New Westminster Police Service is again being called up to investigate a different police force - this time for an incident involving a police dog.
Sgt. Diana McDaniel confirmed Tuesday that local officers will be conducting an investigation into Surrey RCMP after one of their dogs, tracked and attacked a 16-year-old break-and-enter suspect, causing him to be hospitalized.
The teen had allegedly broken into a gas station to steal energy drinks.
"We are concerned with the injuries sustained by the 16-year-old. Given the circumstances, we have placed the dog handler on administrative duties and his police dog has been removed from operational duty while the New Westminster Police Department conducts their investigation," said RCMP Chief Supt. Janice Armstrong.
Any time a person is killed or injured in a police incident, an independent police force is called in to investigate. RCMP-involved incidents often land on the desk of New Westminster police, as it is one of only a handful of municipal police forces in the province.
"It gives us more of an impartial, objective viewpoint," McDaniel said.
Attorney General Shirley Bond announced in May last year that the province would set up a civilian-led Independent Investigation Office to handle all future investigations into police-involved deaths and injuries. Creating such an office was one of the key recommendations in the Braidwood Report, following the Taser-related death of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport.
That office though, is not likely to be up and running until the summer.
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