BC Police Code of Ethics Was Unveiled and Signed Today Friday January 14, 2005:

Today saw the unveiling and signing of the British Columbia Police Code of Ethics (PDF 180KB). The ceremony took place at the Justice Institute of British Columbia located in New Westminister. This was a particularly proud moment for the Saanich Police Department as our Chief Constable Derek Egan was the Chair of the Ethics Committee. Cst Ron Huck of the Saanich Police Department also represented the department in the process that led to the development of the BC Code of Ethics.

The Code of Ethics was developed by members from the Municipal Police Departments, RCMP, BC Police Board Association, Vancouver Police Officers Association, Vancouver Police Union, BC Federation of Police Officers, BC Association of Chiefs of Police and Canadian National Railway Police. The members also had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Mark Wexler, professor of business ethics at SFU. Dr Wexler’s experience and expertise was invaluable.

The idea of developing a code of ethics was born almost four years ago. Of note is that the development and adoption of the BC Code of Ethics is a voluntary and self-initiated idea by all police organizations in the province of British Columbia.

What the BC Code of Ethics represents is the formalized written description of the values that govern what we as police officers say and do. It highlights individual and organizational responsibilities to the communities in which we police. We now have a written and accepted ideal standard for policing that can be incorporated into the education and training of all police officers in British Columbia.

This document considers the complex role of policing in a democracy. It acknowledges the balance between individual rights and public order, and the significance of public trust in the police. This trust is crucial to the continued partnership between the public and the police.

(See www.saanichpolice.ca for document)