Part 1: PEC Police Services Board Prepares for Major Transition Under New Provincial Policing Act - 03/21/2024
- PECConnect
- Mar 21, 2024
- 4 min read
The meeting was called to order at 9:01 a.m. and livestreamed. The land acknowledgement was read. The agenda and minutes from February 22, 2024 were approved with no conflicts of interest declared. There were no deputations and no public comments.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Overview of the Community Safety and Policing Act
The main focus of the meeting was the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA), which comes into effect April 1, 2024. Becky presented a report summarizing information from a provincial summit and outlining what is known so far.
A major issue discussed was the lack of clear guidance from the province about how boards are supposed to transition under the new legislation. Members expressed concern that information is arriving late, piecemeal, and without firm timelines.
Under the new Act, the board will still have the same number of members, but the composition changes to two community representatives and one provincial appointee.
Becky confirmed that current provincial appointees will be automatically considered, but recruitment for community representatives will still be required through the county’s public appointment process. Members discussed the need to run parallel processes if provincial appointments are delayed, so the board does not stall.
Training requirements and uncertainty
Mandatory training for board members was discussed at length. The training will cover board roles, governance, Charter and human rights, and Indigenous relations. However, the province has not yet released the training modules or timelines.
Board members expressed concern that: Training may not be available before April 1. Board members may not be legally able to vote without completing it. There is no contingency plan if training is delayed.
Drop-in virtual sessions hosted by the province were mentioned, but it is unclear whether they will provide meaningful guidance.
Transition confusion and governance gap
It was confirmed that the current board technically ceases to exist on April 1, but members may continue meeting in a limited capacity until appointments and training are finalized. During this period, the board may only be able to deal with financial or operational necessities, not major decisions.
The lack of clarity from the province was described as placing municipalities in a difficult position, despite the legislation being years in development.
Key changes under the new Act
Several important structural changes were reviewed: The board no longer creates its own strategic plan. Instead, there will be a joint action plan with the detachment commander. The board must conduct an annual performance review of the commander. The board must submit an annual report to council by June 30. Boards may still create local policy as long as it does not conflict with OPP policy. Boards are expected to conduct self-evaluations.
The new Inspector General role was discussed. This office will monitor compliance, inspect boards, and provide corrective guidance. Members emphasized this is intended to be supportive rather than punitive.
Operating budget
The board reviewed and received the operating budget discussion. No issues were raised. Staff Sergeant Jeremy Doolin reported there have been no complaints in 2024 to date and no secondary employment requests.
Commander John Hatch joined the meeting and confirmed his return following a medical leave. He thanked the board and staff for their support and praised the detachment’s performance, noting: No fatalities or drownings in 2023. Strong visibility through foot patrols and RIDE programs. High community confidence.
John shared that he will officially return to full duties on April 2, 2024 and noted he has 399 days until retirement in April 2025, with a goal of continuing to strengthen local policing until then.
Next steps and adjournment
A special meeting on April 18 was penciled in, pending further provincial guidance. The next regular meeting is scheduled for June 20, 2024. The meeting adjourned at 9:45 a.m..
Key Takeaways
The Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA) will take effect on April 1, 2024, but limited provincial guidance has created uncertainty around board transition, timelines, and governance responsibilities.
Significant board structure and governance changes are coming, including new composition requirements, mandatory training, joint planning with the detachment commander, and increased oversight through the Inspector General.
Ongoing transition and training uncertainty may temporarily limit the board’s ability to make decisions, potentially creating a short-term governance gap while appointments and requirements are finalized.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 46:18. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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