The Chiefs of all municipal police agencies and the head of the RCMP, in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, are required by law to refer all serious incidents to SiRT.

Members of the public can make referrals for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick by contacting SiRT directly by calling 1-855-450-2010 (toll free) or emailing sirt@novascotia.ca

• death

  SiRT investigates matters that involve the death of an individual that may have resulted from the actions of a police officer (on or off duty).

• serious injury
  • Fractures to limbs, ribs, head, or spine
  • Burns, cuts, or lacerations that are serious or affect a major portion of the body
  • Loss of any portion of the body
  • Serious internal injuries
  • Any injury caused by gunshot
  • Significant number of stitches
  • Admission to hospital as a result of the injury (not including outpatient care followed by release)
• sexual assault

  SiRT investigates any form of unwanted sexual act or contact that is alleged to have been imposed on a person by a police officer (on or off duty) without consent. It can range from unwanted touching to penetration.

• intimate partner violence

  SiRT investigates harmful actions that are alleged to have been conducted by a police officer (on or off duty) towards a spouse, common-law partner or dating partner. This can include matters like physical assault, threats of violence, criminal harassment and other behaviour.

• public interest cases

  Matters that are in the public interest are considered by the Director on a case-by-case basis. When determining if an incident meets SiRT’s mandate to investigate in the public interest the following factors may be considered:

  • If the conduct in question involves allegations of a serious criminal offence
  • If the matter involves a young person
  • If the matter is motivated by systemic racism or discrimination
  • The impact the incident might have on the public’s confidence in the police and the justice system

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) is a police oversight agency responsible for conducting independent investigations into serious incidents that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault, intimate partner violence or any matter of public interest that may have resulted from the actions of a police officer in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick.