The Regina Police Service has contacted the provincial Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to ask that the PCC take a recent allegation by a member of the public on social media and deem it a formal complaint and investigation.
On Monday, January 5, 2015, the Regina Police Service was made aware of an allegation, circulating on social media, that RPS members had mistreated a 25 year-old woman. As a result of looking into this allegation, the Regina Police Service can confirm that two Regina Police Service officers did have contact with two females, ages 16 and 25, at 4:54 a.m. on January 4th in the 3500 block of Avonhurst Drive. The police were called to that address for a report of two females, believed to be intoxicated; one was banging on a door and the other was semi-conscious, outside an apartment. When police arrived, they located two females who were extremely intoxicated. EMS assessed their conditions and transported the 16 year-old to hospital; the 25 year-old was not able to provide an address of someone who could assume responsibility for her safety. . As per normal procedure, she was then arrested for intoxication in a public place and taken to Regina Police Service cells. Video of the detention area has been reviewed and it has been noted that this individual came into the police building with no footwear and no jacket. She was released when sober, with all of the clothing and items that were in her possession and on her person at the time of her arrest. This event is documented in the officers’ reports and radio communication with the Communications Centre. This information, along with GPS data from the vehicle, as well as audio and video recording of the detention area will be made available to the Public Complaints Commission for the purposes of an investigation.
Members of the public may not be aware that police officers cannot disable the GPS equipment in their vehicles and cannot, without explanation, opt out of radio contact. It is also important for people to understand that when police take a young person, under the age of 18, into custody, a parent or guardian of that young person must be notified, as per the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. However, the personal privacy considerations of a person over the age of 18 prohibit police from giving that person’s information to any member of the public, even if the person asking for the information identifies himself or herself as a family member of the adult person in custody.
The Regina Police Service has contacted the Public Complaints Commission requesting an investigation into the allegation of police mistreatment of this 25 year-old woman. The Regina Police Service will, as always, co-operate fully with this investigation and looks forward to a speedy resolution of this matter.