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Takeovers of police services boards happen rarely

An administrator has only been appointed on one other occasion
Thomas Lockwood 2
Thomas Lockwood is the temporary administrator of the Thunder Bay Police Services Board. (Photo by Doug Diaczuk - Tbnewswatch.com).

THUNDER BAY — When the Ontario Civilian Police Commission on December 14 appointed an administrator for the Thunder Bay Police Services Board, it was only the second time it had taken such drastic action.

Executive Chair Linda Lamoureux of the Safety, Licensing Appeals and Standards Tribunal of Ontario declared an emergency, citing what she described as the board's repeated failures to address the concerns of the Indigenous community. 

The only previous instance of an overseer being appointed for an Ontario police services board was in December 2016.

On that occasion, Lamoureux named an administrator for the Peterborough Police Services Board.

In announcing her decision, she said the board suffered from "ongoing dysfunction" that impeded the delivery of adequate police services in Peterborough and undermined public confidence.

Lamoureux said the board in the central Ontario city had been in a state of perpetual crisis for over two years, with palpable ill will between some of its members, some members of city council and the police service itself.

She referred to "highly public disputes"  including a contractual dispute between the board and both the Chief and Deputy Chief of Police.

Criminal lawyer Mark Sandler assumed responsibility for overseeing board operations in Peterborough for just over six months.

The status of the existing board members was not affected, and they remained members in good standing.

However, the OCPC's order for Thunder Bay names Toronto-area lawyer Thomas Lockwood as administrator for an "initial" term of one year, with provision for extending his term if necessary.

In addition, the order revokes the ability of existing board members to cast votes. Until they have completed training in early 2019, only Lockwood has voting power.

Senator Murray Sinclair's report to the OCPC recommended cultural sensitivity training for members of the board.

Among other measures, Sinclair called for the development of an anti-racism strategy and policy for the board and for the police service, formal agreements with First Nations governance bodes to share information and raise cultural awareness, and formal terms of reference for the police force’s Aboriginal Liaison Unit.





Gary Rinne

About the Author: Gary Rinne

Born and raised in Thunder Bay, Gary started part-time at Tbnewswatch in 2016 after retiring from the CBC
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