Quebec provincial police force is loaning one of it’s inspectors to the Bureau d’enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), Quebec’s police watchdog.
Effective Oct. 26, Chief Inspector Guy Lapointe will be reporting to the BEI.
The BEI investigates whenever a civilian is seriously injured or killed during a police intervention.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said Monday the move comes after a request from the BEI’s director Pierre Goulet, who felt Lapointe’s expertise could benefit the bureau as it looks to optimize communications.
In a statement, the SQ thanked Lapointe for his many accomplishments within the organization, including “10 years of dedicated service to the communications and international relations department.”
In an independent report released last week, the BEI was criticized for a lack of transparency.
In her report, Fannie Lafontaine, a a lawyer and professor, said the BEI releases few details on its investigations, and that the lack of transparency could undermine the public’s confidence in the organization.
In one of her 25 recommendations, Lafontaine suggested that the BEI be required to submit detailed summaries.
“A detailed resume of the investigations carried out by the BEI would allow the population to understand the facts surrounding the police intervention, to understand the methods used to discover the truth, to appreciate the thoroughness and quality of the investigation and finally, to better understand the decision not to press charges,” the report read.
The loan was made under the purview of the SQ’s exchange program of senior officers to other organizations. It says Montreal police and Quebec’s public security ministry have both been recent partners in the program.
The SQ says that because of the BEI’s mission and to maintain independence between the two organizations, mechanisms to ensure the confidentiality of files, have been put in place.
The SQ did not specify the length of the loan to the BEI.
— With files from The Canadian Press.