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REPORT RAPPORT |
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REPORT RAPPORT |
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DATE: |
17 September 2008 |
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TO: |
Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board |
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FROM: |
Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service |
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SUBJECT: |
RESPONSE TO OUTSTANDING INQUIRY I-08-07: STATUS REPORT ON AUXILIARY POLICING PROGRAM |
That the
Ottawa Police Services Board receive this report for information.
Prior to 1995, both the Gloucester and Nepean Police Services had Auxiliary Policing Programs. The Ottawa Police Service did not; nor did they plan on implementing one. The existing Programs had the support of their respective former Police Services Boards and the community that they served. Following amalgamation, these Programs became less effective as the majority of members became sworn officers and new members were not recruited to replace them.
Other major Police Services in the Province still maintain Auxiliary Programs. In contrast to these other Police Services, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Auxiliary Police will not be utilized to augment the OPS authorized staffing complement. Rather, Auxiliary Police will be an enhancement to the existing Volunteer Program while respecting the role of volunteer services within our organization, and will adhere to existing statutory legislation. The Auxiliary Policing Program has been developed in compliance with the legislative and regulatory requirements contained in the Police Services Act and the Provincial Adequacy Standards.
Auxiliary police have been used successfully for many years in various countries throughout the world. Within Canada, the use of Auxiliary Police Units have been adopted as a mechanism for maintaining a standing reserve of well-trained, equipped and supervised auxiliary “constables”, ready to be of assistance to regular police officers in special circumstances. The nature of special circumstances and when they occur cannot be predicted. A community, including its Police Service, has to be organized in advance to handle such events. The existence of an auxiliary component would have been of significant benefit to the community during the 1998 Ice Storm.
Auxiliary programs are also implemented as a way of enhancing community-based policing by training volunteer citizens to a level of proficiency that will enable them to provide assistance to members of the Police Service. Auxiliary police officers are volunteer members of the community who commit to taking the necessary training. In the jurisdictions that use them, auxiliaries are well trained and provide invaluable assistance to their community while supplementing the efforts of police in a wide variety of tasks.
This report was prepared to update the Ottawa Police Services Board on the status of the auxiliary police program within the Ottawa Police Service. The following reports have been tabled previously with the Board, on the topic of Auxiliary Policing:
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Report
Title |
Date Tabled |
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Auxiliary Police |
06 December 2000 |
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Update on Establishing an Auxiliary Policing Program |
23 May 2001 |
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Auxiliary Policing |
22 January 2002 |
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Auxiliary Policing Program |
11 January 2008 |
Research has been conducted on such topics as: the selection of members, training and equipment, duties to be performed, liabilities and assumption of risk, and financial implications.
The Auxiliary Police Project is a volunteer program intended to enhance community-based policing by providing an opportunity for citizens to participate and volunteer with law enforcement on an organized basis. Auxiliary Police volunteers will provide a complementary service to the sworn officers by assisting officers of the Service while under constant supervision.
The Ottawa Police Service Auxiliary Project will be maintained and operated as a pilot project by the Ottawa Police Service for a two-year period, at which time a full review and assessment will be conducted by the OPS in partnership with the Ottawa Police Association. Either party has the full authority to withdraw support for the program at the expiration of this pilot project.
The following criteria is part of the policy for participation in the program:
§ Auxiliary Police do not carry firearms, but are required to be trained in the use of Ottawa Police issue firearms from an orientation perspective only. They will also be exposed to the utilization and deployment of other use of force techniques, as an orientation initiative.
§ Auxiliary Police always serve under the supervision of a fully sworn police officer of the Ottawa Police Service.
§ Auxiliary Police are not allowed to drive police vehicles unless in an emergency situation and directed to do so by a fully sworn police officer of the Ottawa Police Service.
§ Auxiliary Police volunteers are expected to volunteer a minimum of 160 hours per year to the program.
§ Auxiliary Police do not receive remuneration.
