B.C.’s premier says “reforms are clearly needed” amid renewed controversy over mayors chairing municipal police boards.
The comments come in the wake of the resignation of a high-profile member of the Vancouver Police Board.
Last week, Faye Wightman suddenly resigned from the board, saying its structure was flawed and alleging “interference” in the board’s activities by “politically appointed individuals working in the mayor’s office.”
Sim has said he is fully committed to transparent governance, while a spokesperson for the police board said it rejects “any insinuations that decisions by the Board are directed by the Mayor’s Office.”
In June, Rachel Roy resigned from the same board amid conflicts over how the return of police officers to Vancouver schools was handled.
“It sounds like some pretty serious allegations — we’ve had two resignations from the Vancouver Police Board in less than a year,” Vancouver Green Coun. Pete Fry said.
“There are some questions I have that I can’t get answers to as long as the mayor is the chair of the board.”
Fry said he was concerned about the potential blurring of lines between politics and policing at the board, which are supposed to be separate under provincial legislation.
He said he wants to see the province review the “dysfunctional” board structure before appointing Wightman’s replacement.
The controversy at the Vancouver Police Board comes just months after Solicitor General Mike Farnworth suspended all members of the Surrey Police Board, including Mayor Brenda Locke, and replaced them with an administrator.
That move came amid the acrimonious and ongoing political fight over Surrey’s transition from the RCMP to a municipal police force. Farnworth cited a lack of progress on the transition for the move.
“It’s no secret that this has been a complex issue, it is the largest policing transition in the history of this province and I think in the country,” he said at the time.
“The mayor has her views I think on this transition, and I have made it clear that this transition will continue.”
In April 2022, an all-party committee of the B.C. legislature focused on reforming the Police Act made 11 recommendations, including removing mayors as chairs of municipal police boards.
On Thursday, Premier David Eby said he understood “frustrations” for local government mayors who sit as the chair of police boards but who don’t have full control of the bodies.
“This has caused all kinds of headaches, and I understand there is some concern in Vancouver right now,” Eby said.
“The reforms are clearly needed and we will be working with local governments and with police and the public in terms of the changes that are coming forward — the solicitor general’s office is working on it right now.”
Legislation changing the Police Act to remove mayors from police boards is expected to come as early as the spring session.
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