Ottawa Police Services Board

 

Minutes 9

 

Monday, 27 July 2015, 5:00 p.m.

 

Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa

 

 

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

 

Regrets:        L.A. Smallwood

 

 

CEREMONIAL ACTIVITIES / ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

a)    Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services – new Zone 2 Advisor

 

 

Chair El-Chantiry welcomed Mr. David Tilley, Police Services Advisor for Zone 2, to the meeting.  Mr. Tilley has replaced Mr. Paul Thompson who recently retired.  On behalf of the Board, the Chair congratulated Mr. Tilley on his new posting and wished him all the best.

 

b)    Board Member Smallwood

 

 

Chair El-Chantiry explained that Member Smallwood was in Toronto representing this Board at an event marking the retirement of Dr. Alok Mukherjee, Chair, Toronto Police Services Board. 

 

c)    Community and Police Action Committee (COMPAC) Co-Chair

 

 

Chair El-Chantiry welcomed COMPAC Co-Chair, A. Loubani to the meeting and thanked him for all the work he does for the community.

 

CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board confirm the Agenda of the 27 July 2015 meeting.

                                                                                                             CONFIRMED

 

 

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board confirm the Minutes of the 22 June 2015 meeting.

 

                                                                                                             CONFIRMED

 

 

PUBLIC DELEGATIONS

 

a)         Mr. Jan-François Grabowiecki – Improving Publicly Available Crime Data

 

 

Lowertown Community Association representative Mr. J. Grabowiecki, accompanied by Mr. Norman Moyer, Safety and Security Liaison, made a presentation about opening Ottawa crime data to the public (a copy of the presentation is on file with the Board’s Executive Director).  In closing Mr. Grabowiecki asked if the Board would consider making open crime data available to the public through the City’s open data portal.

 

Following the presentation, the following points of clarification were made:

 

-       The Lowertown Community Association has been working closely with their City Councillor Mathieu Fleury and he has been very supportive.  The purpose of the presentation was to put this matter before the Board, keep the dialogue open and involve more stakeholders.

-       The Police Service has been taking steps over the years to push more information out to community partners.  Statistics are now being produced on the web, crime statistics are broken down by ward (not by neighbourhood) and the crime mapping tool has been successful since its launch a couple of years ago. 

-       The OPS is moving in the direction requested by the presenter but it will involve time and money.  The City’s open data system is not linked to the OPS.  One of the key priorities identified within the IT budget is to make investments in the infrastructure that will provide open sources and readily accessible information.  However, it will require major upgrades to the OPS records management system. 

-       Vice Chair Durrell requested that a report be brought to the Board explaining the process involved in making open data available, including costs, and whether the OPS data could be added to the City’s portal.

-       Member Tierney explained that as Chair of the City’s IT Sub Committee last term he pushed for open data, however, to get that there is much to consider such as:  software lifecycle, type of database access, data sets, etc.  The costs to the tax payer would be substantial to implement this process all at once.

-       Mr. Daniel Steeves, Chief Information Officer, OPS, explained that to get to the clean open data material as seen in the Chicago example cited by the presenter, it required 25+ applications and millions of dollars in investments, including federal funding.  The project has been ongoing for many years and is still being developed.  It is a very long process before the data can be made available as, under legislation, it must go through a series of quality checks and reviews.  Mr. Steeves advised that a report will be coming to the Board in the fall on the IT Roadmap Strategy.

-       Mr. Randy Mar, Director, Planning, Performance & Analytic, explained that from a strategy perspective the plan has always been to build on the Ottawa Crime (crimereports.com) program.  Ottawa Crime was launched a number of years ago and currently uploads calls for service on a 24 hour basis, with a rolling six month window.  General occurrences and police reports must go through a final validation process by the Canadian Centre of Justice Statistics which results in a time lag and is the reason crime statistics are only released annually.  Tying these pieces together is a resource and technology challenge, but it is the direction the Service is headed in. 

-       Responding to Member Valiquet’s question about what would be done with the additional information, Mr. Moyer noted part of the problem they have is with the conflicting information residents are receiving.  The Association’s work would be much more effective if they had access to accurate and timely data.  As people learn of areas in the community that are suffering from more criminal activities, they would become more effective in watching and reporting.  He acknowledged the excessive costs that will be incurred and suggested if a small scale pilot project was feasible, Lowertown would be an enthusiastic and effective pilot. 

