B.C. has appointed Richard Rosenthal as the Province's first chief civilian director (CCD) for independent investigations in order to create more accountability, oversight and transparency of police incidents that result in serious harm or death, announced Premier Christy Clark.

"The men and women of our police services work hard every day to keep our communities safe and it's important that police earn and maintain the public's confidence," said Premier Clark. "The Independent Investigations Office will help ensure those high standards are being upheld and allow for the investigations to be conducted in an open and transparent way."

Rosenthal's immediate responsibility will be to head the creation of the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) and its investigative team, which he will lead. Expected to be operational by mid-2012, the IIO will investigate incidents in B.C. involving municipal police and the RCMP that result in serious harm or death.

"Today's appointment of a chief civilian director to establish and lead the Independent Investigations Office is crucial to upholding and maintaining public confidence in police when incidents do occur," said Attorney General Shirley Bond. "I am confident Mr. Rosenthal's experience and background in providing civilian oversight of police conduct will serve him, the police and all British Columbians well."

Rosenthal is the independent monitor for the city and county of Denver, where he oversees police and sheriff handling of citizen complaints, internal criminal and administrative investigations, officer-involved shootings and administrative reviews, and investigations of in-custody deaths.

"I am very excited at the prospect of being involved in the creation of the new Independent Investigations Office for the Province of British Columbia," said Rosenthal. "This office will be fundamental in increasing public confidence in the investigation and review of police uses of force in B.C. My vision for the new office is one that conducts fair, impartial and timely investigations and ensures transparency in that process. I very much look forward to this great challenge and opportunity."

The CCD is responsible under the Police Act for the independent management, administration and operation of the IIO and for overseeing independent investigations conducted by the IIO.

The Province made a commitment to establish the IIO following recommendations of the Davies Commission of Inquiry into the death of Frank Paul and the Braidwood Commission of Inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski.

Quick Facts:

• The IIO was established under amendments to B.C.'s Police Act that came into force this July. An IIO transition team will assist the CCD with setting up the office.
• To ensure there is no perception of bias, the CCD cannot be a person who is a current or former member of a police force or RCMP.
• The director will have the discretion to hire ex-police officers as investigators, as long as they have not served as police officers in B.C. or, in the case of members of the RCMP, not within the past five years.
• The IIO will conduct criminal investigations regarding police-related incidents that result in severe injury or death.
• In comparison, the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC), an independent office of the legislature, examines conduct issues in municipal police departments, but does not have a mandate to engage in criminal investigations.
• Conduct issues involving RCMP are dealt with by the federal Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.
• The OPCC will have the jurisdiction to investigate incidents or complaints that involve investigative staff from the IIO.

Learn More:

The Braidwood Commissions of Inquiry: www.braidwoodinquiry.ca/

The Davies Commission of Inquiry: www.frankpaulinquiry.ca/

A backgrounder follows.

Media Contacts:

Dave Townsend
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Attorney General
250 387-4962 or 250 889-5945 (cell)

Chris Olsen
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
604 220-1640

BACKGROUNDER

Biography for Richard Rosenthal

Richard Rosenthal has extensive experience in civilian oversight of law enforcement.

He served for 15 years as deputy district attorney for Los Angeles County, where he worked on various assignments, including:

• The central trials division, prosecuting violent felonies, including homicides
• The major fraud division, investigating and prosecuting high-profile financial crimes.
• The special investigation division, where he investigated and prosecuted public officials, judges and police officers.

In 2001, Rosenthal was hired as Portland's first director of the independent police review division of the city auditor's office. In that capacity, he created Portland's first professional police oversight agency.

He was then hired in 2005 to be the city and county of Denver's first independent monitor, with jurisdiction over Denver's police and sheriff departments. He is responsible for monitoring all officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths that occur in Denver, as well as all internal criminal and administrative investigations of police misconduct. Rosenthal has made recommendations to the police and sheriff departments about administrative findings and the imposition of discipline. He has also been responsible for issuing public reports on a quarterly and annual basis relating to the Denver Department of Safety.

Rosenthal helped implement key changes to the Denver police and sheriff departments' disciplinary processes and created a community-police mediation program that is one of the largest and most respected in the United States.

Rosenthal has held teaching positions at various universities, including Loyola Law School, Portland State University and the University of Colorado at Denver. He served for five years on the board of directors for the National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE). Rosenthal was a member of the executive committee used to create the National Guidelines for Police Monitors, published by the Police Assessment Resource Center in 2008.

Media Contacts:

Dave Townsend
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Attorney General
250 387-4962 or 250 889-5945 (cell)

Chris Olsen
Press Secretary
Office of the Premier
604 220-1640