RCMP watchdog postpones report from 3-year review on B.C. protest policing due to snap election
First Nations leaders and civil liberties advocates are concerned after the RCMP's federal review agency postponed release of a much-anticipated investigation into protest policing in British Columbia due to the snap election call.
Report on Community-Industry Response Group 'should be released right away,' says regional chief
Brett Forester · CBC News
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First Nations leaders and civil liberties advocates are concerned after the RCMP's federal review agency postponed release of a much-anticipated investigation into protest policing in British Columbia due to the snap election call.
The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) said it wants to avoid any perception of interference in the election period and ensure its report on the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), a specialized unit known for tactical operations on Wet'suwet'en territory and Fairy Creek, receives appropriate consideration.
But that's "an excuse," according to one First Nations leader who said the report will have wide-reaching implications and should be released when it's done, regardless of an election.
"Many people, especially those that are affected by this, are disappointed and I think there's no excuses," said Terry Teegee, regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations.
"It should be released right away considering that it may have implications on issues we're dealing with in the future."
The complaints commission intended to release on Wednesday the findings of a three-year probe into C-IRG, which was formed in 2017 to police protests against major resource extraction projects, namely the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
After B.C. NDP leader David Eby called an early election on Tuesday, the CRCC emailed CBC Indigenous explaining the decision to postpone.
"During an election period, the provincial government operates under caretaker conventions, which limit its ability to address or respond to matters that could be viewed as involving policy, administration, or future government decision-making," the email said.
"Publishing the report while the province is in caretaker mode would therefore make it difficult for the relevant provincial authorities to fully consider and respond to its findings and recommendations."
The review body delayed publication until a new government is sworn in and normal government operations have resumed, the email added.
The CRCC began the systemic investigation in 2023 after receiving more than 500 formal complaints about C-IRG's enforcement actions during the Wet'suwet'en-led resistance against the Coastal GasLink pipeline and the Fairy Creek anti-logging protests.
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Teegee said the findings should be treated with urgency given Prime Minister Mark Carney's focus on economic growth through pipelines, mines and other major infrastructure development.
"The West Coast oil pipeline or any other projects in the near future will be heavily scrutinized and perhaps this issue of protests will come up again," Teegee said.
"And then how does the RCMP react? Is this going to happen again?"
Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chief Na'Moks (John Ridsdale) expressed identical concerns in an interview on Thursday.
"With this other delay, they're ignoring all the harms that have been committed," Na'Moks said.
"We're concerned here that they've been present at, like, pro-Palestinian encampments, UBC, and continued to expand their agenda. There's no doubt this will be increased given Carney's agenda and widespread opposition."
A spokesperson for the B.C. Civil Liberties Association said the delay seems to be a discretionary decision, not something that's required.
"A lot of people have been waiting for this report to be released, and it is a matter that is in the national interest as well as the interest of British Columbians," said BCCLA staff counsel Veronica Martisius.
Saying "justice delayed is justice denied," Martisius noted that release of the systemic investigation was already delayed for months because the CRCC's decision-maker position was vacant.
'Significant delays' will impact completion of RCMP C-IRG probe, review agency says
RCMP has spent nearly $50M on policing pipeline, logging standoffs in B.C.
"I just don't think that police accountability is a partisan issue. That further delay will just damage the CRCC's credibility in terms of its ability to motivate police in this country to do better."
C-IRG has already faced numerous legal actions, including a proposed class-action lawsuit at Fairy Creek, a lawsuit from media outlet the Narwhal and photojournalist Amber Bracken, and a lawsuit from three Wet'suwet'en Nation members.
The RCMP formally apologized in 2025 for breaching reporter Jerome Turner's rights on Wet'suwet'en territory in 2020. A B.C. judge found officers' conduct during arrests on Wet'suwet'en territory in November 2021 involved racism and Charter breaches.
C-IRG was renamed the Critical Response Unit, or CRU-BC, and continues to operate, despite a coalition of lawyers, leaders, academics calling for a pause during the review, Na'Moks said.
He is skeptical about the potential for change because, while the CRCC makes findings and recommendations, it falls on the Mounties to implement them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brett Forester is a senior reporter with CBC Indigenous in Ottawa. He is a member of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation in southern Ontario who previously worked as a journalist with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
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