Police Boards Need More Work
 

Local Police Services Boards should be responsible for the local complaints process. That responsibility currently resides with the Chief of Police. The Professional Standards unit of the police service investigates complaints about the adequacy of policing or the behaviour of individual officers. Effectively, in Ontario, we have a system wherein complaints are handled by those against whom the complaint is lodged.

Most people do not think that this is credible. In Ottawa, most members of Council (including the mayor) support the idea of removing the responsibility of dealing with complaints from the Chief and turning it over to the Board. This could be accomplished at no additional cost.

Local police boards are charged with an important oversight responsibility. The Act now prevents them from fulfilling a key element of that oversight function. Boards would have more relevance and be more effective with this additional duty. It is curious that the current Act requires that local Boards deal with very troubling allegations, those concerning the conduct of the chief or deputy-chief of police! Yet local Boards cannot handle complaints directed at the rank and file. They don’t have the opportunity to ‘hone their skills’ dealing with complaints at lower levels. Mercifully, serious complaints about chiefs or deputy-chiefs are a rarity in this country. It is very important that police services retain the confidence of their public if they are to remain effective. Credible civilian oversight is critical. Dealing properly with all complaints is important. Relying on the rarity of serious allegations would appear to be a dubious principle at best.

The Ottawa Police Services Board has developed a useful conflict resolution approach in dealing with some complaints. Nevertheless, it does not suit all circumstances nor does it address the fundamental credibility gap of the current system.

In June, the provincial government appointed retired judge Patrick Lesage to review this system. There is hope that the review will recommend real change and that the government’s response will go beyond the cosmetic.

Jacques Legendre
Councillor
City of Ottawa