Stratford Police Services Board

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:

Steve Cousins, Chair - Provincial Appointee
Mayor Martin Ritsma - Member of City Council
Councillor Harjinder Nijjar - Member of City Council

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:

2024 Meeting Minutes: