OTTAWA POLICE SERVICES BOARD REPORT

COMMISSION DE SERVICES POLICIERS RAPPORT

DATE 6 October 2009

TO/DEST. Chair and Members, Ottawa Police Services Board

FROM/EXP. Policy & Governance Committee

SUBJECT/OBJET OTTAWA POLICE SERVICES BOARD CREST

RECOMMENDATIONS

That the Ottawa Police Services Board:

1. Approve the adoption of the Crest attached as Annex A as an official mark of the Ottawa Police Services Board.

2. Request the Board Solicitor to arrange for the submission of an application to the Registrar of Trade-marks to formalize the adoption of the official mark.

BACKGROUND

At a meeting of the Policy & Governance Committee in July 2009 the Committee inquired about the possibility of having a crest designed for the Ottawa Police Services Board. Committee members have observed that some of the larger police services boards have adopted a crest as an official mark for their board that appears on board stationary, publications, and even blazers.

DISCUSSION

As a result of the Committee’s interest in having a Board crest, a design was created based on the existing City Coat of Arms, which is also used by the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) as an identifying mark on patrol vehicles, shoulder flashes and in other applications. The crest used by the OPS is already registered with the Registrar of Trade-marks as an official mark of the Ottawa Police Services Board. The crest proposed for the Board (attached as Annex A) adds a ring around the existing crest; inside the ring the name of the Board appears in both English and French.

Consultation with the Board Solicitor has taken place with regard to the legal steps necessary to adopt a Board crest. Should the Board wish to adopt the proposed design as its crest it is recommended that Legal Services be asked to prepare and submit an application to the Registrar of Trade-marks to advertise the design in the Trade-marks Journal as an official mark of the Board. This will serve to formalize the adoption of the official mark and protect the design from unauthorized use.

CONSULTATION

Consultation has taken place with the Board Solicitor, OPS Corporate Communications staff, and the Chief Herald of Canada. The latter was consulted to determine whether there would be a requirement to have the design approved by the Chief Herald or Her Majesty the Queen. He advised that as the design utilizes the City of Ottawa’s Coat of Arms and not the OPS Heraldic Badge, the new design would not require approval by the Chief Herald.

Consultation also occurred with the larger boards in Ontario to find out which ones had a Board crest, and the basis for the design. The police services boards in Toronto, Niagara, Peel, Durham and York have their own crest, while Hamilton, London and Greater Sudbury use the crest of their police service. Halton uses the police crest but for some applications, such as lapel pins, adds the Board name across the bottom. The board crests are based on the police service or municipal crests.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

There will be a $500 fee to register the design.

CONCLUSION

The Ottawa Police Services Board does not have its own identifying crest or official mark, and has been using the crest of the Ottawa Police Service on its stationary, signage and publications. Several of the larger police services boards have adopted their own crest based on that of their police service or municipality. The members of the Board’s Policy & Governance Committee have expressed a desire to adopt a Board crest and the design submitted in this report is presented for approval. As the Board continues to emphasize community outreach, engagement and public education about the role of the Board, it would serve the Board well to have its own identifying mark and visual identity.

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Submitted by the Policy & Governance Committee:

Des Doran, Chair

Eli El-Chantiry

Jim MacEwen

Attach. (1)