Serious Incident Response Team Director Appointed

The Province has appointed Alonzo Wright, KC (King’s counsel), as Director of the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT).

Mr. Wright, a senior Crown attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, replaces retired Crown attorney John Scott, who was appointed interim Director when Felix Cacchione retired last May.

The appointment takes effect January 9.

“Mr. Wright is highly regarded and has many years of experience as an accomplished Crown prosecutor, handling some of the province’s most demanding, high-profile and complex criminal cases,” said Brad Johns, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. “He is an excellent choice to lead this respected agency. I also want to thank John Scott for his service as interim Director and for his leadership during the time we worked to secure a new permanent director of SiRT.”

Mr. Wright is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law and has been a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers Society since 1995, serving on numerous committees. He has practised criminal law, serving as a prosecutor across the province. He has also worked for the federal Department of Justice and was a municipal Crown attorney with the Halifax Regional Municipality.

SiRT provides civilian-led oversight of policing by investigating serious incidents involving police, independent of both government and police. The agency investigates all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and domestic violence, or other matters of significant public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any municipal police or RCMP officer across the province.

Mr. Wright will oversee a team of four investigators and an administrative support person.

Quotes:

“It’s an honour to be appointed, and I look forward to this new challenge. I also look forward to serving the people of Nova Scotia and working with the team of SiRT, the community and police.”

– Alonzo Wright, Director, Serious Incident Response Team

Quick Facts:

• Mr. Wright has extensive experience as a community leader and volunteer, notably as a basketball coach with the Gottingen Street Community Y in Halifax for more than 20 years, and as a referee, including at this year’s Canada Summer Games in Ontario
• he has received a number of awards for his volunteerism, including the A. Gordon Archibald Award, which recognizes alumni for outstanding volunteer contributions to Dalhousie
• SiRT averages about 25 investigations per year; in 2020-21, it opened 44 files and conducted 24 investigations, which led to charges against four police officers
• Nova Scotia reached an agreement in principle with New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in 2021 that will allow SiRT to act as the police oversight body for the two provinces
• the formal agreements are expected to be completed in early 2023

Additional Resources:

More information on SiRT is available at: https://sirt.novascotia.ca/