Police watchdog announces changes
SIU to probe all police shootings
Ontario's police watchdog will now probe all police shootings, regardless of whether anyone was injured, and a range of off-duty incidents, under a new legislation that went into effect Tuesday.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was created in 1990 to probe all cases of serious injury, death and allegations of sexual assault involving police officers.
Under the Special Investigations Act, the watchdog now has the power to investigate off-duty incidents involving officers engaged in an investigation, pursuit, detention or arrest of a suspect and cases that involve the use of police-issued equipment.
The civilian agency will also probe all cases of officers firing their guns at people, replacing the previous mandate to only investigate shootings that resulted in serious injury.
The SIU will also provide more frequent updates on its ongoing investigations.
Once an investigation has passed the 120-day mark, the agency will provide status updates every 30 days.
The watchdog has come under fire in the past for its lengthy investigations, but it says some cases take longer to complete because it must await reports from outside organizations like the Centre of Forensic Sciences or the coroner's office.
“While the SIU recognizes it is important to resolve cases in a timely manner, the thoroughness of the investigation must take precedence over the length of time it takes to finish an investigation,” the SIU said in a statement released Tuesday.
The new legislation comes less than two weeks after a former official with the London Police Association, the union representing more than 800 London police employees, spoke about the need for changes in the SIU process.
The watchdog's investigations need to be shortened, especially for minor incidents like crashes, and it should be more transparent, said Dan Axford, the former executive director of the London Police Association.
“They can't have an investigation, shut it down and nobody hears anything for 18 months,” Axford said of the SIU in a video posted to the union's Youtube channel.
“Because all that happens is the media spins, everyone draws their own conclusions void of any facts.... It erodes trust in the system and in police. It has to change.”
The SIU has launched nine investigations involving London police officers this year, five of which remain open.
No officers have been charged in any of the cases. Just one case, a custody death, remains open from 2019.
Officers involved in SIU investigations were previously bound by a “duty to co-operate” but that has changed to a “duty to comply” — meaning an officer who doesn't comply could be subject to a penalty.
The change in wording doesn't mean officers subject to an SIU probe will now be required to turn over a copy of their notes or give an interview to investigators, an agency spokesperson said.