others are in danger of physical harm. 4. Police agencies should document all circumstances in which the VNR is used. This reporting data should be reviewed periodically to measure adherence to policy and to identify training issues. 5. Ongoing research should be conducted on the use of neck restraints and changes implemented where appropriate. (Although this recommendation was gleaned from the legal review, the medical experts tasked with reviewing the existing scientific research for this project unanimously indicated that no further medical research is required for making best-practices training standards and policy. With respect to the issue of restraint modality with subjects experiencing excited delirium syndrome, the international RESTRAINT study which is just in its infancy is seeking to address this concern).24
How Often do NWPD Officers Use Force?
Use of Force Policies:
The NWPD has extensive policies that govern the use of force by its officers. These policies are aligned with provincial policing standards (provincial standards can be seen at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/policing-in-bc/policing-standards) and training standards used by the BC Police Academy. The NWPD tracks all incidents of use of force over and above routine handcuffing and further reports specific categories of force to the province on an annual basis. As previously mentioned, all use of force which results in serious harm is reported to the IIO and any injury which meets the threshold as a “reportable injury” is provided to the OPCC.
24 Chris Butler and Christine Hall, National Study on Neck Restraint in Policing, Canadian Police Research Centre (Ottawa: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2007). 7. New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 11
Use of Force Statistics for NWPD:
Use of force reporting to the province is mandatory for all police agencies in British Columbia. NWPD officers complete a Subject Behaviour- Officer Response (SBOR) report each time force is used. The reporting threshold is defined by Police Services as follows:
An officer must complete an SBOR report at the physical control-soft level if that force response resulted in injury to the officer or the subject. An officer must complete an SBOR report regardless of injury, when physical control-hard force, or higher levels of force, were used. (This includes any weapon use or display, as well as police dog bites).
The NWPD has determined that a lower threshold of reporting (internally) is appropriate and allows for a more complete trends analysis, training effectiveness assessments and monitoring of use of force by NWPD officers. The threshold for internal reporting is any force used over and above “routine handcuffing”. Each SBOR report is reviewed and evaluated by the Training Section to identify policy gaps and identify officers who may require further skills training. Any instance in which an officer’s use of force is inappropriate or unlawful are reported to the OPCC and investigated.
In addition to the tracking of SBORs at the provincial level, Police Services also requires the NWPD to report an annual use of force survey that includes data reported in SBORs, however the annual survey does not require the reporting of hard or soft physical control. The Annual survey requires reporting on the following categories: (1) use of oleo capsicum (OC) or pepper spray, (2) use of baton, (3) use of extended range impact weapon (ERIW), (4) use of conducted energy weapon (CEW), (5) use of the LNR and (6) use firearms. The following table shows the NWPD’s use of force to the province for 2019:
Table 3: NWPD Use of Force Statistical Breakdown – 2019 Annual Provincial Report
displayed / discharged Perception about subject
– –
displayed / discharged at
– –
spray
OC Baton ERIW CEW pointed at subject CEW subject LNR Firearms pointed at subject Firearms at subject Perceived by officer as emotionally disturbed 0 0 5 - 1 0 3 1 person Not perceived by officer as an emotionally disturbed 2 0 4 7 0 0 36 0 person
New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 12
To put these statistics into context, the NWPD attended about 20,136 calls for service in 201925 with an estimated number of contacts to be about 58,400 (defined as a police face to face interaction). There were a total of 59 reportable use of force incidents (see Table 3) which translates to force being used in about .1% of the total estimated contacts and about .3% of all calls police attended.
The provincial report also requires the NWPD to report on the number of in-custody deaths of which there were none for 2019, the number of police pursuits of which there were none, the number of police service dog deployments as it related to use of force and the number of Emergency Response Team (ERT) deployments and any associated use of force. Please note that the NWPD subscribes to the Lower Mainland Division Integrated Police Service Dog (LMD IPDS) and Lower Mainland Division Emergency Response Team (LMD ERT) model for these services. As such these specific services complete the provincial annual use of force reporting as it pertains to their activities.
Why are Body Worn Cameras Not in Use? How does the NWPD Feel about These?
