Steinbach MLA and Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced that the province has introduced amendments to the Police Services Act that would enhance police work, sharing of police intelligence, establish provincial policing standards and a standard code of conduct for all police services across Manitoba. The minister added that proposed amendments are also being made to the Law Enforcement Review Act.
“Manitoba is well served by the men and women of our provincial and municipal police forces, and we are grateful for their dedication. Changes to the Police Services Act to enhance standards and information sharing will help to improve upon the work of those who are serving to protect Manitobans,” said Goertzen. “The bill establishes a Criminal Intelligence Centre that will promote inter-agency information sharing and provide valuable support to police investigations. It also strengthens accountability by allowing Manitoba Justice to develop policing standards and a standard code of conduct for police services throughout Manitoba.”
Led by a criminal intelligence director, the Manitoba Criminal Intelligence Centre (MCIC) would work collaboratively with police agencies and other law enforcement-related organizations to promote and co-ordinate the sharing of criminal intelligence and analytics while providing a solid foundation for effective and innovative intelligence-led policing efforts targeting all levels of crime, the minister said.
The criminal intelligence director would be responsible for creating standards dealing with criminal intelligence work, while the director of policing would establish standards for police service operations, facilities and equipment. The amendments introduced today would also make the Manitoba Police Commission responsible for monitoring and reporting on police service compliance with standards established by Manitoba Justice.
The proposed amendments are based on the recommendations of an independent review of Manitoba’s Police Services Act, which examined the extent to which the Police Services Act (PSA) supports the professional, transparent, and effective delivery of police services in Manitoba, the minister noted.
The bill would also extend the filing time for complaints under the Law Enforcement Review Act bringing it more in line with other provincial jurisdictions.
