Independent police watchdog agency to open office in N.B.

The New Brunswick government has reached an agreement with Nova Scotia to allow that province's Serious Incident Response Team to open an office that would investigate serious incidents involving the police in New Brunswick, according to a joint government news release. 

The deal solidifies an agreement in principle reached between the two provinces in September 2021. Since then, officials from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have been working together to "ensure the appropriate legislative and policy frameworks are in place" to allow the team to operate in New Brunswick. 

The Department of Justice and Public Safety was asked for an interview and to provide further information about the costs involved in setting up the new office, but had not provided either by publication time. 

Until now, New Brunswick has had to rely on out-of-province agencies to come in and investigate when there's a serious incident involving police. 

The Nova Scotia-based response team has been the go-to agency, but it didn't always have the manpower to take on New Brunswick investigations, forcing the province to look elsewhere, including in two high-profile cases in 2020.

Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi were both shot by police within days of one another in June 2020.

New SIRT office for NB

The Serious Incident Reponse Team is an independent civilian-led agency that investigates incidents that stem from police actions, including death, serious injury, sexual assault, domestic violence and "other matters of significant public interest." 

Under the new agreement between the provinces, a bilingual office will open in New Brunswick and provide New Brunswick-based investigators. The office will include a new assistant director, three investigators and one administrative person. 

"Investigations under the agreement will begin once the new premises are leased, new positions are filled and the New Brunswick investigators are trained," according to the news release. 

Both provinces will "share the costs, resources and benefits of this collaboration," but the Nova Scotia response team director "remains responsible for the organization's operations in both provinces and has sole authority to decide whether a charge is laid."

Public Safety Minister Kris Austin said the New Brunswick office is "necessary to instill public confidence in policing. Residents want to know there are checks and balances to police powers, along with accountability."

He said the agreement "guarantees impartiality and fairness in any investigations involving a New Brunswick police officer."

Nova Scotia Attorney General and Justice Minister Brad Johns said expanding SIRT "promotes public safety and increases public confidence that investigations involving alleged police misconduct are done efficiently and professionally."

Several cases still pending

Last year, SIRT took on several New Brunswick cases, four of which are still pending. In one case, two RCMP officers were cleared after a shooting, another where an RCMP officer was cleared after he tried to help a teen in mental distress, and in the third, SIRT recommended charges against an officer.

The pending cases include one where a man died after being arrested. Another investigation started after a person in mental distress and an officer were injured during an altercation. A third involves an officer who was injured while restraining a man being arrested under the Intoxicated Person Detention Act.

And just last week, New Brunswick RCMP asked SIRT to look into what happened after a man was found dead as police were executing a search warrant. 

RCMP officers, including the emergency response team, went to a rural, seasonal camp in the woods in Rivière-Verte, about 17 kilometres southeast of Edmundston, on the evening of Feb. 3. They were there to execute a search warrant in relation to a firearms complaint, according to the RCMP.

Officers on the scene heard gunshots "fired from the camp towards the attending officers," stated a news release.

The officers then entered the residence and found a 37-year-old man dead inside.