Vancouver police officers investigated for their handling of Chelsea Poorman disappearance case
Vancouver police officers are being investigated for their handling of Chelsea Poorman's disappearance.
Poorman's remains were found outside a vacant mansion in Vancouver's Shaughnessy neighbourhood in April 2022, a year and a half after she was reported missing.
Police said she likely died around the time she disappeared.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) says the New Westminster Police Department is investigating the conduct of several Vancouver Police officers in relation to Poorman's disappearance.
Poorman's parents have since come forward, accusing police of mishandling the investigation.
The OPCC says the investigation was initiated in 2022 and is looking into allegations of neglect of duty by police officers responding to Poorman's missing persons report.
"The OPCC will continue to provide independent civilian oversight of this investigation to ensure that these allegations are thoroughly investigated," it said in the statement.
Mother says system needs to change
Chelsea's mother, Sheila Poorman, says she submitted the complaint about four years ago after Chelsea's initial disappearance.
She says she hopes the officers involved will be held accountable and that there will be changes in the system, which she described as "broken."
"The first week that Chelsea went missing … it was myself that was going up and down Hastings asking about my daughter. It just seemed like I was the only one that had really cared," said Poorman.
She said police did not put out photos of Chelsea until over a week after she was reported missing.
Poorman said she has a follow-up interview with an investigator this week.
The VPD said in a statement to CBC on Monday that the investigation into Poorman's death remains open, but it is not a criminal investigation.
"There are unanswered questions about how Chelsea travelled from the place where she disappeared to the place where she died," said the VPD.
"We're continuing to investigate those circumstances with hopes of being able to provide additional answers to her family."
