Prince George-Mackenzie MLA and former high-ranking RCMP officer Mike Morris is heading a review of the Independent Investigations Office.
Morris was named chair of a bipartisan legislative committee established to evaluate the performance of the civilian-led body that investigates police-related deaths or serious injuries for criminal wrongdoing.
There is a statutory requirement under the Police Act to carry out a review by the end of this year.
Morris was the North District RCMP superintendent for seven years ending in 2005, when he retired after 32 years as a Mountie.
Morris said he has a letter from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner saying there is no conflict and believes the nearly 10 years he's been away from the RCMP has provided enough time to loosen the ties.
"The organization changes all the time," Morris said. "The police senior managers that I have associated with are long gone, most of them. I recognize some of the young guys that have taken over the senior roles in the organization but I have never worked personally with them."
The eight-MLA committee is still in the process of determining how it will carry out the review but Morris said there will be opportunities for the public to comment online, in writing and in person although where and when public hearings will be held has not yet decided.
Morris wants to have most of the work completed by late fall and have a final report ready for January 2015. The committee will look at how well the IIO has met its existing mandate and whether it should be expanded, as well as how much progress it has made in becoming a completely civilian organization.
"You need a very significant level of investigative ability when you're in an organization like this," Morris said. "There are investigators from all aspects of public life that can do the job - they might need a little training in some areas but we'll see where the IIO has gone with this and what their feelings are on it as well."
About two-thirds of the IIO's investigators are former police officers, according to the organization's website. Police officers must not have served in B.C. for at least five years before if they want to work for the IIO.
The IIO opened its doors in September 2011, the same day Greg Matters, a Canadian military veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder was shot and killed by a member of an RCMP emergency response team in Pineview.
The IIO found no criminal wrongdoing in that case and during an emotionally-charged coroner's inquest that that followed, its investigation was a theme for the Matters' family lawyer.
