Police watchdog SIU revealing more information to public
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After facing years of criticism for stingily providing information, Ontario’s police watchdog agency is now giving the public unprecedented access to investigations on its website.
The Special Investigations Unit — an independent agency which examines police conduct with the public when serious injuries, deaths or sexual assaults occur — is now making its director’s reports available to the public.
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These reports reveal what happened, who was interviewed, the evidence that was considered, photos, scene diagrams and the legislation that was taken into account when determining the outcome of a case, said SIU spokesman Monica Hudon. Once the report is posted, a news release is issued.
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“Over the past couple of years, we’ve taken a number of steps to increase our transparency and to keep the public apprised of our investigations,” added Hudon.
“Following the release of Justice Michael Tulloch’s report in April of 2017, the Attorney General had the SIU’s director’s reports posted to the government website. Since the beginning of December, the SIU began posting the full director’s reports to our website, after seeking authorization from the Attorney General. ”
Tulloch’s Independent Police Oversight Report last year provided 129 recommendations to government on ways to transform police oversight in Ontario so it is more transparent, accountable and inspires the confidence of the police and public.
The SIU will not release details in cases of sexual assault allegations to protect the privacy interests of alleged victims, especially in a crime that is historically under-reported.
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While a brief news release is issued if the SIU lays charges against police, details are withheld to protect the accused’s right to a fair trial and to ensure the integrity of any ongoing investigation.
The SIU also issues releases in cases where investigations ended and the SIU determined that the case “fell outside of its jurisdiction or there was patently nothing to investigate,” said Hudon.
She said that in July this year, a case status chart was added to the SIU’s website that lists every investigation. The public can use the chart to track the progress of investigations.
“This chart will tell you when the investigation began, what police service is involved, when we were notified and the progress of the investigation. We’ve incorporated several search filters, and so you can really tailor the search to your needs,” said Hudon.
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