In response to concerns voiced by municipalities and the public, the government will be proposing to amend Bill 16, the new Police Services Act when it goes before a legislative committee for second reading, Attorney General Dave Chomiak said.
“The legislation the new Police Services Act replaces is roughly 80 years old,” said Chomiak. “Since its introduction, we have had an opportunity to listen to Manitobans about how to strengthen the proposed legislation and how to further increase public confidence in the police and strike a balance that protects and serves the needs of Manitobans.”
One amendment will propose to clarify the role of municipalities in selecting a chair for the police boards that must be established for municipal police services. Under the proposed act, police boards would hire the police chief, administer police budgets and set the general direction of the police service. Boards could not get involved in specific investigations.
The other proposed amendment would address the circumstances when prosecutors from outside of the province must be used once charges are laid following an investigation by the Independent Investigation Unit. Investigations by the Independent Investigation Unit would be mandatory when fatal force, serious injury incidents or prescribed offences occur.
The new Police Services Act was drafted following the recommendations of the Taman Inquiry, extensive consultations on key issues with police services, other direct stakeholders and the public, and an exhaustive review of best practices in other jurisdictions, said Chomiak.
