Vancouver Police Board member resigns, cites conflicts of interest, political interference
Faye Wightman resigned on Jan. 30, saying politics was interfering with the board's decision-making
The former vice-chair of the Vancouver Police Board (VPB) has explained the reasons behind her Jan. 30 resignation, saying that apparent conflicts of interest and political interference made her unable to continue.
Faye Wightman, an experienced board member who was first appointed to her role in August 2020, says two other board members at the VPB were reliant on the City of Vancouver for funding, and therefore had their objectivity compromised in their roles overseeing the Vancouver Police Department (VPD).
She also alleged that Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is exerting undue political pressure on the members, including by sending his chief of staff into meetings.
Wightman's resignation has highlighted the unique role of B.C.'s municipal police boards, with one opposition Vancouver city councillor saying it shows the need for a reform of the system.
For her part, the outgoing police board member says she also wants to call attention to the fact that police boards are meant to be non-partisan and act in the public interest.
"The board needs to be open, transparent, objective, autonomous in order to provide good oversight for the VPD," she told CBC News. "If any of those things break down, the public should be aware of that and want to see it fixed just as we do."
The VPB is a board that oversees the police department's budget and broader policy direction. It also serves as the authority that responds to police complaints. Its composition and mandate are dictated by the B.C. Police Act.
Police boards are primarily comprised of community members that have been appointed by the province, with the city's mayor serving as the official chair of the body.
While the mayor is only supposed to vote in the event of a tie at the board, and primarily serve as a neutral observer, Wightman said Sim has been directly interfering with VPB proceedings, including by sending his chief of staff into in-camera meetings.
"There is also a conflict of interest in a mayor being chair of a police board when it comes to budget discussions, when the budget is a municipal responsibility," Wightman said in a statement.
In a statement, Sim did not directly address Wightman's allegations and said he was committed to "transparent and effective governance."
"In my role as chair, I am focused on serving the best interests of all Vancouverites," he said. "All decisions related to Vancouver Police Board personnel matters are at the sole discretion of the Vancouver Police Board."
Wightman did not specifically name the two police board members whom she alleges have a conflict of interest as part of their role.
Trevor Ford, the mayor' chief of staff, told CBC News that he was invited to the in-camera meeting by the board themselves.
It's the second resignation in as many years from the VPB. Rachel Roy resigned last year after the board cancelled a vote on school liaison officers.
In a statement sent Thursday, current board vice-chair Frank Chong said the board does not discuss personnel matters publicly.
"All board decisions are made independent of political considerations," he said. "As a matter of good governance, any allegations of real or perceived conflicts of interest are appropriately addressed.
"We further reject any insinuations that decisions by the board are directed by the mayor's office."
Councillor demands accountability
Coun. Pete Fry said there needs to be accountability and a thorough review of the VPB before the province considers an appointment to fill Wightman's vacancy.
He said there should be more transparency and council oversight of the VPB's "very opaque processes."
"This is an actually experienced and well-respected expert in governance who is resigning because they lack confidence in the governance of the police board, specifically because of undue influence from the mayor's office," he told CBC News.
Fry pointed to a review of the B.C. Police Act in 2022 that called for reforms ensuring mayors would not chair municipal police boards, and said the province should look into the conflicts of interest that occur in the current governance model.
He said the allegations that Sim is exerting pressure on board members is part of a "disturbing" pattern involving the mayor and the city's police department, including the Vancouver Police Union endorsing Sim and his ABC party before the 2022 elections.
"There is supposed to be a separation of politics and policing. Yet clearly that line has been crossed," he said.
"When we consider the responsibility and role of policing in our society, it's critically important that we have an independent, accountable, transparent police force that embodies the integrity that we expect from the office."
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With files from Justin McElroy