VPD makes the right call in asking Delta to investigate Wu beating

Following a call from the B.C. Civil Liberties Association for an external investigator to be appointed in the beating of Yao Wei Wu by Vancouver Police officers, the VPD has appointed the Delta Police Force to conduct an investigation of the matter.

“An external police force investigating the VPD is the best that citizens can ask for under our current statutory regime,” said Robert Holmes, President of the BCCLA. “The BCCLA, B.C.’s police chiefs, and many others have agreed our current system of police investigating themselves doesn’t work.”

A public statement by Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu says that Delta Police Chief Jim Cessford has been asked to head the investigation into Mr. Wu’s beating. In the incident involving two VPD officers, Mr. Wu suffered a fractured skull and injuries to his knees, legs and back.

Holmes noted that it would be more desirable, for all concerned, including the police, the public and those most directly involved in the incident, for a civilian investigative agency to be in place to take on an investigation from the start and to work independently of all police and Crown counsel agencies. Ontario and the United Kingdom both have civilian investigation systems where the police do not investigate themselves, and Manitoba is currently introducing such a system.

“It is a waste of time, energy and money for our police forces to have to make up an ad hoc approach to each high-profile incident involving use of force or a death in custody,” said Holmes. “We need our legislators to act to reform our system. There is no excuse for B.C. being so far behind other jurisdictions in addressing this key aspect of restoring and maintaining public confidence in the police.”