THUNDER BAY – Independent Police Review Director, Gerry McNeilly, is pleased to see the Thunder Bay Police Service moving forward on recommendations to address issues of systemic racism, but he said these issues go beyond the police service and all levels of government need to step up to keep moving forward in a positive way.
“From what I’ve seen so far, since Jan. 12, is that things are being taken seriously,” McNeilly said. “Acknowledgements and apologies have been made. And I think it behooves also the Indigenous leadership and other community groups and organizations to work with the chief and the board chair to bring about these changes.”
McNeilly was in Thunder Bay last week to participate in a panel discussion with Thunder Bay Police Service chief, Sylvie Hauth and Police Services Board chair, Celina Reitberger during the Access to Justice Forum hosted by Nokiiwin Tribal Council.
During the discussion, McNeilly said he indicated to Hauth that he was pleased she was moving forward on implementing some of the recommendations outlined in his report.
“I have a good working relationship with the chief and we talk,” he said. “I had an opportunity to speak with the new chair of the board and everything I’ve gotten from both of these people is that this is positive and these changes need to be made and we are going to move toward doing so.”
Hauth identified eight key areas in the 44 recommendations that need to be addressed as soon as possible, including the creation of a multi-discipline investigative team for the reinvestigation of cases, instituting Indigenous cultural competency and anti-racism training, the creation of a Major Case Unit, expanding the Aboriginal Liaison Unit, and the implementation of in car and body worn cameras.
In order to move forward on these implementations, Hauth asked city council for an additional $1,082,500 on top of the $41.8 million Police Service 2019 operating budget. Last week, council voted to grant the additional money.
McNeilly said he was glad to see the city taking ownership of these issues and working with the Police Service.
“In my view, city council owns some of these issues that I addressed in my report,” McNeilly added. “I think they owe and continue to owe it to the Indigenous community of Thunder Bay to provide financial assistance to the police to try and fix what is going on in Thunder Bay. The city has to be a partner here because it is part of the city’s issue.”
According to McNeilly, when he was drafting the recommendations in his report, he did take into consideration that there was going to be a cost attached to making improvements and fixing problems.
“I didn’t cost it out because it is not my role,” he said. “But at the same time, I try to make recommendations so that some of them wouldn’t really have a cost attached.”
Thunder Bay Mayor, Bill Mauro, expressed concerns about the city carrying the financial burden of implementing McNeilly’s recommendations and brought forward a motion to the Police Services Board to reach out to the provincial and federal government for assistance.
McNeilly said he agrees that both levels of government owe Thunder Bay some obligations to try to fix the problems in the city.
“Toronto Police just got something like $5 million to deal with issues around guns and gangs and Thunder Bay is having the same problem from an overflow from Toronto, so I think they should be given the same consideration as Toronto,” he said.
Hauth will be providing McNeilly with an update on the progress of implementing the recommendations in June. McNeilly said if he is not satisfied with the progress being made, he can conduct audits or issue directions to the chief and the board on how to proceed.
But he said he is confident the Police Service will continue to move forward on making positive changes.
“Let’s call this a new beginning, let’s talk about going forward in a positive way,” he said. “We can all talk about negative things, but let’s talk about positive things and how to make this work and how to make it better and I think we are on that track.”
