SIU director can now bypass naloxone investigations
Province trying to avoid needless police probes
The provincial government wants to limit investigations by Ontario’s police watchdog into officers who administer the opioid antidote naloxone.
A regulation taking effect June 30 will “officially allow” the director of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) not to investigate cases of death or serious injury where the police officer administered naloxone but had no other interaction with the individual, Attorney General Yasir Naqvi said in a statement Friday.
“We believe that it is not in anyone’s interest — the police, public or the (SIU) — for there to be lengthy or needless investigations when a police officer is simply trying to save a life,” Naqvi said.
“But let me be clear, this reg- ulation will still require police to notify the (SIU) of incidents where officers are present and there is a death or serious injury, but these situations would now be dealt with more efficiently.”
The SIU said the regulation is already in line with how it deals with naloxone cases.
“The SIU always follows regulations pertaining to our jurisdiction, and we will do the same with regard to the new regulation,” said SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon. “You should know that the new regulation is in line with how the SIU currently deals with cases where someone was seriously injured or died, and naloxone was administered by police.”
The regulation comes amid debate as to whether the SIU, which investigates police-involved death, serious injury and allegations of sexual assault, should be probing officers who administer naloxone but nonetheless fail to prevent a death. The SIU launched three probes this year into Peel police officers who provided naloxone to individuals who died; the first two investigations have since been closed with the SIU finding the officers’ actions did not contribute to the deaths. The third probe is ongoing.
Hudon said the SIU was notified of a fourth case this year, but “based on the information given, the SIU decided not to invoke its mandate” to investigate.