Big changes may be coming to policing in Ontario: board chair

Ontario’s police services could be looking at significant changes on issues ranging from service priorities to unpaid suspensions and governance restructuring in the near future, says Chatham-Kent’s board chair.

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Pat Weaver, who also chairs the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards, told local board members Wednesday that a conference on the Ontario Community Safety and Policing Act is planned for late February 2024, adding Chatham-Kent likely will want a representative in attendance.

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“(After) 30 years of the old act. It was ready for an update,” he said after the meeting. “Policing has shifted. Community needs have shifted tremendously.

“With hiring today, social services, homelessness, drug addictions, the act needed to change and adapt to what our societies look like now.”

Weaver called some of the changes “groundbreaking,” but stressed timing and implementation still need to be determined.

Asked why there have been delays, Weaver said the change in provincial government in recent years played a role, noting the act was passed by the Liberals, but regulations still need to be built.

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These would include rules affecting front-line officers, administration and boards themselves.

“There’s going to be a whole new set of regulations on use of force,” Weaver said. “Rules are changing tremendously. And board structures across the province are being completely redesigned. . . Board (members) will need to take a training course, a provincially mandated training course, before they can even attend a police board meeting.”

Though he expects less of an impact in Chatham-Kent, he said boards are being reduced in various parts of the province.

Changing the structure is necessary to get qualified people who can commit the time to serve on boards, he added.

Another potential shift includes certain duties currently conducted by sworn officers eventually moving to civilian personnel, at a municipality’s discretion.

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“Intelligence gathering, fingerprinting, identity of any kind — these things may be challenged to find reduced costs,” Weaver said. “I’m not saying they’re going to happen. But they will be available for municipalities and police services to consider.”

He added that any changes in this regard likely would be minor locally.

“Policing went from keeping order and protecting, and it’s shifting more to serve and protect,” he said.

Chief Gary Conn said the upcoming conference, to be held Feb. 26-28 in Toronto, will be an informative and wide-ranging event on what the future holds in the province.

“It’s going to highlight key changes to the policing framework,” he said. “It’s going to talk about adequate and effective policing, responsibilities of the board and the chief, First Nations policing, special constables. . . complaints and misconduct investigations, discipline and then obviously labor relations.”

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