- Mayor Martin Ritsma - Member of City Council
- Councillor Harjinder Nijjar - Member of City Council
- Lisa Wilde - Citizen Representative
- Dan Mathieson – Provincial Appointee
- Travis Blum - Provincial Appointee
Stratford Police Service 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 Community Safety and Policing Act (which replaced 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 Service Board:
Police Service Boards are responsible for
Responsibilities for police service boards are set out in section 37 of the Community Safety and Policing Act and include:
- Ensuring the provision of adequate and effective policing
- Employing members of the police service
- Appointing members of the police service as police officers
- Recruiting and appointing the Chief of Police and any Deputy Chief of Police and determining their remuneration and working conditions, taking their submissions into account
- Monitoring the Chief's performance
- Conducting a review of the chief of police's performance at least annually in accordance with the regulations made by the Minister, if any
- Monitoring the chief of police's decisions regarding the restrictions on secondary activities set out in Section 89 and reviewing the reports from the chief of police on those decisions
- Monitoring the chief of police's handling of discipline within the police service
- Ensuring that any police facilities used by the Board comply with any prescribed standards
- Preparing and adopting a diversity plan
- Preparing and adopting a strategic plan
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 Service 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.
| 2025 Meeting Dates | 2025 Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 15, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| March 19, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| April 23, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| May 21, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| June 25, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| September 3, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| October 22, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| December 10, 2025 | Minutes(PDF) |
| 2024 Meeting Dates | 2024 Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 17, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| February 21, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| March 13, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| April 17, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| May 15, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| June 19, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| September 18, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| October 16, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| November 20, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
| December 11, 2024 | Minutes(PDF) |
Stratford Police Service Board
P.O. Box 818
1 Wellington Street
Stratford, ON N5A 6W1
(519) 271-0250 extension 5242
2026 Meeting Dates, Minutes and Agenda
All meetings will be held in the Rotary Complex (Mansbridge Room), 353 McCarthy Road West at 4:30 p.m. Police Services Board meetings are open to the public.
Please see May 20, 2026 Agenda.
| Date | Meeting Minutes |
|---|---|
| January 21, 2026 | Minutes (PDF) |
| February 18, 2026 | Minutes (PDF) |
| March 18, 2026 | Minutes (PDF) |
| March 27, 2026 | Minutes (PDF) |
| April 15, 2026 | Minutes (PDF) |
| May 20, 2026 | |
| June 17, 2026 - City Hall Auditorium | |
| September 16, 2026- Cancelled | |
| October 7, 2026 | |
| October 21, 2026- Cancelled | |
| November 18, 2026 | |
| December 9, 2026 |
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