New Westminster police officers didn’t conduct any street checks in 2023, according to a report to the police board.
At its Jan. 16 meeting, the New Westminster Police Board received a report from Insp. Trevor Dudar about an audit report related to the department’s street checks policy. The report noted there has been “intense interest” in the police practice of street checks in British Columbia and across Canada, mostly due to an over-representation of marginalized members of society.
In order to comply with the new British Columbia provincial policing standard regarding “police stops,” the New Westminster police board approved a street checks policy in January 2020.
“As a refresher, a street check is any voluntary interaction between a police officer and a person that is more than a casual conversation and which impedes the person’s movement,” said the staff report. “A street check may include a request for identifying information depending on the circumstances. The decision to conduct a street check shall not be based on identity factors and shall not be based solely on that person sharing an identity factor with a person being sought by the police. Random or arbitrary street checks shall not be conducted. In a street check, the person was not found committing an offence, but the police observe a suspicious behavior or concern about the person’s safety.”
Police can conduct street checks when they are making inquiries into reasonable and legitimate public safety purposes such as suspicious activity, crime prevention or intelligence gathering, said the report. Officers are permitted to conduct a street check provided it is lawful and complies with policy.
As per provincial requirements, the New Westminster Police Department is required to conduct an annual audit to determine if street check interactions and the documenting of them by police officers are in compliance with the policy.
According to the report, New West police officers completed zero street checks in 2023.
Leave of absence
A member of the New Westminster police board has taken a temporary leave of absence.
Alejandro Diaz, who was appointed to the police board in March 2023, has taken a temporary leave of absence from his role on the board, while he is a candidate in the 2024 school board byelection in New Westminster. A byelection is being held Feb. 3.
In compliance with the board’s governance manual, Diaz informed the board in writing about his request for a temporary leave of absence from board duties.
Board representation
Patrick Lalonde is taking one for the team.
At its Jan. 16 meeting, police board members discussed who could be the board’s representative to the B.C. Association of Police Boards.
Board member Drew Hart had been serving as the board’s representative, but he informed the board in November 2023 that his schedule no longer allows him to represent the board at the association’s meetings.
“I can do a January till April commitment at this stage,” Lalonde said at Tuesday’s meeting. “But beyond that, I'm not sure.”
The board unanimously supported appointing Lalonde as its representative to the association.
“It is important for us to be there,” said Mayor Patrick Johnstone, chair of the police board. “And I’m hoping that we will get some insight from that organization as we go through our governance review as well.”
According to the association’s website, the roles of the BCAPB are to: promote the public’s understanding of police boards and their role in the community; develop, foster and guide police services in an informed and progressive manner for the benefit of our communities and our police services; develop and maintain the highest standards of professionalism and accountability on the part of police boards in British Columbia in the performance of their duties; and to liaise with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General on policing issues.