§ Auxiliary Police will not wear the uniform of a police officer but will be provided with a distinct and recognized uniform that identifies them as volunteer auxiliary with the Police Service.
§ All Auxiliary Police will have a criminal record check completed.
§ Auxiliary Police may be required to attend and testify in court.
Service in the Auxiliary Police Project does not afford preferred status to applicants. It may, however, enforce the desire to become a full-time peace officer and will provide very valuable field experience.
The Ottawa Police Service will be launching the two-year auxiliary program on 19 September 2008. A media release will include information on the application process that will be available on ottawapolice.ca. Applications will be accepted until 03 November 2008 at which point selections will be made based on the below-mentioned criteria, with training to follow.
Applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be considered for a position as an Auxiliary Officer:
NOTE: All applicants of the Ottawa Police Service Auxiliary Program must sign a waiver permitting background and reference checks to confirm all information supplied. In addition, all applicants must undergo a physical examination to determine their health status.
The pilot program allows for 15 Auxiliary Police positions to be filled. As such, 15 candidates will be selected from the pool of qualified applicants to participate in this program.
Upon acceptance to the Program, Auxiliary Police will receive orientation and training, which will enable them to fulfill their volunteer duties.
Training will be conducted at the Professional Development Centre. The OPS Use of Force instructors will deal with training around Use of Force options. These can include ASP and Pepper Spray, along with a Tactical Police Communication component and familiarization with firearms.
The recommended uniform would consist of a ball cap, golf shirt (clearly identifying Auxiliary on the shirt), blue pants, belt, and footwear. Colours for the shirts and outer jacket could be maroon, white or green, clearly identifying them as Auxiliary.
Duties that Auxiliary Police may perform under the direct supervision of a sworn police officer of the Ottawa Police Service vary widely and may include, but are not limited to:
Liability and Assumption of Risk
It is commonly accepted that there are inherent dangers in police work. It is fundamental to understand and recognize that accident, injury, or any kind of misadventure can and may occur to a volunteer when helping either the community or a police officer. The situations that volunteers may be exposed to will depend on a number of factors including the day of the week, the time of day, weather conditions, and special projects that their supervisors may be working on.
Volunteers at OPS are asked to sign a Liability Release and Assumption of Risk waiver. This is a standard legal document that binds the signatories, and is currently used throughout the organization for all volunteers. Auxiliary Police Volunteers will be required to sign this form. In this Program, it is meant to clearly set out that participants in the Auxiliary Volunteer Program are assuming the risks associated with their participation in the program, except those caused by the negligence of the Ottawa Police Service.
Auxiliary members are volunteers and do not receive monetary compensation for time spent on training or employment. As with regular volunteers, the use of Auxiliary members can be cost effective and beneficial. There will be a cost to implement and maintain this program but it will be offset by the positive impact on community policing and the specific supports given to the Service by these Auxiliary members.
There will be a requirement for one full-time police officer to be designated as the Officer in Charge, who would be responsible for the program. In the initial phase, there would be an additional workload for the recruiting and training sections. The detailed costs to implement this program will have to be determined by the Service and presented as part of the budget process.
‘Kit up’ costs for 15 Auxiliary volunteers is anticipated to be approximately $1,000 per person. Initial training for 15 Auxiliary volunteers will be completed through the Professional Development Centre, requiring 4 Use of Force Constable Instructors for a 5-hour training session, which translates to a cost of $680.00 per training session.
Both the Ottawa Police Services Board and the Ottawa Police Service recognize the value of establishing a reserve of trained persons to assist the police in emergencies, times of crisis or special circumstances. In addition, an auxiliary police component will ensure adequate and effective policing in Ottawa, and will allow for enhanced community-based policing by providing assistance and support to police officers. The re-activation and use of an Auxiliary component is a valid, reasonable and achievable objective.
(original
signed by A/Chief Gilles Larochelle for)
Vern White
Chief of Police
