An Exploratory Study on Police Oversight in British Columbia: The Dynamics of Accountability for Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Municipal Police

Krista Stelkia

doi:10.1177/2158244019899088

Abstract

Independent oversight of Canadian police has increased over the past decade in response to a number of high-profile cases of police misconduct and public dissatisfaction with internal police investigations. To date, however, the dynamics of the oversight process have not been subjected to critical analysis. This study examines the benefits and challenges of the oversight systems for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and municipal police in British Columbia, Canada, as well as the role of oversight in increasing police accountability, improving public confidence, and modifying police behavior. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with persons ( n = 13) from oversight agencies, police unions, special interest groups, and professional standards units, the study found that despite having one of the most progressive oversight models in Canada, the system faces major challenges. These include slow processing of complaints, the administrative burden of minor complaints, the difficulty in determining return on investment, and the two-tier complaint model.

Highlights

Oversight plays an integral role in the police complaint system, serving as a system of checks and balances to hold police officers accountable for any potential abuse of power or misconduct (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2011)
Sixty-nine percent (n = 9) of interviewees identified the two-tier police complaint system that exists between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and municipal police as one of the greatest challenges facing police oversight and accountability in the province
The presence of oversight in British Columbia (BC), and in other jurisdictions, is an essential and valuable component in the police complaint system that ensures members of the public have an independent, thirdparty organization to address complaints against the police. As this is the first study to examine police oversight for both municipal police and the RCMP collectively, the findings may help to advance police oversight system reforms and changes to policies to standardize the timely processing of complaints, address several administrative challenges, and align service standards for both organizations

Summary

Introduction

Oversight plays an integral role in the police complaint system, serving as a system of checks and balances to hold police officers accountable for any potential abuse of power or misconduct (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2011). Police investigating allegations of misconduct against other police is biased, unfair, and ineffective as a process (Murphy & McKenna, 2008; Pollock, 2010; Sewell, 2010). For these reasons, independent oversight of the police plays a critical role in upholding the accountability of the police.

Methods

Results

Conclusion