Advocate for the implementation of stronger civilian oversight of police services, including the creation of a Police Oversight Board that is independent of police, civilian-led, politically neutral, and representative of the province’s diverse communities.

First Voice: Made recommendations, continuing to advocate for civilian-led police oversight

First Voice has completed research on how the current system of police oversight in Newfoundland and Labrador can best be brought into alignment with national and international standards. In early 2020, we launched the First Voice Working Group on Police Oversight, a community-driven project that brought together rights-holders, stakeholders, legal experts, and others. In October 2022, the Working Group released its Final Report, called Building Trust, Restoring Confidence, which put forward 26 recommendations to strengthen police oversight in line with the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Those recommendations describe how the province could implement a Police Oversight Board for Newfoundland and Labrador that is independent of police, civilian-led, politically neutral, and representative of the province’s diverse communities. It also includes recommendations for improving the transparency, accountability, and efficacy of the RNC Public Complaints Commission (RNC PPC) and the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT-NL).

First Voice has continued to advocate for the formation of a civilian-led Police Oversight Board. This was a core recommendation of the Final Report of the First Voice Working Group on Police Oversight, published in October 2022. When the report was published, then Minister of Justice John Hogan declared his intention to take a public position on the recommendations. To date the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has not taken any position on the recommendations, whether publicly or in private communications. Likewise, decision-makers have taken no action to implement any of the recommendations.

In November 2023, the Minister of Justice and Public Safety announced the formation of a Policing Transformation Working Group. When announced, the group was composed of current or former employees of the RNC and RCMP, and a senior-level government official. Following widespread public criticism of the group’s composition one civilian member, a civil servant, was quietly added. First Voice has communicated with the Policing Transformation Working Group on multiple occasions since its formation, asserting that a police-led working group has an inherent conflict of interest and therefore cannot impartially review police operations. The Department of Justice and Public Safety has maintained that “the Department is satisfied with the composition of the team”.

In July 2024, First Voice led a joint submission to the Policing Transformation Working Group with 22 co-signers, reiterating the recommendations put forward in Building Trust, Restoring Confidence and asserting that police oversight must be independent of police, civilian-led, politically neutral, and representative of the province’s diverse communities.

In addition, First Voice representatives presented at the Canadian Association of Police Governance (CAPG) annual conference in August 2023 and the Canadian Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (CACOLE) annual conference in May 2024.

First Voice: Promoting community trust and transparency in SIRT-NL investigations

Between October 2022 and August 2024, First Voice representatives held a total of 11 meetings with Mike King, Director of the Serious Incident Response Team of Newfoundland and Labrador (SIRT-NL), to advance the Group 4 Recommendations set out in Building Trust, Restoring Confidence. The focus of these conversations included (a) promoting greater understanding of SIRT-NL’s mandate among members of the urban Indigenous community in St. John’s; and (b) collaborating to ensure full transparency of any future SIRT-NL investigations in St. John’s that may involve affected persons who identify as Indigenous.

In collaboration with First Light, SIRT-NL held an orientation session on its mandate, powers, and processes in August 2023. Twenty members of First Light staff, including those in leadership and frontline positions, attended.

Conversations to improve transparency of SIRT-NL investigations have focused on developing a shared framework for identifying and appointing Indigenous Community Liaisons under section 12(f) of the Serious Incident Response Team Act (SIRTA) as called for in Recommendation 4.3 of Building Trust, Restoring Confidence. As provided under SIRTA, Indigenous Community Liaisons would serve as civilian observers for investigations into serious incidents involving police while also being able to report back to community in relation to such investigations where appropriate. Parameters for a draft framework were approved by the First Voice Partnership Table on November 15, 2023. Although no framework has yet been agreed with SIRT-NL, discussions remain ongoing.

For the Department of Justice and Public Safety (JPS):

• Publicly acknowledge the need to establish a Police Oversight Board for the province that is independent of police, civilian-led, politically neutral, and representative of the province’s diverse communities
• In consultation with the Policing Transformation Working Group, develop a comprehensive plan to implement the 26 recommendations for strengthening police oversight that were put forward in Building Trust, Restoring Confidence.

For the Serious Incident Response Team of Newfoundland and Labrador (SIRT-NL): 

• Finalize and approve a framework , in collaboration with First Voice and First Light, to implement an Indigenous Community Liaison program in St. John’s as called for in the Group 4 recommendations set out in Building Trust, Restoring Confidence.