THE BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) returns to town to present the findings of its report on policing in communities and to find out if the situation has improved.
And BCCLA executive director David Eby hopes to have a report from the RCMP on its findings before he comes here.
Earlier this year, the BCCLA released a report called “Small Town Justice: a report on the RCMP in northern and rural British Columbia,” the result of a series of workshops held by BCCLA in 14 B.C. communities to assess policing in the province in response to the ongoing negotiations of the provincial government with RCMP on whether to renew the RCMP contract to police the province for another 20 years when the current contract expires in 2012.
Also the BCCLA was reacting to the issue of people dying in police custody or by police officers, such as Ian Bush in Houston and Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport.
Afterward, Eby had said that Terrace was of concern as it had more negative comments that any other community.
The promise of a police investigation into accusations came to the association in a letter from RCMP Chief Superintendent Barry Clark, who commands the police force in northern BC.
Clark said the police would “conduct a thorough review/analysis” of the report as it pertains to Terrace and other communities where concerns were voiced.
Afterward, he would inform the BCCLA of how the force will address unresolved issues, may ask for more information and for contact information for the complainants.
Eby will speak in Terrace this Saturday, July 16 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Terrace Public Library.
The BCCLA will be in Smithers at the Northwest Community College, room 109 from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 18; in Fort St. James at Chief Kwah Hall from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. July 19; and in Prince George at the public library from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 20.
