Overworked and Understaffed, IIO outlines current state of investigative process and challenges in BC

The agency that is tasked with investigating serious incidents related to policing in the Province of British Columbia is finding the current period of time providing for some strong challenges, with the Independent Investigations Office of BC releasing an information bulletin this week that charts some of the demand on their services.

The somewhat unusual advisory came following what was rather busy stretch of requests for their services  over the weekend, with the IIO noting of six serious incidents  in which they were called out for case work.

The advisory providing some background towards how those cases have stretched their resources.

Between April 1 and 3, 2022, inclusive, the IIO was notified of six incidents, two of which were officer-involved shootings. A high number of new investigations being commenced in a short period of time highlights the significant challenges the IIO is facing from being short staffed. 

Dynamic and at times, complex files such as shootings require deployment of a considerable number of IIO investigators, usually six to eight. Each team of IIO investigators is comprised of 10 investigators when there are no vacancies, and one team is on call each week.

The Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald also provided some further notes of interest on the ability of the Agency to recruit and retain investigators in a competitive environment. 

The notes making a bit of a shot over the bow of provincial officials that raises the issue and directs it back to the political side for some resolution.

“Currently, the IIO has only 24 investigators out of the 30 we would have if fully staffed. In recent years, we have not been successful in reaching a full staffed unit. This is attributable to our inability to offer competitive wages and restrictions in the hiring and retention processes. For example, other law enforcement agencies such as police departments offer higher base salaries, and with overtime pay, this equates to tens of thousands of dollars more than the IIO can offer per year

This effectively ties our hands in terms of what we can offer to staff who, like this past weekend, step up to get the job done. I am tremendously proud of our team for how they conduct themselves and support each other during times of high workload, but more must be done to reflect their efforts.” As excluded employees of the BC Public Service, IIO investigators are not entitled to overtime pay per the terms of their employment."

A review of their data base to date shows that the IIO investigators have taken on forty three case files since the start of 2022.

The IIO was last called to Prince Rupert in May of 2020 to investigate a case Serious Harm, the report for that incident was released on January 18th 2021.

You can learn more about the work of the IIO from their website.

Any solutions for their current staffing concerns will come from the BC Legislature, where the Opposition will most likely take note of the issue as part of a current focus on crime and law enforcement in the province.