Ottawa Police Services Board   Minutes 13   Monday, 30 November 2015, 5:00 p.m.   Andrew S. Haydon Hall (Council Chambers), 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa

 

Present:        Councillor E. El-Chantiry (Chair), J. Durrell (Vice Chair), Councillor J. Harder, L.A. Smallwood, Councillor T. Tierney, S. Valiquet

 

Regrets:        C. Nicholson

 

 

CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board confirm the Agenda of the 30 November 2015 meeting.

 

                                                                                                             CONFIRMED

 

 

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board confirm the Minutes of the 26 October and 12 November 2015 meetings.

 

                                                                                                             CONFIRMED

 

 

INQUIRIES

 

There were no inquiries.

 

 

ITEMS OF BUSINESS

 

1.         CHIEF’S VERBAL REPORT

 

Chief Bordeleau reported on the following items (a copy of the Chief’s verbal report will be kept on file with the Board’s Executive Director and is available online at ottawapoliceboard.ca):

·         Shootings/Guns & Gangs Update

·         Paris Attacks

·         Fatal Collisions

·         Violence Against Women

·         Guilty Verdict – Fadi Saleh Homicide

·         Suicidal Female

·         Community Engagement – Jasmine Crescent

·         Organized Auto Theft Award

·         Community Safety Award Winners – Staff Sergeant Zackrias and Constable Carrière.

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

2.         2016 DRAFT OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS: PUBLIC DELEGATIONS AND APPROVAL

Budget document previously distributed

 

The Board heard from the following public delegations prior to considering the 2016 draft budget.

 

Councillor Riley Brockington, River Ward

Councillor Brockington explained that traffic and speeding are the number one priorities in his ward.  He has received multiple complaints from residents living on main arterial roads who experience long delays when attempting to leave or return to their laneways.  He has also heard complaints about residential streets being used by local and non local drivers as a cut through.  Speeding is a problem on all streets.  With additional officers being allocated in the 2016 budget, he asked for some re-assurance before the budget goes to City Council on December 9^th that traffic issues will receive greater attention.

 

Chief Bordeleau acknowledged that traffic is one of his top operational priorities, but the allocation of officers is dependent on what other pressures the Service is facing. The 25 new officers will not be directly allocated to the traffic division but the Chief hoped the additional officers will help stabilize the work force and allow officers to do their jobs, which includes traffic enforcement.

 

Councillor Keith Egli, Knoxdale Merivale Ward

Councillor Egli stated he initially expressed concerns about traffic violations when the budget was tabled at City Council on November 12.  Traffic is acknowledged as a priority by the Chief and all Councillors.  The Councillor reported that since the tabling of the budget, as Chair of the Transportation Committee he has had very productive discussions with Deputy Chief Keeley, and Kevin Wylie and Phil Landry from Traffic Services.  He was pleased to say that there is now a joint commitment to better share and utilize existing traffic data which will lead to more targeted and focused enforcement.  In this way, both agencies will work together, recognize existing resources and concerns, and create safer streets for residents.

 

Chief Bordeleau applauded City Council for increasing the number of red light cameras across the city.  Unfortunately the province has chosen not to use photo radar and the Chief suggested that the Board or Council advocate for the use of this technology as it has been proven to reduce some traffic issues.

 

Mr. Nigel Wodrich, Executive Director, CAUSE Tutoring

Mr. Wodrich recounted the delays and repercussions his business has experienced as a result of the long wait times to obtain record checks for the vulnerable sector.  CAUSE Tutoring arranges for volunteer students to provide tutoring to disadvantaged children through a number of social service agencies in the city.  Not only are wait times too long, but there are physical and financial barriers for students trying to obtain police checks.  He provided further insight on the implications of current records check policies and ideas for improvement.  He hoped the Board would allocate resources to speed up the process.

 

Director General D. Frazer acknowledged that volunteer work is critical and appreciated the feedback.  She explained that staff have spoken to CAUSE Tutoring to explain the work being done to improve this service.  The OPS will be the first police service in Ontario to have an online process that will offer members of the community options on how they wish to file their request and receive the completed check.  Payment for the request will also be completed online.  She said this new solution will be available to the public in the first quarter of 2016.

 

The Board then turned to questions from Board members.

