WHEREAS the Ottawa Police Services Board (Board) is in the process of finalizing its strategic plan for the Ottawa Police Service (Service) which will span the next three years;
AND WHEREAS the Board will be considering the 2024 Budget in November, which includes further investments in policing, including a strategic staffing plan to help stabilize the Service;
AND WHEREAS the Board is looking to ensure the ongoing delivery of adequate and effective policing and to better understand the greatest risks currently facing the Service;
AND WHEREAS the Board is also looking to identify opportunities to deliver services more effectively and efficiently; obtain the greatest value from the use of public funds; improve policies, controls, and processes; and strengthen accountability and oversight;
AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s Auditor General is independent of the Service and has access to the resources to undertake such an audit in a timely and cost-effective way;
AND WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s Auditor General recently completed audits involving both the Board and Service in February 2022 related to the convoy, providing their office with some existing background and insights into the operations of the Board and the Service;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Board formally extend an invitation to the Auditor General to conduct an overall risk and opportunities assessment of the Ottawa Police Service and develop an independent audit work plan in order to identify and prioritize opportunities to more effectively and efficiently deliver police services in the City of Ottawa;
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Auditor General be invited to consider including in the scope of their review the following risk factors, as well as any others deemed appropriate by the Auditor General:
- Cyber Security and Information and Technology Exposure
- Legal Exposure (incl. Environmental, Regulatory, Litigation)
- Susceptibility to Fraud, other Wrongdoing, or Waste
- Complexity and Significant Changes in Operations and Service Delivery
- Alignment of Strategic / Business / Service Planning
- Sufficient Staffing Levels & Organization Competence
- Financial Exposure (Materiality and Impact)
- Contractual Exposure
- Adequacy of Policies, Procedures, Processes and Controls
- Public and Political Interest