Police, police services and community safety
From February 18, 2016 to April 2, 2016, we asked Ontarians to share their ideas, advice and feedback on the Strategy for a Safer Ontario – the province’s blueprint for effective, sustainable and community-based policing.
Background
Since the Police Services Act became law in 1990, the nature of policing and the role of police officers have changed.
To make sure communities across the province are well-equipped to handle these changes, we’re consulting with the public on a new provincial plan for policing, called the Strategy for a Safer Ontario.
We want your feedback and ideas on a number of topics, including:
- improving police accountability and governance of police services boards
- ensuring police oversight bodies (e.g. Special Investigations Unit, Office of the Independent Police Review Director) work the way they’re supposed to and have clear mandates
- improving interactions between the police and people with mental health or addiction issues
- clarifying the duties of police officers and modernizing police recruitment and training programs
- creating a framework, working with First Nations, for First Nations policing that is for more sustainable and with consistent service delivery and flexibility to address specific community needs
You can learn more about the proposed plan in the Strategy for a Safer Ontario: Public Discussion Paper.