DATE:

24 February 2014

TO/DEST:

Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board

FROM/EXP:

Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service

SUBJECT/OBJET:

PROVINCIAL ADEQUACY STANDARDS INSPECTION REPORT: OPS RESPONSE

RECOMMENDATION

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

BACKGROUND

The Provincial Adequacy and Effectiveness of Police Services Regulations came into effect 01 January 2000. The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) subsequently demonstrated compliance with the standards through a Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services directed self-audit conducted in 2001. To ensure ongoing compliance with the Adequacy and other Regulations under the Police Services Act, the Ministry began an inspection program in August 2002. Under this program, each municipal police service is inspected once every four to five years, with the results being reported to the respective Police Services Boards. The inspection program is to assist police services achieve compliance with the standards and improve the delivery of service in a municipality.

DISCUSSION

The Inspection Program assesses and determines:

· Compliance with requirements set out in the Police Services Act and its regulations;

· The extent to which police services boards and chiefs of police follow the Ministry’s guidelines for local policies, procedures and practices; and

· The extent to which the police services’ practices conform to board’s policies and their own procedures.

The most recent Ministry Inspection of the OPS occurred in August 2013 wherein four specific areas were reviewed during the current inspection cycle:

· Bail and Violent Crime;

· Police Response to High Risk Individuals;

· Preliminary Perimeter Control and Containment; and,

· Missing Persons.

The OPS appreciates any opportunity to improve service delivered to our citizens. Accordingly, a dedicated liaison was appointed and an internal working team assembled to work with the Ministry to ensure open, full and frank disclosure, as well as access to appropriate police personnel during the inspection process. The process involved the following phases:

PHASE	ACTIVITY AND TIMING
PRE-INSPECTION	Pre-Inspection Self Assessment · Written submissions were forwarded to the Ministry Inspection Team in July 2013 Pre-Inspection Meetings held 19 April and 12 August 2013 with: · Chair and Executive Director of the Board; · Chief and liaison staff; and · Senior Officers Association (and regrets from Ottawa Police Association).
ON-SITE INSPECTION	On-Site Inspection and Debrief · Inspection occurred 12 -23 August 2013 · Debrief occurred 22 August 2013. Ministry verbally advised the Chief and Board Chair of three good practice suggestions
POST INSPECTION	Post-Inspection Response · Required within 90 days of receipt of the Inspection report if there are recommendations (no recommendations made by the Ministry). · OPS opted to respond to the good practice suggestions. Annex B provides an overview of the good practice suggestions and the OPS response. All good practices were addressed by OPS following the debrief. · Service Improvement Plan (SIP) will be forwarded to the Ministry following tabling of and receipt by the Police Services Board. The SIP fully addresses each good practice suggestion

The Ministry’s final Inspection Report indicates the OPS is fully compliant in all areas inspected by the Ministry (Annex A). The Ministry report also made three good practice suggestions; a response to all three contained in the Service Improvement Plan and each suggestion has been actioned as described in Annex B.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

There is no financial impact from this report.

CONCLUSION

The Ottawa Police Service regards the Ministry’s Inspection Program as an organizational priority and a critical means of helping to ensure the delivery of effective policing services to the community.

Our commitment to service improvement has been demonstrated through the establishment of a Board-approved quality assurance function that supports management in proactively maintaining compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements, and supporting each Ministry inspection cycle.

The Ministry’s report shows the OPS in full compliance with the four standards that were the subject of the 2013 inspection. Additionally, no part of the Ministry’s report shows the OPS in violation of standards that would compromise public safety. The Ministry’s good practice suggestions are viewed by OPS as an opportunity to continually improve upon the high quality of services being provided to the citizens of Ottawa.

(Original signed by)

Charles Bordeleau

Chief of Police

Attach: (A, B)

Responsible for report: Superintendent Terry Cheslock