Friday, February 1, 2019 ~ VICTORIA.
Clayton Pecknold has been appointed as acting police complaint commissioner, following his unanimous appointment by the all-party Special Committee to Appoint a Police Complaint Commissioner earlier this week.
The incoming commissioner, Clayton Pecknold, is a former RCMP officer with a law degree from Dalhousie University and a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He is a past director of emergency communications for ECOMM 911. He’s chair of the Police Records Information Management Environment board of directors.
Effective immediately, Pecknold will serve as acting commissioner, it was stated in a news release from the BC Legislature today. A full five-year term appointment is expected to be made by the Legislative Assembly later this month, pursuant to section 47 of the Police Act.
Pecknold was unanimously recommended for appointment as commissioner by the special committee on December 12, 2018. “The acting appointment follows the retirement of the former police complaint commissioner, Stan Lowe, on January 31, 2019 (who has served in the job since 2009) and ensures continuity for the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner,” it was stated in the news release.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner of BC calls their mission one of “integrity, independence, and excellence”.
The members of the selection committee included two former RCMP officers — Mike Morris and Garry Begg, and also Rich Coleman who was the former BC Liaison to the Canadian Armed Forces. The other two committee members (including the chair) are first-time MLAs. Full committee list:
* Rachna Singh, MLA Surrey-Green Timbers (chair)
* Mike Morris, MLA Prince George-Mackenzie (deputy chair)
* Garry Begg, MLA Surrey-Guildford
* Rich Coleman, MLA Langley East
* Adam Olsen, MLA Saanich North and the Islands