 

Chair El-Chantiry thanked the presenters for their interest in this matter and hoped the lines of communication remain open between the stakeholders.

 

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):

·         Mental Health Call

·         Charge Laid in Fatal Hit and Run on Leitrim Road

·         Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision on Riverside Drive

·         Homicides on Notre Dame Street and Anna Avenue

·         Attempt Murder Charge

·         Shootings

·         Operation Northern Spotlight

·         Lowertown Foot Patrol

·         1st Annual Diversity Celebration

·         Retirement of Supt T. Cheslock.

 

Retirement of Supt. T. Cheslock

On behalf of the Board, Chair El-Chantiry wished Supt. Cheslock all the best in his retirement and thanked him for his years of service.

 

Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) Program & Red Light Running

Responding to a comment from Member Harder, Chief Bordeleau confirmed that the STEP Program partners with Gatineau Police to ensure the monthly focus is similar on both sides of the river.  The City’ Traffic Department is also involved in this program.

 

Member Harder wondered if the OPS has considered a focused pilot project in Barrhaven to catch every person running a red light, as traffic issues there are out of control.  Chief Bordeleau explained that the OPS and City partners work together to target intersections where there are problems or high levels of collisions.  The intent of the monthly enforcement programs is to lower the tolerance level and raise the enforcement level.  He congratulated the City for augmenting the number of red light cameras being installed.  The cameras will never replace traffic stops, but they do hold individuals accountable for their actions when an officer cannot be present.  Officers are encouraged to aggressively enforce the Highway Traffic Act in an attempt to change driver behaviours. 

 

Budget Planning

Member Harder asked how the OPS budgets for a missing person case and if there was any way to recover some of the costs.  Chief Bordeleau said it is challenging to predict which calls for service will be a drain on resources.  Planned events are budgeted for and some costs are recoverable.  In the case of a missing person the level of liability is increased.  Over the years the OPS has changed the way they do business in finding missing individuals.  These calls can also centre on mental health issues, suicidal individuals, or Alzheimer’s patients.  The OPS are working on initiatives to try and prevent individuals from going missing or making them easier to track.  There are charts that help predict the level of urgency and how many resources should be invested.  From a cost recovery perspective, there is no mechanism in place to recover these types of costs.

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

2.         OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE PLAN FOR PARTICIPATION IN PROVINCIAL STREET CHECK REVIEW

Chief’s report

Presentation                                        

 

 

Chief Bordeleau introduced A/Inspector M. Patterson who, for the past year, has been actively working on the Street Check policy.  Ms. L. Fenton, Project Manager, Traffic Stop Race Data Collection Project (TSRDCP), will be playing a key role in the upcoming community focus and consultation phase.  The Chief added that Supt. Don Sweet has also been actively engaged in this project.  A/Inspector Patterson made a presentation to the Board on the key points in the Chief’s report.  (A copy of the presentation will be kept on file with the Board’s Executive Director.)

 

Speakers

 

Mr. Leo Russomanno, Criminal Defence Counsel, Barrister, Abergel Goldstein & Partners, addressed the Board.  He began by saying that the police already enjoy a very broad power to detain individuals when they suspect them of criminal activity.  Street checks, short of investigative detention, do not involve reasonable suspicion.  Individuals involved in street checks have a right to choose to cooperate with the police or not; if they don’t believe they have a choice then they are essentially being illegally searched.  Mr. Russomanno suggested the Board seek a formal legal opinion for a practice that is a lawful one with an informed citizenry.  He added that the data being produced cry out for an explanation as to what is happening.  It doesn’t defeat the purpose to advise individuals what their rights are, otherwise, he suggested, it is taking advantage of uninformed individuals.

 

Chair El-Chantiry encouraged the presenter to communicate with the Ministry of Community and Correctional Services as Ontario is moving to standardize street checks across the province, and will establish rules to ensure these encounters are without bias, consistent, and carried out in a manner that promotes public confidence.  Over the summer, the province will consult with community organizations, policing partners, civil liberty organizations, the public and others to develop a set of rules to govern police street checks.

