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Cross-border Policing Act

BILL NO. 146

(as introduced)

1st Session, 59th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
54 Elizabeth II, 2005



Government Bill



Cross-border Policing Act



The Honourable Michael G. Baker, Q.C.
Minister of Justice



First Reading: April 18, 2005

Second Reading: April 19, 2005

Third Reading: May 16, 2005 (WITH COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS) (LINK TO BILL AS PASSED)

An Act to Facilitate Interjurisdictional
Policing in Certain Circumstances

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Cross-border Policing Act.

PART I

INTERPRETATION

2 In this Act,

(a) "appointing official" means a person designated under Section 35;

(b) "extra-provincial commander" means

(i) the commanding officer, director general or commissioner of the provincial police force of another province of Canada, or his or her designate, or

(ii) the chief of police of a municipal or regional police force from another province of Canada, or the chief's designate;

(c) "extra-provincial police officer" means a police officer appointed or employed under the law of another province of Canada, but does not include a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;

(d) "local commander" means

(i) the chief officer of a municipal police department,

(ii) the senior officer of any local detachment or other division of the Nova Scotia Provincial Police,

(iii) the senior officer of a local RCMP detachment,

(iv) the commanding officer of a law enforcement body designated by regulation as a Nova Scotia police force, or

(v) any other person designated as a local commander by regulation;

(e) "local RCMP detachment" means a detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that is responsible for providing policing services to a specified area of the Province;

(f) "Minister" means the Minister of Justice;

(g) "Nova Scotia police force" means

(i) a municipal police department in the Province,

(ii) the Nova Scotia Provincial Police, or

(iii) a law enforcement body designated as a Nova Scotia police force by regulation;

(h) "Nova Scotia police officer" means a police officer appointed to, or employed by, a Nova Scotia police force.
PART II

STANDARD APPOINTMENT PROCEDURE

(a) the name, rank and police force of the officer to be appointed;

(b) the duration of the requested appointment;

(c) the name, rank, police force and telephone number of the immediate supervisor of the officer to be appointed;

(d) a general description of the duties that are to be carried out by the officer in the Province and, in the case of an operation or investigation, the name, full address and date of birth of each person who is a subject of the operation or investigation, if known;

(e) where the officer is expected to perform the duties;

(f) an assessment of the risks associated with the officer's duties in the Province, including the possibility of firearms or other weapons being used; and

(g) whether the duties might require a designation to be made under section 25.1 of the Criminal Code (Canada) or certification made under subsection 55(2.1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada).

(a) the name and rank of the appointee and the name and address of the appointee's police force;

(b) the duration of the appointment; and

(c) the reason for the appointment.

PART III

APPOINTMENT IN URGENT CIRCUMSTANCES

(a) wishes to have the powers and protections of a police officer while participating in an operation or investigation in the Province; and

(b) believes that the operation or investigation could be compromised by the delay that would result from requiring the request to be made under Part II.

(a) it is appropriate in the circumstances for the appointment to be made; and

(b) the delay that would result from requiring a request to be made under Part II could compromise the operation or investigation.

(a) indicating on the appointment form

(i) that the appointment is effective immediately, and

(ii) the time when the appointment is made; and

(b) giving oral confirmation of the appointment to the appointee, including the times when the appointment is effective and expires, and any conditions imposed on it.

(a) provide the appointee's extra-provincial commander with a copy of the appointment form; and

(b) provide the Minister with written notice of the appointment that meets the requirements of subsection 11(2).

(a) a request for an appointment under Part II has been made in respect of the appointee; and

(b) a decision to approve or deny that request has not been made.

PART IV

APPOINTEE'S DUTIES AND STATUS

(a) the appointee has failed to

(i) comply with this Act,

(ii) comply with a condition imposed on the appointment, or

(iii) act in a professional manner at any time while in the Province; or

(b) it is no longer appropriate in the circumstances for the appointee to have the powers and protections of a police officer in the Province.

(a) the appointee;

(b) the appointee's extra-provincial commander; and

(c) the Minister.

(4) Where it is impractical for an appointing official to give notice of termination of an appointment to the appointee pursuant to clause (2)(a), the appointing official may advise the appointee's extra-provincial commander that it is impractical and may provide that notice to the appointee's extra-provincial commander and, notwithstanding subsection (3), the appointment is terminated when the appointee's extra-provincial commander advises the appointee that the appointment is terminated.

PART V

OVERSIGHT OF NOVA SCOTIA POLICE OFFICERS
IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS

(a) the conduct of a Nova Scotia police officer who was appointed as a police officer or peace officer in the other jurisdiction; or

(b) the operation or investigation that led the officer to be appointed as a police officer or peace officer in the other jurisdiction,

the officer shall co-operate with an investigator and appear before any inquest or hearing, subject to the rights and privileges that a police officer from the other jurisdiction would have in the same situation.

(a) an investigation or hearing of a complaint under the Police Act; or

(b) internal disciplinary proceedings conducted by the officer's Nova Scotia police force.

PART VI

INDEMNIFICATION

(a) the police force from that other jurisdiction is a party to the action or proceeding; and

(b) the action or proceeding arises out of the actions of a member of the Nova Scotia police force while the member was appointed as a police officer or peace officer in that other jurisdiction.

(a) the appointment of a Nova Scotia police officer as a police officer or peace officer in another province of Canada;

(b) the appointment of an extra-provincial police officer as a police officer in the Province.

PART VII

GENERAL

(a) a Nova Scotia police officer;

(b) a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who is a resident of the Province.

(a) designating a person as a local commander for the purpose of subclause 2(d)(v);

(b) designating a law enforcement body as a Nova Scotia police force for the purpose of subclause 2(g)(iii);

(c) defining any word or expression used but not defined in this Act;

(d) respecting any matter or thing the Governor in Council considers necessary or advisable to carry out effectively the intent and purpose of this Act.

(2) The exercise by the Governor in Council of the authority contained in subsection (1) is regulations within the meaning of the Regulations Act.

40 This Act comes into force on such day as the Governor in Council orders and declares by proclamation.


This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2005 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created May 24, 2005. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.