First Light Welcomes Justice Minister’s Recommitment to Strengthening Police Oversight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

St. John’s, NL – First Light welcomes today’s recommitment by Justice Minister Helen Conway Ottenheimer to strengthen police oversight by establishing a police oversight board that is independent of police, civilian-led, politically neutral, and representative of the province’s diverse communities.

For several years, First Light has called for meaningful reform grounded in accountability, transparency, and community voice. Our 2022 report, Building Trust, Restoring Confidence, outlines a clear path forward to rebuild public confidence in policing through independent civilian oversight. We are encouraged that the Minister has reaffirmed her commitment to advancing positive systemic change that is consistent with the essence of that report.

Following a meeting with the Minister and senior officials at the Department of Justice and Public Safety held on February 27, 2026, First Light is confident that now-Minister Conway Ottenheimer intends to move forward with the kind of positive reforms she championed while in Opposition. We remain committed to working collaboratively with the Minister and her Department to advance meaningful change in policing across the province.

Strengthening police oversight is not – and must not become – a partisan issue. The previous government took important initial steps by passing the Law Enforcement Oversight Commission Act. That work began the process of improving an outdated legislative framework that had remained largely unchanged for more than 30 years. We support the Minister’s proposal to continue building on this foundation by introducing a broader and more comprehensive Police Act.

First Light will continue to advocate for reforms that make the province’s two police services more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the communities they are meant to serve. We view the Minister’s recommitment as a positive and constructive step and encourage the provincial government to maintain momentum toward meaningful legislative change in the months ahead.

Media Contact