Special Investigations Unit
The SIU Logo
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| Abbreviation | SIU |
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| Motto | One Law |
| Formation | 1990 |
| Type | Civilian Oversight |
| Purpose | Increase the confidence of the people of Ontario in their police services by conducting professional and independent investigations of incidents involving the police that have resulted in serious injury, including sexual assault, or death. |
| Headquarters | 5090 Commerce Boulevard Mississauga, Ontario |
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Region served
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Ontario |
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Official language
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English and French |
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Director
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Tony Loparco |
| Affiliations | CACOLE |
| Website | SIU |
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU or "the Unit") is the civilian oversight agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault of a civilian in Ontario, Canada. The SIU's goal is to ensure that criminal law is applied appropriately to police conduct, as determined through independent investigations, increasing public confidence in the police services.
Complaints involving police conduct that do not result in a serious injury or death must be referred to the appropriate police service or to another oversight agency, such as the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services.
As a civilian law enforcement agency, the SIU has the power and authority to investigate and charge police officers with criminal offences. The SIU is a unique investigative provincial body, overseeing approximately 23,000 police officers from municipal, regional, and provincial services. However, the SIU does not have the authority to investigate First Nations constables, or Federal police officers such as Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers or Canadian Forces Military Police officers. Ontario is the first province to have such a civilian oversight agency in place, and one of the few jurisdictions worldwide with an independent civilian agency. (In 2007 Alberta created the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, and in September, 2012, the Independent Investigations Office was established in British Columbia) As a result, the SIU has become a model of civilian oversight for other jurisdictions in the light of the international movement towards greater civilian accountability of the police. Civilian oversight of police services has become an important accountability mechanism to police powers. The role of the SIU is not necessarily to lay charges against police officers but to investigate and to assure the community that the conduct of the police is subject to independent scrutiny. The SIU strives to maintain community confidence in Ontario’s police services by assuring the public that the actions of the police are subject to independent investigations. They are completely independent of the police and have an arms-length relationship with the government. This means that although the SIU Director reports to the Attorney General, the decision-making on cases and their day-to-day activities are independent of the government.
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