New Westminster is working with other police departments to prepare for the introduction of provincial standards on unbiased policing.
Approved by the Minster of Public Safety and Society General in June 2021, the standards will take effect on July 30, 2023.
“We are excited about getting this work done. There is some time to get it done but we need to start working on it now,” said NWPD Chief Const. Dave Jansen. “We have started moving towards some of the recommendations already. We have already implemented some training in regards to the gender-based analysis for policies, as an example. But we obviously have a lot more work to do.”
At the Sept. 21 meeting of the New Westminster police board, Jansen said the NWPD is “on it” and will be coming to the board with several different policy changes and some conversations around staffing and training requirements.
“Inspector (Diana) McDaniel has got a working group that she’s part of that’s looking at policy changes that would be required, the training changes,” he said. “Theres’s even some staff implications that are going to go into the standards.”
According to the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the standards will require police agencies and police boards to have policies and procedures on specific matters and to take specific actions to ensure that policing services throughout B.C. are delivered equitably and in a way that’s responsive to the needs and realities of racialized or otherwise marginalized persons and communities.
“As you may also know, the process of development these standards began a number of years ago,” said assistant deputy minister and director of police services Wayne Rideout in a letter to the police board. “I recognize that there are currently several broad and interconnected ministerial mandate commitments and government-wide initiatives that will address related matters. Specifically, priorities, commitments and initiatives related to reconciliation, accessibility, anti-racism and diversity, inclusion and gender equity.”
Mayor Jonathan Cote, chair of the New Westminster police board, said various components of the overall plan have different timelines, so it would be good for the police board to have an overall picture of the work that’s being done on the unbiased policing standards.
“I think these changes are positive changes for policing, and I am happy to see them coming forward,” he said. “I recognize they are quite detailed and go into a lot of different areas.”
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