Posted:
Halifax Regional Police and Halifax District RCMP are today issuing a response to the Service de police de la Ville de Québec’s (SPVQ) Operational Review into the Death of Holly Bartlett.
Superintendent Jim Perrin, the officer-in-charge of the Criminal Investigation Division, conducted a thorough assessment of SPVQ’s Operational Review and broke down the findings into four key recommendations and ten suggestions. He subsequently documented a memo with HRP/Halifax District RCMP’s response to the recommendations and suggestions which can be found at http://www.halifax.ca/police/documents/MemotoChiefreSPVQRecommendationsFINAL.pdf.
While Supt. Perrin has proposed maintaining the status quo in relation to a number of their recommendations and suggestions, he has outlined required changes based on others. These include changes to policy and/or practices around canvassing and interviewing witnesses as well as vigilance in relation to a designated family liaison. Chief Jean-Michel Blais of HRP and Chief Superintendent Roland Wells of Halifax District RCMP concur with Superintendent Perrin’s findings.
The review of the investigation into Ms. Bartlett’s death illustrated the compassion and dedication shown by our investigators and it also highlighted areas requiring some improvement. It is our belief that an independent review such as this one confirms our strengths and allows us as police agencies to learn and ultimately improve our service to our community.
As way of background, Chief Blais and C/Supt. Wells requested in February 2014 that SPVQ conduct this Operational Review into the 2010 death of Holly Bartlett, and SPVQ presented their finalized Operational Review in July. Today’s release of our response to SPVQ’s Operational Review is the final step in this matter, and we hope it will allow the Bartlett family to move forward in the healing process. Our thoughts remain with them.