The Province of BC created a provincial policing standard for Body worn cameras (BWC’s) on July 1, 2019. At this time the standard covers the implementation and deployment of BWC’s but does not mandate their use.
Body worn cameras are video evidence gathering devices that have been deployed by many police departments in the United States, and on a more limited basis here in Canada. Mounted mainly on the torso of front-line police officers, BWC’s allow the digital capture and storage of police interactions with members of the public in a variety of situations as well as the gathering of video evidence at crime scenes.
There is also some thought that the deployment of BWC’s by front line police officers can have a positive effect on the public trust in the police as better evidence of use of force situations and possible misconduct allegations will be captured for a more robust analysis.
BWC’s came into widespread use in the United States after the 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson Missouri. Their widespread use was assisted in large part due to Federal US funding to local police departments that subsidized their deployment.
In addition to the evidence gathering benefits that BWC’s provide, there have also been a number of studies conducted to determine if their deployment does in fact improve public trust through the reduction of police use of force and complaints against the police. The results of these studies have been mixed, with some studies showing a decrease in use of force and complaints while other studies have not shown much change.
The NWPD is aware that the public holds a wide range opinions, both supporting and being concerned about the use of this technology. It is recognized that the use of body-worn cameras has potential benefits but also potential risks, therefore a thorough review and assessment for using body-worn cameras is required. One of the main concerns about the use of BWC’s is the need to
25 PRIME data search: completed calls dispatched report generated plus completed calls dispatched report not generated. New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 13 balance the costs of the technology (such as purchasing and maintaining the equipment, training staff, and securely storing, processing and disposing of footage, transcribing and disclosure) against the potential benefits. There are also significant issues around privacy that would need to be addressed prior to any deployment of the technology.
The NWPD recognizes that incidents can emerge and change a communities opinions on policing priorities. We remain open to the discussion on the NWPD adopting BWC technology in a limited or more wide-spread manner.
What Outreach are the NWPD Doing to Strengthen Relationships with Vulnerable and Marginalized Communities or Communities Whose Trust in the Police is Low? How are the NWPD Handling Diversity and Inclusion?
The NWPD is strongly committed to community engagement. A significant portion of this engagement is listening, especially when it comes to communities who may not feel safe or included when it comes to policing. Some of the initiatives include:
1. Reaching out and engaging with many community groups who represent indigenous, newcomer, vulnerable and marginalized community members including but not limited to:
a. Spirit of the Children Society b. Qay Qayt First Nation c. Aunt Leah’s Place d. New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society e. New Westminster Pride Society f. The Family Place g. Union Gospel Mission h. Fraserside Community Services i. Elizabeth Fry Society j. Last Door Recovery House k. New Westminster Mental Health l. Stevenson House m. Inclusion BC n. Maria Keary Cottage and Genesis House o. Fraserworks p. Lower Mainland Drug Freedom q. Ministry of Children and Family Development r. Mosaic s. New Westminster School District t. Seniors Services Society
2. Member participation in the Pulling Together Canoe Journey.
New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 14
3. The NWPD Youth Officer is currently part of a Sexual Exploitation of Youth Committee for Burnaby/New Westminster, the Restorative Justice Committee and the Community Action Team. Each of these committees purpose is to reduce harm and stigma against marginalized persons including youth.
4. The NWPD’s Student Police Academy and LEAD Program to connect with vulnerable and marginalized youth populations that are culturally diverse.
5. We offer a number of community engagement initiatives:
a. Summer Soccer School – This program is one of our oldest programs connecting youth to soccer and members of our Department. b. Student Police Academy – This program gives students a two week glimpse into the life of Policing. This program draws diverse candidates as it pulls from youth across the Lower Mainland.
6. The NWPD Community Constable is specifically tasked with community outreach including the following additional groups:
a. Law Enforcement Torch Run b. Seniors Festival at Century House c. Queensborough Festival d. Queensborough Children’s Festival e. National Indigenous Day f. Diwali Festival g. Holy Trinity Cathedral Church homeless and seniors breakfast service h. Carnawest Brazilian Festival i. New Westminster Pride Street Party j. Canada Day Celebrations k. New West Cultural Crawl l. Recovery Day BC m. Connect Day n. Queensborough Mazarine Lodge Community Advisory committee o. Residential Association Committees p. Multicultural Advisory Committee q. BC Law Enforcement Diversity Network Committee r. Community Policing Committee
7. The NWPD has over 100 volunteers who volunteer within the Victims Assistance Unit, the Crime Prevention Unit and the Reserve Unit, this dedicated group reflects the diverse nature of the community of New Westminster.
