DATE:	24 June 2011
TO/DEST:	Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board
FROM/EXP:	Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service
SUBJECT/OBJET:	REVIEW OF CELLBLOCK OPERATIONS - FINAL REPORT

RECOMMENDATION

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

BACKGROUND

This report is the result of concerns surrounding the care and handling of people who go through the Central Cellblock of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS). These concerns stem from two cellblock incidents that came to light in November 2010, one from 2008 involving Stacy Bonds and the other from 2009 involving Terry Delay.

In this report are the Ottawa Police Service’s responses, reviews and changes undertaken to date with regard to the care and control of prisoners. Addressing such concerns thoroughly, transparently, and without delay is critical. Failing to do so jeopardizes the confidence that the public places in the Ottawa Police Service. As well, maintaining the confidence of OPS members requires those same actions and values, including respect for due process and dealing fairly with resulting consequences. This report clearly illustrates the presence of these values in guiding the responses of the Ottawa Police Service.

DISCUSSION

OPS members interact with the public over a million times and handle about 400,000 calls for service annually. Not every person who is arrested goes to the cellblock; thousands are released at the scene or dealt with in other ways. However, over the course of each year more than 10,000 people are arrested and subsequently processed through the cellblock.

There are six relevant cases, and all six cases identified for investigation have been returned to the OPS by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). When the SIU completed its investigation into the Stacy Bonds case, it was returned to the OPS in mid-March 2011. As a result, Sgt. Steven Desjourdy was charged with one count of Sexual Assault contrary to section 271 of the Criminal Code of Canada.

As with all the other files, it was referred to the OPP for investigation, in relation to conduct that was outside the scope of the SIU investigation. With respect to the outcomes of the OPP investigation, the OPS cannot offer any comments on those that overlap with the subject officer of the SIU investigation. The OPP have concluded that with respect to all other members that were the focus of this particular investigation, no criminal charges or misconduct were identified.

No misconduct was found in four of the five remaining cases. In one case, the OPP identified misconduct by two civilian OPS members. Those members have been disciplined internally, but privacy rights (under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act) prevent the OPS from disclosing the names of those members or details of the discipline they received.

What these cases did for the Ottawa Police Service was immediately set into motion a full review of all procedures related to the care and control of prisoners. This needed to be done with care, diligence and urgency. In order to dispel any potential claims of conflict of interest, the OPS enlisted outside help. This included conduct investigations performed by the OPP, support from the Office of the Independent Police Review Director and an independent review by Presidia Consulting of policies related to the cellblock incidents. Presidia found the policies it studied to be compliant; however, areas for improvement in training were identified, and the OPS has already taken steps to address identified gaps, where appropriate.

Improvements already instituted include the addition of audio recording to the cellblock video system, 16 hours of job-specific training for cellblock personnel and the Cellblock Review Project, which is an in-depth analysis of the work undertaken by OPS cellblock members.

One of the most important improvements has been reinforcing the supervisory role of the Officer in Charge of the cellblock. Strong leadership, in the form of the sergeant and the new position of the staff sergeant, is critical. They are responsible for the management of all prisoners within the cellblock. The officer escorting the prisoner must present him or her to the sergeant and brief them on the grounds for the arrest. That sergeant ensures policies and standard operating procedures are followed. A new staff sergeant position in the cellblock has given an additional layer of leadership and supervision.

A goal of the OPS is to ensure that every person who passes through its cellblocks is safe and secure, and treated with dignity.

CONSULTATION

No update since last report. Please refer to the Final Report (Annex A) for a complete history.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

There have been no additional costs associated since the last update. For a complete discussion on the related costs associated, please refer to the Final Report (Annex A).

CONCLUSION

The Ottawa Police Service has a long and proud history of serving the community. This has been demonstrated over time, and validated by countless positive experiences with, and feedback from, the public we serve.

The Ottawa Police Service handles about 400,000 calls for service every year and 10,000 people are processed through our cellblock annually. The vast majority of these contacts are handled with competence and professionalism.

When the decision of Justice Lajoie came to light, theOPS quickly recognized that there was a need to take the necessary steps to ensure and maintain public confidence in our police service. The OPS has acted with determination and transparency. Through training, technical enhancements, policy reviews, and other means, we have worked to address the concerns regarding the cellblock operations and are continuing to strive to fulfill our ultimate goal, which is the safety, security and dignity of every person in our care.

A Senior Officer review team has been identified to examine the outcomes, actions and impacts from the various reviews that have taken place in relation to the care and control of prisoners, including both internal and external reviews. This Senior Officer review team will be tasked with preparing a Management Response to include final recommendations and outcomes. It is expected that this Management Response will be delivered in Q4 of 2011.

(original signed by)

Vern White

Chief of Police