DATE:	16 February 2010
TO/DEST:	Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board
FROM/EXP:	Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service
SUBJECT/OBJET:	REPORT ON THE FUNERAL TRIBUTE TO CST. IRENEUSZ “ERIC” CZAPNIK

RECOMMENDATION

That the Ottawa Police Services Board receive this report for information.

BACKGROUND

At 4:30 a.m., on 29 December 2009, Ottawa Police Service member Cst. Ireneusz Czapnik was murdered after a suspect approached him as he sat in his Police vehicle, parked in front of the Emergency Department of the Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital. Cst. Czapnik was stabbed and in spite of heroic intervention by four members of the Ottawa Paramedic Service and the frantic best efforts of the Civic Emergency Department staff, fifty one year old Cst. Eric Czapnik succumbed to his injuries. Eric was the first Ottawa area Police officer murdered since 1983 when Constable David Utman was murdered at the Bayshore Shopping Centre, making him the fourteenth Ottawa area Police Officer to die in the line of duty.

DISCUSSION

Immediately following the stabbing, arrangements were made for Cst. Czapnik’s wife Anna to be brought to the Civic Hospital. Members of the Executive were advised and attended at the Hospital as well. Support mechanisms were put in place for Eric’s family, for the Platoon members that Eric worked with and for the larger Ottawa Police organization. Internal communication strategies were developed and executed, and media messaging was developed with Chief White convening a news conference that same morning.

While the suspect was taken into custody, there was no decrease in the spectrum of work involved in a homicide investigation. Emotion had to be set aside and the thorough, objective and professional attention to detail, which form the working standard of homicide investigations, became the responsibilities of Major Crime investigators, Forensic Identification specialists and Scene Reconstruction specialists.

By mid-day on December 29th, an Executive Team level Steering Committee had been struck. The President (Steve Boucher) and Labour Relations Officer (Brenda Lawson) of the Ottawa Police Association were members of the Steering Committee. A Funeral Planning Team was established within the Event Planning element of the Emergency Operations Division. This team quickly grew to over 40 personnel. The Patrol and District Directorate Superintendents immediately developed strategies to address the supports required for Cst. Czapnik’s Platoon members. The Ottawa Police Association Labour Relations Officer Brenda Lawson, and Victim Crisis Section Manager Donna Watson-Elliot played a pivotal role in close liaison with Eric’s wife Anna.

The outpouring of support from both law enforcement agencies and the community was immediate and very strong. Although unsolicited, financial donations began to be received at many Ottawa Police Service offices. Consultation was had with Anna and a decision made that a Trust Fund would be established, which would put in place the legal formality for tracking donations.

Anna contacted immediate family in Poland and arrangements for travel plans were undertaken. The RCMP, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw assisted with those logistics. Following discussion with the family, a funeral date was chosen that would accommodate family arrival in Ottawa.

Utilizing attendance experience derived from other jurisdictions that have suffered on-duty murders, it was estimated that 5,000 law enforcement personnel would attend. Within the Ottawa Police Service the desire among over 500 Civilian members to attend the funeral was strong, as it was among the spouses and partners of our members. The Polish community was strongly supportive of Anna and her family and wished to attend the Police funeral. Over 150 Dignitaries and VIPs indicated a desire to attend.

The number of attendees and time of year immediately became a primary driver for the consideration of a funeral venue. The largest church in the area, the Notre Dame Basilica, although offered by the Archbishop, can only accommodate 1,500 people, with limited and very small options to accommodate overflow. Parking in that area would have been highly problematic. Two other venues were considered and ultimately the Urbandale Center at Lansdowne Park was the only one available on January 7^th. In reality it was the most practical option when all the variables were considered. In addition to the Urbandale Centre, the proximity of the Aberdeen Pavilion as a venue for the post funeral reception was very useful. It served the additional purpose of an overflow venue, in the event that the Urbandale Centre was filled. In addition the City has a food services supplier in place with experience in handling large events. The Ottawa Police Association and its Board of Directors assumed responsibility for all food service costs related to the reception.

In accordance with the family’s wishes, the Beechwood Cemetery, National Memorial Centre was chosen as the location for two days of visitation on Tuesday and Wednesday January 5^th and 6^th. In eight hours of visitation over two days, more than 2,500 people paid their respects to Eric and his family. Cst. Czapnik was interred in the Cemetery, late on the afternoon of January 7^th.

