The role of the Public Complaints Commission

The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) receives, investigates and reviews complaints against municipal police.  The PCC will then advise the complainant of any action taken.

The PCC will determine whether investigations should be conducted by:

• the PCC itself, through its investigative arm;
• the police service against whose member the complaint was made;
• the police service with an outside observer; or
• a separate police service.

If serious injury or death has occurred while a person was in police custody or as a result of a police action, the municipal police service or RCMP detachment concerned must request that the Deputy Minister of Justice appoint an investigation observer from another police service or RCMP detachment.  This investigation observer will monitor the investigation and report back to the Deputy Minister.

The Police Act, 1990 provides separate rules in cases where an out-of-province police officer needs to continue an investigation in Saskatchewan or where a Saskatchewan police officer must continue an investigation out-of-province.

The Public Complaints Commission process can take anywhere from a few weeks to 180 days, depending on the complexity of the case and the availability of witnesses.