WHEREAS in February of 2022, the former Chief of Police as well as a former Deputy Chief of Police separated from the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), leaving those two positions vacant;
AND WHEREAS two senior OPS leaders have since been temporarily promoted to act in those ranks until permanent replacements are appointed by the Ottawa Police Services Board (Board);
AND WHEREAS the Board approved the procurement of Odgers Berndtson in March of 2022 to support the Board in its search for a new Chief of Police and Deputy Chief of Police;
AND WHEREAS the Board directed in March of 2022 that the recruitment process for a new Chief of Police and Deputy Chief of Police begin following the completion of the Board’s and the City of Ottawa’s independent reviews and evaluations of the response to the unlawful convoy protests that took place in February of 2022, with the exception of any consultation activities that will be undertaken to solicit input from the community on the next Chief of Police, which could begin in the interim;
AND WHEREAS a request was made by the Board and the City of Ottawa to the Office of the Auditor General to conduct an independent review;
AND WHEREAS the Office of the Auditor General notified the City of Ottawa and the Board by way of a memo dated March 29, 2022, that it was prepared to perform the review;
AND WHEREAS the Office of the Auditor General provided an update on the Convoy Protest Audit their office is conducting on June 24, 2022, advising they were at the information gathering stage and would not be in a position to report out prior to Canada Day events as originally requested by City Council and would be taking the time required to complete a thorough audit;
AND WHEREAS the Office of the Auditor General is coordinating its work for the audit with other agencies performing a similar scope of work, including the Public Order Emergency Commission, which was announced on April 25, 2022, by the Federal Government and will conclude with a final report including findings and recommendations which must be tabled in the House of Commons and Senate of Canada by February 20, 2023;
AND WHEREAS the consultation activities to solicit input from the community on the next Chief of Police have since been completed and the findings reported back to the Board at its July 2022 meeting;
AND WHEREAS the appointments of the provincial appointees on the Board are set to expire on September 25, or until such time as an appointment has been made by Order in Council, whichever occurs first, and it is unknown at this time whether the current members will be renewed;
AND WHEREAS a majority of the membership on the Board is likely to change, shortly following the Municipal Election on October 24, 2022;
AND WHEREAS the Board wants to ensure improved stability of the Executive Command of the OPS prior to the turnover of the Board’s membership;
AND WHEREAS the Board also wants to help position the next Board for success by ensuring a permanent leadership team is established before the end of the year and prior to the next strategic planning and budget cycle;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board direct that the recruitment process for a new Chief of Police continue on to the posting stage;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board delegate authority to the Human Resources Committee to approve the final written documentation required for the recruitment process, including the candidate brief, advertisements, and interview questions, after consulting with the full Board on the materials;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the recruitment for a new Deputy Chief of Police be put on hold until a new permanent Chief of Police is confirmed.