THUNDER BAY – The city’s police force could face an inspection before the end of the year.
It’s been about eight years since the Thunder Bay Police Service has been subject to an inspection from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Chief J.P. Levesque said the department fell at the beginning of a five-year cycle and now at the end of a current four-year rotation.
Duane Sprague, a police services advisor with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, appeared before the police services board and said the inspection would primarily focus on missing persons, containment, bail and violent crimes.
Sprague said there would be availability for an inspection in the fall, otherwise it would have to wait until 2015.
Levesque would like to conduct the inspection prior to a scheduled inquest into the deaths of seven First Nations students attending school in Thunder Bay.
It is unknown when that inquest will begin.
“I’d like to get it out of the way if possible. The inquest has been delayed, we don’t know when that will be starting but if we can get the inspection out of the way prior to the inquest starting it would be helpful,” Levesque said.
Sprague said the process would take approximately one week to complete.
