FREDERICTON (NB) - An independent report reviewing how the Fredericton Police Force handles major crime files has resulted in 19 recommendations for improvements in the areas of training, oversight, file management and documentation and major crime staffing and resourcing.
The report was written by Ontario-based lawyer, investigator and policing expert Ian D. Scott following a months-long review of major crime investigations at the Fredericton Police Force. It is available online.
Fredericton Police Chief Gary Forward has committed to fully adopting all the recommendations, the first of which is to implement a process to provide oversight to see their timely completion.
“We regret the pain our error has caused the Markey and Donelan families and take full responsibility for how this has affected public confidence in our force and the criminal justice system,” said Chief Forward. “While we cannot undo the wrong, we are fully committed to learning from it and ensuring it never happens again. Working with our members and partners, we will implement these recommendations with a focus on transparency, accountability, and timely communication.”
Chief Forward ordered an independent review in June 2025, when five people accused of the murders of Corey Markey and Brandon Patrick Donelan were released following a stay of proceedings in court. The stay was related to an evidentiary issue caused by the Fredericton Police Force.
Scott and retired RCMP Inspector Andrea Gallant interviewed Senior Command and the victim’s families and analyzed 63 major crime and high-risk files investigated between 2021 and 2025. They found inconsistencies in the application of case management principles and the use of command structure, and gaps in supervisory oversight.
The review also found that the Fredericton Police Force’s major crime investigations are generally well managed, with investigators demonstrating professionalism and perseverance. It found officers and staff to be deeply committed to their public safety mandate, serving with compassion, integrity and professionalism.
Scott also made recommendations to the Chief of Police related to the evidentiary issue that prompted the review but are not included in the report because disclosure would conflict with the rules of the Canada Evidence Act.
“The impact upon the Fredericton community, and in particular the families of Corey Markey and Brandon Donelan, cannot be adequately expressed in words when these murder charges were stayed," said Scott. “The entry of the stay shook public confidence in the criminal justice system and deprived everyone, especially the family members, of a public trial. It is my expectation that Chief Forward will oversee the timely completion of all the recommendations made in this report to ensure this situation never repeats itself.”
No criminal or disciplinary charges were recommended as a result of the review.
Chief Forward will formally report on progress through regular meetings of the City of Fredericton’s Public Safety Committee and to the Government of New Brunswick’s Department of Justice and Public Safety’s Policing Standards Division through its regular annual audit process.
Biographies:
Ian. D Scott
Ian D. Scott has more than forty years of litigation experience and is widely recognized for his expertise in police oversight. He served as Director of Ontario’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) from 2008 to 2013, leading independent investigations into incidents involving police. Mr. Scott has authored and/or co-authored several key texts on policing and civilian oversight, including Community Safety and Policing Act and Special Investigations Unit Act, an Annotated Guide 2024 (Thomson Reuters, 2024), and Issues in Civilian Oversight of Policing in Canada (Carswell, 2014). Ian D. Scott currently conducts police-related investigations, acts as a disciplinary prosecutor, and provides expert training for other investigators.
The extensive background and specialized knowledge of Ian D. Scott in police oversight, investigative evaluation, and legal standards makes him uniquely qualified to conduct this review informed by best practices in law enforcement and justice.
For M. Scott’s full resume, please see the report.
Andrea Gallant
Andrea Gallant is a retired RCMP Inspector with an extensive background in law enforcement leadership. During her tenure with the RCMP, she held senior roles in operational oversight and critical incident command, contributing to the effective management of complex policing operations.
Following her retirement in 2022, Ms. Gallant joined the Policing Standards and Contract Management Branch within New Brunswick’s Department of Justice and Public Safety. In this leadership capacity, she oversaw the Quality Assurance Process for all municipal and regional police forces in the province, ensuring consistent compliance with Adequacy Standards in Policing. Her work included the assessment of the Fredericton Police Force in 2023.
-30-
Media contact:
Sonya Gilks
Public Information Officer
Fredericton Police Force
fpf.media@fredericton.ca
506-460-2777