Manitoba's 'outdated' agency for complaints about police conduct to be overhauled: minister
CBC
The Manitoba agency that investigates public complaints about officer misconduct is getting overhauled amid growing calls for greater police scrutiny, CBC News has learned.
"I don't want to prescribe the solution. I know there's a problem," provincial Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen said in response to a CBC News investigation into Manitoba's Law Enforcement Review Agency (LERA).
Goertzen said the province will introduce legislation this session to address the "outdated" parts of LERA, an independent civilian agency that looks into complaints about the conduct of municipal police officers.
That could come as early as Thursday afternoon.
That's when the minister is slated to introduce a bill that includes amendments to the laws governing LERA.
There have been repeated calls over the decades for changes to the agency, and in recent years, its ranks have been depleted.
A CBC News analysis of all publicly available court hearings posted by LERA shows that only two police officers have faced discipline in the last decade.
Manitobans filed more than 1,700 complaints during that same period of time, the vast majority of which were dismissed by the commissioner or abandoned by the complainant.
A Winnipeg woman, whose journey trying to find justice through LERA left her feeling re-victimized and abandoned, welcomed the impending changes.
"It kind of sucks the life out of you," said Sophie, who CBC is not identifying because she's a victim of sexual abuse with her case currently before the courts.
Her experience with LERA began in 2020. That's when Sophie came forward to police and reported a historic sexual assault committed by a family member.
The Winnipeg police officer who first took her statement was dismissive, she said, and falsely told her there was a statute of limitations for when she could report the abuse.
"He went out of his way to belittle me and make me feel like crap," she said. "I really thought … people would show up and just listen to me."
Reporting what had happened to her was a very stressful moment, Sophie said, adding that she had grappled for decades with the guilt of not reporting the abuse.
CBC Newfoundland and Labrador is kicking off its annual holiday campaign, helping to raise money to support local food banks.
If all goes according to plan, at 6 a.m. AT on Saturday people working at the IWK Health Centre will become the test case for a generational change to Nova Scotia’s health-care system.
One month after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced what he called "generational" military spending, New Brunswick’s defence ecosystem is on high alert.
Miranda Mirlycourtois, 34, looks directly at the camera and makes a confession.
Saskatoon city hall says police spending is projected to be $2.6 million over budget this year. That pushes the city into a $1.2-million deficit position, according to a report that will be considered by city council next week.
Students at the University of Regina are days away from deciding whether a newly formed student association should become their official representative body.
All public schools on P.E.I. are closed Friday and thousands of Maritime Electric customers are without power as strong winds create hazardous travel conditions across the province.
Prince Rupert, B.C., residents are celebrating the holidays this year with coastal flair.
In the four years Chelsey Simmonds has worked at the Eva Rothwell Centre, she has seen the need increase every year at the centre’s community food pantry.
CBC is once again looking to make the holiday season kind in Windsor-Essex.
Acute Care Alberta has extended its contract for another year with a private surgical facility at the centre of probes into health procurement and contracting.
As food bank use continues to climb across the province, front-line workers in Thunder Bay, Ont., are working to improve both food security and education.
More ads could soon be coming to Toronto’s subway system.