Police Commission Report Made Public

A Nova Scotia Police Commission report into the May 2000 death of James Guy Bailey, Jr., while in custody in a Sydney lockup, was made public today, Sept. 13, by Justice Minister Michael Baker.

"I want to thank Jean Beeler and her fellow commissioners for such a thorough review and report," said Mr. Baker. "This process was important because it supports public confidence in law enforcement and our legal system."

The report confirms the finding of an earlier external investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police, which concluded there was no foul play. Mr. Bailey, 28, died from an overdose of several different drugs, many of which were prescription drugs unlawfully in his possession. It contains more than 50 recommendations.

Mr. Baker said many of the recommendations around lockup policies and procedures have already been addressed by the Cape Breton Regional Police Service and the policing and victim services division within the Department of Justice.

"We have developed strong working relationships with municipal police and the RCMP," said Mr. Baker. "There is a provincial lockup committee in place, and we now have developed a successful model for critical incident response teams now in use throughout Nova Scotia."

Mr. Baker said the Department of Justice will work with the departments of Health and Community Services on an integrated plan to address recommendations relating to emergency department protocols, prescription drug monitoring and mental health services.

The commission conducted its own nine-month investigation, then held a public inquiry that lasted 11 weeks over a period of a year and a half. The panel heard from 72 witnesses, reviewed hundreds of documents, submissions, video and audio tapes and transcripts. Including legal fees approved by the commission, the inquiry is estimated to have cost $1.8 million.