Vancouver Police Board approves 'access without fear' policy

The Vancouver Police Board passed its “access without fear” policy Thursday in a move that it says will make undocumented immigrants feel safer about reporting crimes. 

The policy directs officers to not ask for information about the immigration status of a witness, complainant or victim, unless there is a legitimate reason to do so.

A similar policy was passed by the City of Vancouver in 2016.

Some advocates have raised concerns about the policy Some say the guidelines don’t go far it enough, noting it still allows officers to ask about immigration status if they feel they have a good reason. 

“They continued to