Victims' families call for oversight
TRURO, N. S. • Families of victims of Nova Scotia's mass shooting called Wednesday for an oversight committee to ensure the recommendations coming out of the public inquiry into the tragedy won't be ignored.
In his final submissions to the inquiry, Tom Macdonald, the lawyer for the brother of victim Sean Mcleod, said the committee should include a small group that tracks whether the inquiry's recommendations are followed.
Macdonald said it should include representatives of the provincial and federal governments and the RCMP, as well as an advocate for families. It would be led by a single “implementation czar” who would hold the federal and Nova Scotia governments to account.
The lawyer said the murders of Mcleod and his wife Alanna Jenkins in West Wentworth, N. S., on the second day of the rampage, along with the 20 other people — including a pregnant woman — killed on April 18-19, 2020, should prompt lasting reforms.
“Two years from now you may have totally different leadership at the RCMP, a different minister of public safety, maybe a different government, and these (recommendations) are too important to be left to the ups and downs of change,” said Macdonald.
He said there was “voluminous” evidence of the policing shortfalls, including confusion over which staff sergeant was overseeing the initial response, poor knowledge of local geography and an “unacceptable delay” in warning the public of an active shooter driving a replica police vehicle.
Jane Lenehan, who represents the family of Gina Goulet, said the Mounties' image of reliability in Nova Scotia was gone, despite the bravery of some individual officers during the mass shooting.
Goulet was the 22nd victim, dying at her home on the outskirts of Shubenacadie, N.S., almost 13 hours after the first murder. The gunman was killed by police half an hour later at a gas station in Enfield, N.S.
Lenehan said her clients were disturbed by the poor relationship between the RCMP and local police forces, and noted that police testified during the inquiry the relationship has only worsened.
She reminded the commissioners of an email exchange between Truro police Chief David Macneil and RCMP Chief Supt. Chris Leather that began slightly before 10 a. m. on the second day of the killings, when Macneil offered “any support” needed. Leather replied that the RCMP believed it had the suspect pinned down and said he'd be “in touch.” In his testimony before the commission, Leather said he was too busy to follow up.
The lawyer also called for a permanent moratorium on the auctioning of decommissioned police vehicles, saying it wasn't worth the risk to public safety.