Subpoena Program

In December 1998 the Kelowna Detachment instituted a new program in which most of the subpoenas that were received for service by regular members were first processed through a Community Policing Office for service by a volunteer. The program works with support from the local crown counsel as they, along with the RCMP, have accepted the low risk of volunteers serving subpoenas to witnesses.

Subpoenas for witnesses that are received by the Kelowna detachment are distributed to the nearest Community Policing Office that coincides with the address on the subpoena. Subpoenas that may be controversial in nature are not sent out to the Community Policing Offices, rather, they are sent directly to a police officer for service.

The volunteers at the Community Policing Offices make up to three phone contacts with the person named on the subpoena. The person is requested to attend to the applicable Community Policing Office to pick up and sign for their subpoena.

If the person named on the subpoena can not personally attend to the Community Policing office, the subpoena can still be served substitutionally to a resident of the household who is over the age of 16 years providing that they produce identification proving that they are a resident of the household.

If the witness has moved and no longer resides at the location named on the subpoena volunteers are encouraged to make attempts to locate a possible new location through the internet and telephone services.

If the witness is uncooperative and refuses to attend to pick up the subpoena it is forwarded back to the RCMP detachment for service by a member.

Even if the volunteer is not successful in serving the subpoena information, what they may be able to gather is important and saves a police officer time in trying to track down witnesses.

To date the program has been running for 6 years and has consistently served between 60 to 65% of the subpoenas that are received by the volunteers for service. The cost saving to the RCMP is significant in manpower and time with both subpoenas served and information pertaining to unserved subpoenas.

For further information, please contact:

Colleen Cornock
Mission Community Policing Office
4065 Lakeshore Rd
Kelowna, BC V1W 1V7
Phone: (250) 764-5004