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HomeInside City HallAdvisory CommitteesStratford Police Services Board

Stratford Police Services Board

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Inside City Hall

Stratford Police Services Board:

Every municipality in Ontario that maintains a police force (service) is required to have a Police Services Board.

Here in Stratford, we have a five member board and pursuant to the Police Services Act, our board consists of:

  • two members of city council;
  • a person appointed by a resolution of council who is neither a member of council nor an employee of the municipality; and
  • two citizens appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
Current members of the Stratford Police Services Board:
  • Mayor Ritsma - Member of City Council
  • Councillor Harjinder Nijjar - Member of City Council
  • Dave Gaffney - Municipal Appointee
  • Steve Cousins, Vice- Chair - Provincial Appointee
Individuals who cannot be a member of a Police Services Board:
  • judges
  • justices of the peace;
  • police officers;and
  • persons who practice criminal law as defence counsel.
Police Service Boards are responsible for:

Police Services Boards are responsible for the provision of adequate and effective police services in their respective municipalities and they:

  • appoint the members of the municipal police service;
  • generally determine, after consultation with the chief of police, objectives and priorities with respect to police services in the municipality;
  • establish policies for the effective management of the police service;
  • recruit and appoint the chief of police and deputy chief of police and annually determine their remuneration and working conditions, taking their submissions into account;
  • direct the chief of police and monitor his or her performance;
  • establish policies respecting the disclosure by chiefs of police of personal information about individuals;
  • receive regular reports from the chief of police on disclosures and decisions made under section 49 of the Police Services Act (secondary activities);
  • establish guidelines with respect to the indemnification of members of the police service for legal costs
  • establish guidelines for dealing with complaints
  • review the chief of police’s administration of the complaints system and receive regular reports from the chief of police on his or her administration of the complaints system.

The oversight of Ontario’s police services by civilian boards, which ensure that police services operate at arm’s length from their respective municipal councils, is a governance model that is admired around the globe.

Interesting facts concerning our Police Service Board include:
  • The police services board submits its annual operating budget and an annual capital budget to city council.
  • Members of the police service, whether they were appointed by the board or not, are under the board’s jurisdiction.
  • The board may give order and directions to the chief of police, but not to other members of the police service, and no individual member of the board shall give orders or directions to any member of the police service.
  • The board shall not direct the chief of police with respect to specific operational decisions or with respect to the day-to-day operation of the police service.
2023 Meeting Minutes:

January 18, 2023

February 15, 2023

March 15, 2023

April 19, 2023

May 17, 2023

June 21, 2023

September 13, 2023

October 18, 2023

November 15, 2023

December 13, 2023

2024 Meeting Minutes:

January 17, 2024

February 21, 2024

March 13, 2024

April 17, 2024

May 15, 2024

June 19, 2024

September 18, 2024

October 16, 2024

November 20, 2024

December 11, 2024

2025 Meeting Minutes:

January 15, 2025

March 19, 2025

Current Meeting Agenda:

May 21, 2025
Contact Information:

Stratford Police Services Board

P.O. Box 818

1 Wellington Street

Stratford, ON N5A 6W1

W – (519) 271-0250 x5242

 

Upcoming Meeting Dates

All meetings will be held in the Rotary Complex (Mansbridge Room),  353 McCarthy Rd. W. at 4:30 p.m.

January 15, 2025             

February 19, 2025 (Cancelled)

March 19, 2025  

April 23, 2025                  

May 21, 2025                

June 25, 2025                

September 17, 2025       

October 15, 2025            

November 19, 2025         

December 10, 2025        

Police Services Board meetings are open to the public.  

Contact our Board Members

Martin Ritsma Mayor

Harjinder Nijjar Council Representative

Dave Gaffney Community Representative

Steve Cousins Provincial Representative

Email the Stratford Police Services Board Members

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