Bryce Casavant recommends better oversight, training in lethal force alternatives, and more
A new report by a former BC conservation officer says the service is suffering from a lack of public trust.
Bryce Casavant gained international recognition when he lost his job for defying orders to kill a pair of orphaned bear cubs and instead sent them to a wildlife refuge. Since then he was accepted into a doctoral program at Royal Roads.
He analyzed data from an Insights West survey on the subject and concludes the killing of wildlife by the Conservation Service is a social concern and public trust is eroding:
"One of the important factors in having a report like this, which has just been released, helps us understand what the public expectations are of our law enforcement officers in handling and responding to wildlife calls. "
Casavant recommends better oversight, increased training for wildlife officers involving alternatives to lethal force, a review of internal policies, and creation of standardized call centre messaging for the public.