New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 15
What is the NWPD Doing in Response to the “Calls for Justice” by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Inquiry (MMIWG)?
The NWPD is finalizing its action plan in response to the “Calls for Justice”, this report was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but anticipated to be presented to the New Westminster Police Board in September 2020.
Recommendations:
There will be a number of new policing standards from the province related to specific items in support of equitable and unbiased policing and training to enhance service delivery to vulnerable communities. Police have received a draft copy of these proposals but these have yet to be finalized by Police Services. The NWPD will fully adopt the new standards which will cover areas such as:
1. Policy and procedures regarding arrest, detention and searches of individuals;
2. Policy and procedures regarding the detention, interaction and investigation of persons in vulnerable circumstances;
3. Requirement to seek input from vulnerable and affected groups when developing these policies;
4. Require audit and reporting procedures regarding areas such as sexual assault investigations, use of force and street checks;
5. Annual reporting on community engagement and diversity; and
6. Provide mandatory training for police and police boards related to unbiased policing standards, Indigenous communities and trauma informed practice.
In addition to these anticipated standards, it is recommended that the NWPD also adopt the following initiatives:
1. Use of force reporting – provide disaggregated data on all use of force reports to the Police Board annually;
2. Mental health related calls for service (CFS) analysis – create a new PRIME template to capture related CFS, this will provide improved data on the scope and impact of this event type;
This report has been prepared by Inspector Todd Matsumoto, Acting Inspector Andrew Perry and Deputy Chief Constable Paul Hyland.
New Westminster Police Department June 30, 2020 16
Approved for presentation
______Chief Constable David Jansen
Motion for Consideration
The New Westminster Police Board:
1. Supports deprioritizing the New Westminster Police Department's resources away from the enforcement of laws that criminalize the survival of society’s most vulnerable people that would be better served by a public health or community care framework. 2. Will engage with the Provincial Government to work with the city to develop a new model to address crisis health management with the goal of creating a pilot community-based crisis management program that:
a. Is informed by destigmatized, de-colonial and anti-racist practice; b. Is rooted in non-violent crisis intervention and de-escalation; c. Is rooted in compassion and mutual understanding; d. Is informed by best practices and lived experience; e. Provides participants a better understanding of issues around mental health, addictions and trauma; f. Provides participants tools to help someone experiencing a mental health or substance use emergency; h. Considers place-making opportunities to counter the perception and incidence of street disorder and chronic street nuisance; and i. Reduces call volumes for police response, while redirecting more appropriate resources as applicable; 3. Supports the review of the use, deployment and training related to police equipment/weapons and that this work be done in collaboration with the Provincial Government’s call to amend the Police Act. 4. Develop and adopt a Diversity and Inclusion Framework to guide the direction of Community policing and include the following goals: -Have a workforce this is broadly reflective of the community; -Identify and address barriers to diversity within organizational systems; -Attract and retain a talented workforce skilled at working in an inclusive and respectful manner with one another and with the community; -Create processes, policies, plans, practices, programs and services that meet the diverse needs of those they serve; -Establish a senior leadership action group to oversee equity, diversity and human rights initiatives;
5. Will request the development and implementation of a culturally-safe engagement plan to include and consider the personal experiences and voices of residents or groups who have or represent those who have experienced discrimination in helping to shape any proposed police reforms. This work will be done in collaboration with New Westminster City Council. 6. Will engage with members of the New Westminster Police Department with the goal to develop understanding, input and support for new directions for NWPD. 7. Will request a comprehensive report on police reforms to be presented to the New Westminster Police Board and New Westminster City Council by the end of 2020. The report will include a comprehensive scan of police reforms being conducted across North America and best practices in crisis health management at the local level. 8. Will request to work with and in collaboration with New Westminster City Council on the above stated work. 9. Requests that this work be integrated into the upcoming New Westminster Police Department Strategic Plan.