Nova Scotia government appoints new director of police watchdog agency

Alonzo Wright will become director of the Serious Incident Response Team as of Jan. 9

CITYnews halifax \ Canadian Press

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HALIFAX — Nova Scotia has appointed a senior Crown prosecutor as the next director of the province’s police watchdog agency.

Alonzo Wright will become director of the Serious Incident Response Team, or SIRT, as of Jan. 9.

Wright is replacing retired Crown attorney John Scott, who was appointed interim director when Felix Cacchione, a former judge, retired in May.

Justice Minister Brad Johns described Wright as an accomplished prosecutor who has handled some of the province’s most demanding and complex cases.

Wright is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s Schulich law school and has also practised criminal law and worked for the federal Department of Justice.

SIRT provides civilian-led oversight of policing by investigating serious incidents involving police, independent of both government and police.

The agency investigates all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and domestic violence, or other matters of significant public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any municipal police or RCMP officer across the province.

Nova Scotia reached an agreement in principle with New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in 2021 that allows SIRT to act as the police oversight body for those two provinces as well, with formal agreements expected to be completed next year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2022.

The Canadian Press