Session Two in the National Series on Police Oversight, Legal Change, and System Transformation
This session explores the evolving role of civilian oversight bodies in holding police accountable.
Dr. Richard Parent will discuss their mandates, limitations, and opportunities for strengthening public trust. The discussion will also highlight how civil society can engage and advocate for more transparent, accountable, and community-focused oversight systems.
This free session is open to community members, legal professionals, researchers, advocates, and others interested in justice, accountability, and human rights.
Dr. Richard Parent is a retired Associate Professor at Simon Fraser University and a 30-year veteran of the Delta Police Department. He has served as vice president of the Delta Police union, NCO in charge of internal investigations, and a negotiator with a regional emergency response team, and has been qualified in Canadian and U.S. courts as an expert on police use of deadly force and suicide by cop. A recognized authority on police ethics, accountability, and community-based policing, he has published extensively, including Ethics and Canadian Law Enforcement. Together with his wife, Cathy Parent, he continues to research and publish on strengthening policing practices in Canada.