Interim Director Appointed to Lead Serious Incident Response Team
The Province has appointed retired senior Crown attorney John Scott as interim Director of the Province’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT). Work is underway to hire a permanent director.
Mr. Scott’s appointment is effective Monday, June 6. He also served as interim Director in 2017-18.
“Mr. Scott is a highly respected former senior Crown attorney who brings skill, expertise and past experience to this position,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Brad Johns. “I thank Mr. Scott for agreeing to take on the role during this time of transition. Nova Scotians can continue to have confidence in the system of police oversight in this province.”
Mr. Scott, a graduate of St. Mary’s University and Dalhousie Law School, joined the bar in 1976 and worked as a Crown attorney for 38 years until his retirement in 2014. He has experience at all levels of court in Nova Scotia, handling a wide range of cases.
SiRT provides civilian-led oversight of policing by investigating serious incidents involving police, independent of both government and police. The agency investigates all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and domestic violence, or other matters of significant public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police agency across the province.
Mr. Scott will oversee a team of four investigators and an administrative support person.
Quotes:
“I look forward to working with SiRT and continuing the important role this service provides to the police and public. I plan to draw on my many years of experience as a Crown attorney and my previous experience in the interim Director’s role in carrying out the duties and functions this position demands.”
– John Scott, interim Director, Serious Incident Response Team
Quick Facts:
- Mr. Scott will replace retiring Director Felix Cacchione, who has served in the position since March 2018
- SiRT averages about 25 investigations per year; in 2019-20, it conducted 36 investigations, including two in New Brunswick
- New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island reached an agreement in principle in 2021 that will allow SiRT to act as the police oversight body for the three Maritime provinces
- the new Maritimes arrangement is expected to become official by the end of the year
Additional Resources:
More information on SiRT is available at: https://sirt.novascotia.ca/