 

Mr. Guy Annable, AD HOC Security Committee for the West End, wanted to follow up on his January presentation to the Board regarding Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) and CCTVs.  He thanked the Board for signing an agreement with OCH in June, and asked what the long term strategy is to increase the use of CCTVs.  He expressed concern regarding the upcoming celebrations in 2017 when the police are already facing serious budgetary problems, and wondered whether they would be able to provide adequate foot and cruiser patrols over the summer months.

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board:

 

1.    Receive this report as information.

 

RECEIVED

 

2.    Approve the Street Checks engagement plan described in Annex A.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

3.         CONTRACT WITH FEDERAL FORCE PROTECTION AGENCY TO PROVIDE SECURITY SCREENING PERSONNEL AT OTTAWA COURTHOUSE

Chief’s report

 

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board delegate authority to the Chief of Police to engage in a contract with Federal Force Protection Agency to provide security screening personnel at the newly constructed single point of access at the Ottawa Courthouse  for the period of August 2015 to December 2017.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

4.         ATTENDANCE AT ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF POLICE SERVICES BOARDS’ LABOUR SEMINAR

Executive Director’s report

 

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board approve the attendance of E. El‑Chantiry, C. Nicholson and W. Fedec at the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards (OAPSB) Labour Seminar being held in Toronto, on October 1 -2, 2015.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

5.         CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF POLICE GOVERNANCE: NOTICE OF 2015 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & RESOLUTIONS

Executive Director’s report

 

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board receive for information the Notice of Annual General Meeting and the Resolutions to be considered at the 2015 Canadian Association of Police Governance Annual Conference.

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

6.         OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT: “2014 : A YEAR IN REVIEW”

Chief’s report

Annual Report –“2014: A Year in Review”

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

7.         FINANCIAL STATUS REPORT: SECOND QUARTER 2015

Chief’s report

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

8.         PERFORMANCE REPORT: SECOND QUARTER 2015

Chief’s report

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

9.         WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT REPORT: SECOND QUARTER 2015

Chief’s report

 

 

That the Ottawa Police Services Board:

 

1.    Receive this report for information.

 

RECEIVED

 

2.    Approve the appointment of the sworn officers identified in Annex B.

 

                                                                                                CARRIED

 

 

10.      COMPLAINTS REPORT, PART V – POLICE SERVICES ACT: SECOND QUARTER 2015

Chief’s report

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

11.      LEGAL SERVICES REPORT: SECOND QUARTER 2015

Chief’s report

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

12.      BOARD MONITORING REQUIREMENTS STATUS REPORT: SECOND QUARTER 2015

Executive Director’s report

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

13.      OUTSTANDING BOARD INQUIRIES & MOTIONS: JULY 2015

Executive Director’s report

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

14.      LETTERS OF COMMENDATION

Chief’s report

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

COMMUNICATIONS

 

a)    CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF POLICE GOVERNANCE (CAPG)

-    letter dated 8 July 2015 from the CAPG thanking the Board for the 2015 Conference donation

 

b)    SMITH-ENNISMORE POLICE SERVICES BOARD

-    Letter dated 9 July 2015 from the Smith-Ennismore PSB supporting the elimination of the 3-6-9 Retention/Seniority Pay from police collective agreements

 

c)    ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF POLICE SERVICES BOARDS

-    Letter dated 8 July 2015 from the OAPSB regarding Emergency Resolution – Adequate Resourcing of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU)

-    Letter dated 14 July 2015 from the OAPSB regarding the need for a   9-1-1- Cell Phone User Fees and Grant Program

-    OAPSB Recommendations dated 30 June 2015 to Future of Police Advisory Committee (FPAC) on Special Constables

 

d)    REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF NIAGARA POLICE SERVICES BOARD

-    Letter dated 14 July 2015 to Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Y. Naqvi regarding re-opening of the Police Services Act to conduct a full review of the police disciplinary system

 

 

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

 

                                                                                                RECEIVED

 

 

CONSIDERATION OF MOTION TO MOVE IN CAMERA

 

Moved by J. Harder

 

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 6:10 p.m.

 

 

 

original signed by                                        original signed by

____________________________           _____________________________

W. Fedec                                                         E. El-Chantiry

Executive Director                                         Chair

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