Police officer tells Inquest about sweeping changes made after in-custody death

Insp. Scott Hayes, who has over 20 years of experience with the police service, said they now have one dedicated supervisor, and the guard and matron positions are now staffed through a contract with trained commissionaires.

And their checks are all digitally logged thanks to “tag buttons.”

Saul Laliberte. (Image Credit: Heritage Funeral Home.)

When Laliberte was experiencing seizures, the sergeant in charge at the time was on the second floor. Their office has since been moved down to the cell block area and when concerns are raised by a guard or matron, the Sgt. can literally playback any recorded video.

The police service has also upgraded its cell block camera system, removing any blind spots.

“Deficiencies in video were identified,” Hayes said.

Another big change came in September 2025 with the installation of a digital vital signs monitoring system that is located in 12 of the 33 cells (seven male, four female and one youth).

The state-of-the-art system can track and record an inmate’s heart rate and comes equipped with alarms in case of sudden changes.

“This is an incredible advancement,” Hayes said.

To ensure the sergeant in charge and any fill-in constables are properly trained, Hayes explained they must first complete an eligibility exam. A second, more thorough exam is taken by the sergeant applicant and must be retaken every five years.

To further ensure proper checks and balances, Hayes explained that every quarter, eight to 10 random arrests are selected and reviewed at length to ensure all the policies and procedures are being followed.

Further to that, copies of the policies are on a digital database that can be accessed by any officer with the police service. Hayes also confirmed the police service is currently undergoing a total policy review.

“The changes we have made have been pretty remarkable,” Hayes said.

In 2021, the police service reported 5,488 arrests.

Hayes said arrests have since fallen by almost half, which he attributed to the use of the Brief and Social Detox centres in Victoria Hospital, as well as working with family members.

“We are doing a better job of diverting people,” he said.

Through a relatively new partnership with Parkland Ambulance, a trained paramedic is available in-house between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Hayes noted that during the day, they are only a phone call away.

Mitch Holash, the lawyer representing the police service, asked Hayes to comment on the increasing number of arrested individuals who have ingested some sort of illicit drug.

Hayes confirmed they are dealing with a lot more arrests of people high on drugs and stated he is looking forward to the opening of both the complex needs facility and the availability of more beds at the soon-to-be expanded Victoria Hospital which will take some pressures off the police service.

Several members of the Laliberte family were present for the proceedings, and their questions focused on the continued training of the officers, as well as communication with family who have loved ones in custody.

As of noon on Tuesday, only a few witnesses remained and expectations were the inquest would likely wrap up by later in the day or on Wednesday. The jury’s final task will be to come up with a list of recommendations to help prevent similar deaths from occurring in the future.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Police officer tells Inquest about sweeping changes made after in-custody death

What's Trending