 

Member Smallwood asked if the $800,000 paid duty revenue indicated in the budget was new for 2016 and would it mean additional paid duty hours for existing officers.  D/G Frazer explained there has been an increase in paid duty over the years and this is the first time it has been added to the budget on the basis that these revenues will continue in 2017 and 2018 due to traffic issues caused by LRT construction and 2017 celebrations.  For 2015, Ms. Frazer stated it showed up as revenue in the Third Quarter Financial Report.

 

Member Smallwood commented he has heard the message that officers are stretched thin and feeling overworked, and that’s why he supports the hiring of 25 new officers in 2016.  He expressed concern that the amount of additional paid duty forecast for next year will stretch the officers even more and result in more burn-out, so this needs to be closely monitored.  Chief Bordeleau stated he is very aware of and concerned about officer burn-out.  Management carefully monitors the hours individual officers work as well as the state of their health. 

 

Member Smallwood expressed concern about the revenues from paid duties being used to offset the cost of the new officers, whose salaries will continue to increase.  He would like to see a chart in future that shows the actual savings from the Service Initiative or efficiency-finding exercises in one column, and revenue or other off-sets in another column.  He also asked for quarterly updates on financial targets, whether they are being met, revenue versus savings and whether savings are temporary. 

 

Member Smallwood wondered what the impact would be from cutting the office supplies budget in half from $300,000 to $150,000.  He expressed concern that initially they would see savings in the first years only to have those savings diminish in future years.  D/G Frazer explained that staff will manage with the money they have been allotted.  Office supplies will be shared across the organization and the number of printers has already been greatly reduced therefore the maintenance and supply costs have also been reduced. 

 

Responding to a question from Vice Chair Durrell regarding the sale of unclaimed items such as bicycles, D/G Frazer explained that these are sold through auction and the annual auction proceeds are in the range of $150,000.  Vice Chair Durrell requested that this item be added to the next Finance and Audit Committee agenda for review.

 

Chair El-Chantiry thanked staff for the time they have spent in detailed discussions with individual Board members.  Moving forward he asked that instead of a lengthy Verbal Report from the Chief at each Board meeting, there be a shorter one and that staff provide short presentations on their respective area of expertise or projects.  He also requested separate quarterly updates on the Service Initiative (SI) to allow Board members to better monitor progress. 

 

The Board then considered the following motion:

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board:

 

1.      Approve the 2016 Draft Operating and Capital Budgets.

 

2.      Direct the Executive Director to forward the Budgets to City Council for approval.

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

3.         2016 POLICE SERVICES BOARD MEETING SCHEDULE

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board approve the 2016 meeting schedule.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

4.         APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL CONSTABLES : OC TRANSPO

Chief’s report

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board approve the appointments of Elvis Azzi, Jesse Alan Joseph Faubert and Matthew Cody Ringel as Special Constables pursuant to Section 53 of the Police Services Act, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the attached Approval of Appointment form.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

5.         APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL CONSTABLES: CARLETON UNIVERSITY

Chief’s report

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board approve the appointments of Nicholas Lebrun-Ellerton, Ross Seager and Daryl Slater as Special Constables pursuant to Section 53 of the Police Services Act, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the attached Approval of Appointment form.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

6.         FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT: THIRD QUARTER 2015

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

7.         OUTSTANDING BOARD INQUIRIES & MOTIONS: NOVEMBER 2015

Executive Director’s report

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

8.         LETTERS OF COMMENDATION

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS

 

a)    PATCH 4 PATCH PROGRAM

-    Letter dated 14 September 2015 from D. Horley, Secretary, Lambton Group Police Services Board to the Sarnia Police Service

 

b)    CONSULTATION ON THE POLICE SERVICES ACT

-    Letter dated 9 October2015 from R. Evans, Solicitor-Clerk, Municipality of Neebing to all Municipal Councils in Ontario

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board receive these communications for information.

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

CONSIDERATION OF MOTION TO MOVE IN CAMERA

 

Moved by S. Valiquet

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board adjourn the public portion of its meeting to move In Camera to discuss confidential items pertaining to legal and personnel matters, in accordance with Section 35(4)(b) of the Police Services Act.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

ADJOURNMENT

 

The meeting adjourned at 5:48 p.m.

 

 

(original signed by)                                     (original signed by)

 

____________________________           _____________________________

W. Fedec                                                         E. El-Chantiry

Executive Director                                         Chair