Investigations of police need to be independent

Re: “Delta and Surrey police to review VicPD handling of drug case,” March 21.

It is good to see an investigation into the complaint brought by former board member Paul Schachter against the Victoria Police Department. Paul Faoro, chair of the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board’s governance committee, is right, “This is a serious, serious issue.”

However, we must question the appropriateness of having this investigation conducted by the Delta Police Department and Surrey Police Service. This gives off the unsettling whiff yet again of police investigating police.

This is a time of growing calls for thorough and transparent police oversight and accountability. It is also a time of some distrust of police, as acknowledged by police forces themselves in recent statements about recruiting difficulties. Having police investigate police does nothing to relieve these concerns.

Then there is the issue of the involvement of the Surrey Police Service. This is a force that is not even fully up and running and is embroiled in an ongoing dispute between the city and province. What resources will they be drawing on to do this, and who’s paying for it?

Once again, we need to stress the need for completely independent investigations of police misconduct and the creation of a body that is fully empowered to do so. In terms of transparency, it is disappointing that the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board has not yet committed to make the review public.

Dr. Jeff Shantz Department of Criminology Kwantlen Polytechnic University Surrey