RCMP Protest Unit Stuck Without Oversight

0:00It's April 7th. This is Vancouver News today driven by AI. A long-running probe into the RCMP's special unit handling protests against resource projects in British Columbia is wrapped up, but it can't move. Forward to a final report. That's because the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, the Mounties Oversight Body, has sat without a chairperson since January 20th. 25. Leaving hundreds of cases in limbo. This unit originally called the Community Industry Response Group, and now the Critical Response Unit, got heat back in 2019 for enforcing. Court orders during wet sweat and opposition to the coastal gas-link pipeline. The Commission kicked off a systemic review in March 2023 after more than 572 public complaints, with one, 123 of them meeting the bar for review. Folks are fired up about the hold-up, especially groups like the BC Civil Liberties Association and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. They've been pushing to shut down the unit entirely,

1:00calling the delay a blow to police accountability and indigenous rights. All top spots at the Commission Chair and up to four others are empty right now, and the federal government handles those appointments. Back in October, they said they were working on picking a new chair, but no word since. With complaints piling up from pipeline and logging protests like Fairy Creek, this style raises big questions about oversight in tense situations. Until leadership steps up, these pining stay on ice, keeping everyone waiting for real answers.