B.C.’s public safety minister concerned by delays in justice for those killed by police
Posted March 15, 2023 7:12 am.
There are growing concerns about how long it’s taking to get answers for the families of people who’ve died at the hands of police in B.C.
Wednesday marks International Day Against Police Brutality, and one high-ranking member of the B.C. government admits the wait times for justice are “concerning.”
Solicitor General and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says no one should have to wait long to find out what happened to their loved one.
“This is an issue that has concerned us in terms of the amount of time it takes to deal with these kinds of cases and these kinds of tragedies,” said Farnworth. “That’s one of the reasons why the special committee on reforming the Police Act was put in place, to identify ways in which we can deal with some of the challenges that we face.”
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His comments come as the family of Dale Culver, an Indigenous man who died in police custody in Prince George nearly six years ago, learned this week there was another delay in the case against the officers involved in his death.
Crown Counsel says Const. Paul Ste-Marie and Const. Jean Francois Monette have been charged with manslaughter. Three other Mounties are charged with attempting to obstruct justice. The court date was initially scheduled for Mar. 14 but has now been pushed back to May 2.
Farnworth says a new Police Act will be coming out in the fall, and in the meantime, says the province is trying to ensure investigative offices have the resources they need to look into cases like Culver’s.
“I have spoken with my federal colleague on the time it takes to deal with some of these cases because it’s unacceptable. People deserve to have investigations completed in a timely manner, even though I recognize that sometimes it can be quite complex. There’s more work to be done but no, the time that has been taken is far too long and it is very concerning.”
Another high-profile case that Farnworth is alluding to is that of Myles Gray. He died after an interaction with police along the Vancouver-Burnaby border in August 2015. A public inquest into his death will begin on Apr. 17.
-With files from Liza Yuzda
