Linda Bush lost her son Ian Bush while he was in police custody in Houston B.C. On Oct. 29, 2005, Ian was shot and killed inside the Houston RCMP detachment building. At the time, there was only one independent body set up to investigate public concerns over RCMP incidents: the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP (CPC).

The officer involved was cleared of wrong-doing by the CPC, a criminal code investigation, and by the B.C. Coroner鈥檚 Office. If an incident like this were to happen today in B.C., another independent, investigative body would be involved.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) was formed on Sept. 10, 2012. The IIO has the mandate to investigate police officer-related incidents that involve death or serious harm. The mandate extends to include all police forces, including the RCMP and municipal forces.

On June 11, 2013, Linda Bush sat up front at the 亚洲天堂 Lake Chamber of Commerce as Ralph Krenze, a senior investigator with the IIO, delivered a presentation on the function and mandate of his organization.

The IIO came out of the Braidwood Inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski and the Davies Commission inquiry into the death of Frank Paul. Both inquiries highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in policing throughout B.C.

Since starting active investigations in September 2012, its four teams of six investigators each have been dispatched to all corners of the province. With the first annual report coming soon, Krenze鈥檚 travels across Northern B.C. are meant to raise local awareness of the work the IIO does, and does not, do.

Although the IIO has no mandate to investigate historical cases, Bush was travelling with Krenze because she is particularly interested in seeing the mandate of the IIO expanded.

鈥淚 support what the IIO is doing,鈥� said Bush. 鈥淏ut their mandate should be expanded to include sexual assault.鈥�

鈥淗ow anyone could define serious harm without including sexual assault is difficult to understand,鈥� she said.

She recognizes that it is largely a question of stretched resources. For the IIO to expand its mandate, it would need more financing to pay for more staff.

She is currently part of an informal working group, largely based out of the southern mainland, that is trying to create a more formal lobbying structure to work towards, among other things, expanding the mandate of the IIO.

The CPC is currently investigating allegations made by Human Rights Watch regarding RCMP treatment of women and the handling of missing persons reports throughout Northern B.C. Currently, the IIO would have no jurisdiction over issues raised by the Human Rights Watch complaint as they do not involve death or 鈥榮erious harm鈥� as defined by the IIO mandate.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not up to the IIO to lobby for more funding from the province,鈥� Bush said regarding her wish to see the IIO鈥檚 mandate expanded.

鈥淚t鈥檚 up to us to let the government know what we want.鈥