News Release
SIU Director Responds to Proposed New Legislation
Case Number: N/A
An announcement regarding the Safer Ontario Act, 2017 was made jointly today by Attorney General Yasir Naqvi and Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Special Investigations Unit Director Tony Loparco released this statement today regarding the proposed changes to the current Police Services Act.
Director Loparco said, “The Special Investigations Unit wholeheartedly welcomes the SIU having independent legislation, a recommendation that has been made by our organization numerous times over the years. Not only will updated and separate legislation provide the Unit with the ability to conduct more rigorous and independent investigations, it will also allow for more transparency and accountability for policing and oversight as a whole. As well, new legislation will increase the SIU’s ability to adapt more quickly to circumstances as they change.
“With respect to all legislated changes, I am committing the SIU to take the steps required to implement those changes with the help of the increased resources that were deemed necessary by the Honourable Michael H. Tulloch earlier this year.”
If you or someone you know is an affected person in need of support, please call the Affected Persons Program General Referral Line at 1-877-641-1897 or click here for more information: siu.on.ca/en/apc.php
The SIU is an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials (police officers as well as special constables with the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers with the Legislative Protective Service) that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians. Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the Director of the SIU must
- consider whether the official has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation
- depending on the evidence, cause a criminal charge to be laid against the official where grounds exist for doing so, or close the file without any charges being laid
- publicly report the results of its investigations