Once the decision was made that the Urbandale Centre would be the venue for the funeral, the President and Vice Chancellor of Carleton University offered the use of the University Field House as a staging location for the funeral procession march. The University assumed the cost for the removal of the astro turf flooring in the Field House, the cost of refreshments for approximately 5,000 law enforcement personnel and the no cost use of one full large parking lot and a portion of a second which ultimately was required.

The Carleton University Students Association assumed the cost of the temporary installation of a Public Address system to facilitate communication to establish staging for the order of march.

The following logistical issues were identified and ultimately resolved through the planning process:

Family

· Liaison with Anna

· Facilitation of travel from Poland

· Air transfer facilitation at Pearson Airport

· Ottawa arrival and transportation

· Home Security

· Consultation on Order of Service

· Polish community attendance facilitation

Arena Venue

· Adjustments for Funeral Suitability

· Sound System

· Lighting

· Video Screens

· Seating Management

· Usher Planning

· Dignitary / VIP Management

· Order of Service Planning

· Consultation with Clergy

· Honour guard / pallbearer roles

· Casket movement

· Parking Management

· Site Security

· Special Event Command

· Radio Communication Requirements

· Funeral Support – Canterbury High School Band and Choir – Massed Police Band – Massed Police Choir

Beechwood National Memorial Centre Site

· Honour guard

· Site Team Management

· Visitor Management

· Parking Management

· Bus shuttle service to Aviation Museum parking

· Traffic Control at site entrances

· Family Liaison

· Traffic Escort for funeral procession

Carleton University

· Field House flooring removal

· Field House sound system

· Parking requirements

· Traffic flow management

· Parade Marshalling

· Order of March management

Media Relations

· Coordination of media pool through National Parliamentary Press Gallery

· In venue video resource management

· Video resource management for overflow venue.

· Coordination of media messaging

· Management of national media network requests.

Corporate Communications

· Coordination of internal messaging

· Support for external communications strategies, 1-800; Gated Internet web page

· Translation Service- English / French / Polish

· Design / Printing of Funeral Program

Staffing

· Management of staffing requirements

· Management of all offers of assistance

· Assignment of staff to managers

· Coordination of staff tracking

· Coordination of retirees and volunteers

· Management of staffing for internal and external funeral plan information inquiries

Logistics

· Transportation resources OC Transpo / Greyhound

· Coordination and dispatch of transportation requests

· Arranging of off site parking locations and bus shuttles

Event Command

· Security planning for all venues

· Command Post deployment

· Communication management

· Route Management

· Coordination of external agency resources.

The funeral event attracted over 8,000 attendees to the Urbandale Centre. Approximately 5,000 of those people were members of law enforcement organizations, representing 87 agencies. Canadian representation ranged from Newfoundland to British Columbia to the North West Territories. Six American agencies were represented. Thirty-eight dignitaries attended, representing various levels of government, diplomatic missions and heads of partner agencies. Over 110 VIPs attended representing a wide variety of organizations.

CONSULTATION

There was no requirement for public consultation.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

The costs related to the funeral tribute to the life of Cst. Eric Czapnik and to his family were in accordance with those expected for an event of this magnitude. The City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police Association made significant contributions to mitigate the cost. A significant variety of vendors discounted costs normally associated with this type of event, with the result that the total costs assigned to the Police Service were approximately one third of those that would normally be accrued.

Funeral Cost Summary
Category	Amount	Donated / In kind
Transportation	12,739.85	1,000.00
Ceremony Services	39,160.12	47,744.50
Facilities	-	64,085.00
Reception	56.00	62,056.00
Printing	11,343.40	-
Meals – Planning, volunteers, band, choir	2,411.49	-
Sub Total	65,710.86	174,885.50

Beechwood Cemetery	19,769.75
Whelan Funeral Home	7,563.25
Air Transportation - Family	5,735.29

Total	98,779.15	174,885.50

CONCLUSION

The tragic and senseless death of Cst. Ireneusz Czapnik had a profound effect on his family, his Ottawa Police Service family, and on the entire City of Ottawa. His death brought out the very best in our community through condolences, offers of assistance and a common sense of purpose to contribute in some fashion to a funeral tribute that would honour his memory and his family. With the help of the many generous in-kind donations described in this report, the Ottawa Police Service and City of Ottawa were able to deliver an appropriate and fitting tribute to fallen Constable Czapnik.

(original signed by)

Vern White

Chief of Police