Supplemental Report Released Regarding New Glasgow Police Officer

The province's independent Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) today released a supplemental report in a matter where charges of careless and imprudent driving under the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act against a member of the New Glasgow Police Service have now concluded.

The charge related to an incident on April 26, 2013 when a Pictou County man suffered injuries in a collision with a police vehicle.

SiRT received a public complaint about this incident and in accordance with the Police Act assumed responsibility for the investigation.  Its investigation concluded with a charge of careless and imprudent driving laid against the officer driving the police vehicle involved in the collision. The matter was scheduled for trial in March, 2015.  The Crown made a determination to discontinue the prosecution which occurred on November 24, 2014. 

To ensure transparency, it is SiRT policy, in accordance with the Regulations, to publish a supplemental report in cases where the facts relevant to the charge decision were not originally made public and were not subsequently disclosed during court proceedings. The full report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca The original summary for this matter is dated November 25, 2013,  available at the same location.

The Serious Incident Response Team is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia, whether or not there is an allegation of wrongdoing. Investigations are under the direction and control of independent civilian director Ron MacDonald, who is also solely responsible for decisions regarding the laying of charges.

The team can independently launch, or begin an investigation after a referral from a chief of police, the head of the RCMP in Nova Scotia or the Minister of Justice. It can also investigate after a complaint from the public.
 
The Police Act requires the director to file a public report summarizing the result of the investigation within three months after it is finished.