Dear Sirs,
The BC Assembly of First Nations, First Nations Summit and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs welcome the release of the interim report, Alone and Cold by Commissioner Davies. The insightful findings and recommendations in his report raise many critical issues and concerns regarding municipal policing in British Columbia. While it is deeply regrettable that it has taken the loss of Frank Paul’s life to have these issues brought to the forefront, we express our sincere desire and collective commitment that the report will lead to change. We fully support the recommendations and urge the BC government to move swiftly to implement them.
We wish to acknowledge Commissioner Davies and his staff for the courage and integrity they have shown. We are greatly encouraged by the opportunities to move forward as identified in the report’s recommendations.
The report validates the concerns expressed by Mr. Paul’s family who have pushed for years for a public inquiry into his tragic death. There can be no question that the system failed Mr. Paul. The Vancouver Police Department failed to safeguard his life, services for the homeless were severely lacking and most significantly, the police investigations were fundamentally flawed. Moreover, the decision not to lay any criminal charges regarding Mr. Paul’s death highlights the critical need for far‐reaching changes, especially if Aboriginal people and the public are to ever regain a level of confidence in policing in BC.