BC Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham wrote a letter urging the BC government to declare the two BC associations of chiefs of police to be public bodies, and make the associations subject to public freedom of information laws. I am disappointed that the letter does not do more to educate the public about the seriousness of the police governance, transparency, accountability and conduct issues involved, and does not address the general underlying questions about what constitutes a public body. However, I support the Commissioner’s recommendation. I am also glad that the Commissioner revisited and highlighted the ongoing question of the associations’ secretive lobbying activities. To learn about the background for this decision, read my previous articles about the associations, listed from most recent to oldest below:
Police Chiefs: Public or Private? (January 2014)
Coup de Police (November 2013 — If you read only one, read this one)
“Curiouser and Curiouser” (July 2013)
Is the Law Catching Up to BC’s Police Chiefs? (May 2013)
Are BC Police Chiefs Evading the Law? (October 2012)
Original documents can be found here.