The VPD was the subject of an investigation related to an Indigenous protest and an activist’s braid.
Earlier this month, the Officer of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) of British Columbia put out its annual report into police misconduct around the province. The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) was mentioned in a few of its specific cases.
One of the cases involved an Indigenous-led protest in downtown Vancouver. In this specific case, the OPCC report suggests that a VPD officer pulled on the braid of an Indigenous person when removing him from the protest location.
This case fell under the “use of force training” section of the report, “accounting for items or practices of cultural significance in use of force scenarios.”
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Braids are a significant symbol in Indigenous cultures. They are believed to be a symbol of strength. For example, according to an article Nlaka’pamux elder Ernie Michell wrote for the Gold Rush Trail, “the longer your hair is, the more connected you are to the land.”
An external police department investigated the police investigation results of the investigation “did not support a finding of misconduct by police in the action.”
When the OPCC stepped in, they noted that the officer in question “was not aware of the cultural significance of the brand and, therefore, did not consider its significance when electing to grab the braid as a means of removing the individual from the building.”
No details of the specific protest or location were mentioned in the OPCC report.
As a result, the OPCC highlighted a section of the BC Provincial Policing Standard, which focused on vulnerable communities and mandates training regarding Indigenous cultural safety.
The Vancouver Police Board responded by saying it had requested further information from the VPD to best respond to the OPCC’s recommendations.
The OPCC will continually monitor the file for further developments from the board.
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