The jury in the coroner’s inquest into the in-custody death of Cheryl Ann Bouey has called for significant changes to the Prince George RCMP detachment lockup.

Bouey, 42, committed suicide in the detachment ‘drunk tank’ on June 26, 2008 after being arrested for being drunk in public, the inquest heard. A surveillance camera captured video of Bouey threading the drawstring from her sweatpants through the bars and grating on the door of the cell, then hanging herself from it.

In his testimony to the inquest, detachment lockup guard and former corrections officer Roy Reznechenko said cell doors with bars are obsolete. Reznechenko was alone on duty the night Bouey killed herself.

“Those doors are from the Dark Ages. I hadn’t seen cells with bars in years before I worked at the RCMP lockup.”

The jury recommended that Prince George city council approve funding for construction of a new RCMP detachment, including a new lockup.

“Until such time as a new (detachment lockup) is constructed, the current cells should be upgraded by: removing the ... metal grating on the bars and doors, replacing it with clear, see-through plexi-glass/lexan covering and two guards (are) to be on duty at all times,” the jury wrote.

In addition, the jury called for increased guard staffing on busy days, that guards be equipped with radios, and the surveillance camera monitors be upgraded and moved to a more visible location.

Reznechenko said he never saw Bouey threading the drawstring through the grate on the camera monitors. The monitors were high up, small, hard to see and positioned away from the guard’s work station, he said.

The jury also called for a review of policies for guards and RCMP officers to eliminate inconsistencies and add items like pants drawstrings to the list of items police should search for a seize from prisoners.

Constables Nathan Poyzer and Jane Hornoi admitted they didn’t see the pants drawstring. Poyzer was the officer who arrested Bouey and Hornoi conducted the body search on her.

Hornoi was the first officer on the scene after Rezenchenko found Bouey dead.

Bouey’s mother, Geraldine Bouey, described her daughter as a fun-loving person who was, “very affectionate,” and loved animals. She was unmarried, didn’t have any children and was not working at the time of her death.