As Saanich police complete an internal review following the death of a teen who’d gone missing from a psychiatric facility, a policy amendment will see their response protocol change slightly.
Police will now make it a priority to send officers to Ledger House at Queen Alexandra Centre for Children’s Health when they receive a call about a youth walking away from the facility where there’s an element of risk.
“We get called to Ledger House for a whole slew of reasons, more than just individuals who’ve walked away,” said Sgt. Dean Jantzen. “Our wording changes are temporary while other processes are at work.”
An investigation is underway by the B.C. Coroner’s Service after a 16-year-old girl was found dead on a beach near Queen Alexandra on Dec. 19. There is also a police review as well as an internal procedural review by the Vancouver Island Health Authority.
The girl disappeared from the grounds two hours before her body was discovered.
When the initial call came in about the girl going missing, police did not send an officer to Queen Alexandra. Jantzen said that decision was not “a lack of police officers issue.”
kslavin@saanichnews.com
