OTTAWA POLICE SERVICES BOARD

COMMISSION DE SERVICES POLICIERS D’OTTAWA

Working together for a safer community

La sécurité de notre communauté, un travail d’équipe

REPORT

RAPPORT

DATE 22 October 2012

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

FROM/EXP. Policy & Governance Committee

SUBJECT/OBJET REVIEW OF BOARD POLICIES

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

That the Ottawa Police Services Board approve the amendments to Board policies outlined in this report.

BACKGROUND

Under the Police Services Act, police services boards are charged with ensuring the delivery of adequate and effective police services through providing governance and oversight to the Ottawa Police Service. To assist it in fulfilling these responsibilities, the Ottawa Police Services Board maintains a Policy Manual with over 100 policies divided into the following four chapters:

Governance and Administration
Board / Chief Linkages
Chief’s Requirements, and
Ministry Policing Standards and Regulations.

Each policy has a routine review date associated with it; the Board’s general practice is that, unless otherwise stated, policies are to be reviewed at least once every three years to ensure they remain current and relevant. This year most of the policies in Chapter Three, which provide direction to the Chief, are due for review. In addition to the ‘Chief’s Requirements’ policies, Policy GA-13 – Official Languages, is due for review. It is contained in Chapter One, which consists of policies related to Board Governance and Administration. There are two additional Governance policies that are not scheduled for review but that require updating; these are GA-3 – Board Training, and GA-10 – Acting Pay for Senior Executive Positions.

DISCUSSION

The policies up for review were examined by the Policy & Governance (P&G) Committee, the Board’s Executive Director, and OPS staff. Proposed amendments are the result of a number of factors such as: new or amended legislation; aligning policies with actual practice; consistency; and administrative/housekeeping updates. Of the 14 policies reviewed, it is the Committee’s recommendation that nine are still current and fulfilling the objectives they were designed to meet. Amendments are proposed for the remaining five policies.

The following chart identifies all the policies that were reviewed, the Committee’s recommendations, and the rationale for any changes. The five policies with the proposed amendments incorporated are attached at Annex A.

Policy	Recommendations
GA-3: Board Training	- Add “Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, S.O. 2005 and Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, O. Reg. 429-07” under Legislative Reference/Authority. - Amend 1(b) to read “Any orientation sessions for new members provided by the Chief of Police, Board Executive Director and Board Solicitor”. - Add the following point 4 under Required Training: “Each member of the Board must complete training on Accessibility Standards for Customer Service as outlined in the training program of the City of Ottawa.” Rationale: As of 1 January 2012 the Board must be compliant with the Provincial Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation 429/07, which requires Board members to receive training.
GA-10: Acting Pay for Senior Executive Positions	- Remove references to the Chief’s General Counsel, as the policy is no longer applicable to that position. - Remove clause 3, dealing with an Acting Chief Pay Grid. Rationale: the former Chief did not have a salary range and for acting purposes one was required; the current Chief does have a salary range so an Acting Chief Pay Grid is no longer needed.
GA-13: Official Languages - Board	- No change
CR-1: Positive Workplace	- Add “Occupational Health & Safety Act” to Legislative Reference / Authority section. - Under Board Policy, change (d) “Safety” to “A safe and healthy environment” - Remove existing 1(d) from Reporting Requirements [requires the Chief to submit the results of any audits in the annual report on the audit plan]. Rationale: the Audit Policy (CR-9) requires the Chief to report on all audits so it is redundant to restate the requirement in the Positive Workplace policy. - Delete point 2 under Reporting Requirements [requires the Chief to provide quarterly reports on progress with the “Employer of Choice for All in Policing” strategy], and add a new 1(d) requiring the Chief to report annually on progress with the Employer of Choice for All” strategy. Rationale: Staff recommended to the P&G Committee that this report be changed from quarterly to annual, and the Committee concurred with the suggestion.
CR-2: Financial Planning & Operations	No change
CR-3: Executive Succession Planning	No change
CR-4: Asset Management	No change
CR-5: Communication and Counsel to the Board	No change
CR-6: Public Consultation	Amend Reporting Requirements section to indicate that the Chief shall submit an annual report [instead of specifying the report will be submitted in July]. Rationale: The report submission date was changed in 2011 from July to September.
CR-7: Workforce Management	No change
CR-8: The Acceptance of Donations, Gifts, Loans and Sponsorships	No change
CR-11: Official Languages – Police Service	No change
CR-12: Commemorative Naming of Police Facilities	- Amend subsection 7.4 – Police Commemorative Naming Committee, to read, “The Director of Community Development (or designate). - Add new subsection 7.5 that reads, “The Director of Corporate Communications (or designate), and renumber remaining subsection 7.6. Rationale: The former position of Director of Community Development and Corporate Communications was split in two earlier in 2012. - Amend section 11 – Responsibilities, by removing references to OPS Executive Directors. Rationale: the positions no longer exist.
CR-13: Workplace Violence and Harassment	No change

CONSULTATION

Consultation has taken place with OPS staff, and the Board’s Legal Counsel where appropriate.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

There is no cost associated with the review of the Board policies.

CONCLUSION

The Ottawa Police Services Board maintains a comprehensive set of policies to assist it in providing effective governance and oversight for the Ottawa Police Service. Such policies are necessary to successfully fulfill the Board’s legislative responsibilities of providing adequate and effective police services in the City of Ottawa. The Board has committed itself to regular review of its policies to ensure they remain relevant and up-to-date. This current review of the majority of policies contained in Chapter 3 – Chief’s Requirements, updates policies the Board uses to provide direction to the Chief of Police.

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Submitted by the Policy & Governance Committee:

Carl Nicholson, Chair

Adriana Doyle

Jim Durrell

Attach. (1)