REPORT TO THE VANCOUVER POLICE BOARD
REPORT DATE: October 8, 2020 COMMITTEE MEETING DATE: October 29, 2020 BOARD REPORT # 2010C01 Regular
TO: Vancouver Police Board Service and Policy Complaint Review Committee
FROM: Drazen Manojlovic, Director, Planning, Research and Audit Section
SUBJECT: Service or Policy Complaint #2020-14 re: Fraud Investigation
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT the Vancouver Police Board Service and Policy Complaint Review Committee (Committee) concludes its review of the complaint based on information outlined in this report.
SUMMARY:
This Service or Policy Complaint involves a fraud report that was not taken by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD). The fraud was previously reported to the police of jurisdiction, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment where the complainant resides. The RCMP investigated and found no evidence of fraud or any other criminal offence.
The complainant, who was not satisfied with the RCMP’s findings, then attempted to report the same alleged fraud to the VPD. The complainant does not reside in Vancouver and the complainant has no specific evidence of a fraud having occurred in Vancouver. The VPD followed the E-Comm Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), as agreed to by all police agencies in the region for fraud investigations, which specifies that in these circumstances the appropriate investigating agency is the police of jurisdiction where the victim resides. The RCMP detachment where the complainant resides has investigated this matter and found no evidence of a crime.
As such, it is recommended that the Committee conclude its review of the complaint based on the information outlined in this report.
BACKGROUND:
On July 28, 2020, the Vancouver Police Board received a Service or Policy Complaint regarding the VPD’s response to an alleged fraud.
The complainant filed a claim with a Crown corporation insurer regarding a 2013 incident. This claim was ultimately settled. However, the complainant believed that the Crown corporation provided the complainant, and other persons in similar situations, with less than fair compensation. This is the basis of the complainant’s fraud allegations. The complainant, who does not live in Vancouver, previously reported the alleged fraud in 2015 to the police of jurisdiction where they live – an RCMP detachment. The complainant again reported this same alleged fraud to their local RCMP detachment in 2017. The RCMP investigated this matter and found no evidence of fraud or any other criminal offence.
Each time, after reporting the alleged fraud to the RCMP, the complainant then contacted the VPD to report the same alleged fraud – calling the VPD in 2016 and then again in 2020. The complainant has also previously reported the alleged fraud to a serving Member of the Legislative Assembly but was similarly unsatisfied with the determination that there is no evidence of a fraud.
When the complainant contacted the VPD, they were advised that the established policy requires them to report the matter to the police of jurisdiction where they live. As the complainant does not live in Vancouver, and there is no specific evidence of fraud having occurred in Vancouver, the complainant was appropriately directed to contact their local police. Due to this outcome, the complainant questions the VPD’s policy on reporting matters where there is no clear jurisdiction.
DISCUSSION:
The VPD’s SOP with E-Comm for fraud complaints states, in part: 1) When the location of the fraud is not known, the police agency where the victim resides will take the report. 2) When the fraud has taken place in numerous locations/jurisdictions, the police agency where the victim resides will take the report. 3) When the fraud involves a business entity or corporation, the initial report can be made to the police agency of the jurisdiction where the business is located.
This SOP has been agreed upon with all other police agencies in the region. It is a standard that is followed by all police agencies.
As per points 1 and 2, the police agency where the complainant resides (an RCMP detachment) was contacted, investigated, and found no evidence of a criminal offence. Furthermore, as per point 3 above, the Crown corporation that is the subject of the complaint is not based in Vancouver. Therefore, each of the three points in the above SOP are consistent in reaching the conclusion that the VPD is not the correct police agency to investigate this fraud complaint. Accordingly, the complainant was referred to the proper investigating agency – their local police.
CONCLUSION:
It is acknowledged that the complainant is not satisfied that the VPD did not investigate this fraud allegation; however, established policy clearly specifies that the VPD is not the correct investigating agency. Before the VPD was contacted, this matter had been reported to the correct police agency – the RCMP detachment where the complainant lives. The RCMP investigated the matter and found no evidence of fraud or any criminal offence. As such, it is recommended that the Committee conclude its review of the complaint based on the information outlined in the report.
Author: Sergeant Alvin Shum Telephone: 604-717-2688 Date: Oct.8/2020
Submitting Executive Member:
Deputy Chief Steve Rai Date: October 14, 2020
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