Amendments Ensure Quality Investigators

The province is amending the Police Act to allow the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) to have more flexibility to hire skilled investigators.

The amendments introduced today, Dec. 2, by Justice Minister Ross Landry, will allow the investigators to be appointed by orders in council.

"We want to have the best available investigators join the Serious Incident Response Team," said Justice Minister Ross Landry. "This gives the director of SIRT more flexibility to do that and to ensure this vital agency is up and running as quickly as possible."

SIRT, an independent agency, will investigate serious matters such as death, serious injury, sexual assault or other public-interest concerns involving the police.

SIRT will include a director, two civilian provincial investigators, seconded police officers, as required, and administrative support. Decision-making authority will reside solely with the civilian director.