B.C. watchdog launches police misconduct database

Information about police misconduct is now available to the public in B.C. through an online database created by the provincial watchdog for municipal departments.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner announced the launch of its Discipline Decisions Digest Tuesday, noting that having a searchable and publicly available database of substantiated misconduct allegations was one of the recommendations of the province’s Special Committee to Reform the Police Act in 2022.

“Transparency is a fundamental pillar for police accountability and enhancing public confidence in policing,” said Police Complaint Commissioner Prabhu Rajan in a news release.

“The release of this digest is an important step in improving transparency and supports an effective system of police accountability in B.C.”

The database does not include officers’ names but does include information on disciplinary measures.

Before the database went live, the OPCC reported on substantiated allegations once a year in an appendix to its annual report to the legislature, which was also anonymized.

In cases where the OPCC orders a review of a disciplinary decision or a public hearing, officers are named.