Integrity Independence Excellence
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner promotes accountable policing within our communities and enhances public confidence in law enforcement through impartial, transparent civilian oversight.
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Welcome to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner for British Columbia. As part of our mandate to provide independent oversight of police conduct, we seek to be accessible to all British Columbians.
Policing in Canada finds its foundation on a bedrock of public trust. Maintaining that trust is achieved in large measure by ensuring the police conduct themselves in a manner reflective of the values and expectations of the diverse communities they serve. We at the OPCC strive to listen closely to the voices of all British Columbians so that we may best serve the public interest in furtherance of accountable, transparent and compassionate policing.
This website is one place to learn about our office and the work we do therefore we look forward to hearing from British Columbians. Please contact us at: info@opcc.bc.ca if you have comments or feedback.
Sincerely,
Clayton Pecknold
Police Complaint Commissioner
Latest News
October 22, 2019
The Annual Report of the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, tabled with the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly this week, provides an overview of misconduct involving municipal police officers in B.C. Investigations of police officers for misconduct are highlighted with penalties ranging from verbal warnings to suspension without pay and demotion. Three police officers were dismissed during the period covered by the report. Other areas noted include “service and policy” matters referred to police boards such as the use of “Street Checks”, the treatment of prisoners and the deployment of police officers for private activities. The Annual Report, including Appendices, is available at: https://opcc.bc.ca/reports/annual-report/
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October 2, 2019
A Police Act investigation into the off-duty conduct of two municipal police officers while in Cuba has been remitted to a disciplinary process. Under the oversight of the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, the RCMP conducted an investigation into allegations of discreditable conduct occurring while Vancouver Police Constable Mark Simms and Port Moody Police Constable Jordan Long were vacationing in Cuba. A preliminary decision by the External Discipline Authority, Chief Officer Dave Jones of the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, determined that there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a disciplinary process, which includes a discipline proceeding. If misconduct is proven to have occurred, the External Discipline Authority may impose a range of disciplinary or corrective measures up to and including dismissal.
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September 27, 2019
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner wishes to advise the media that the Review on the Record into the disciplinary decision involving Constable Marty Steen of the Victoria Police Department will commence on October 8, 2019. The Review on the Record is scheduled to convene on October 8, 2019, at the Robson Square Courthouse, Room #109 at 11:00 a.m., in Vancouver, BC.
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Did you know?
Please see a snapshot of our statistics from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019
Resources
The benefits of Complaint Resolution (CR) are that it allows for the exploration of perspectives, an exchange of dialogue and a better understanding between the parties ...Read More.
A step-by-step guide to the municipal police complaints process ...Read More.