Promise History
1.09.005 - “Build a culture of respect with zero tolerance for those who abuse positions of authority [within the police]”
19-Feb-2019
In 2019, the Ontario government approved the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, which critics believe weakens overall police oversight. For example, the Act imposes time limits on independent probes of police officers, which may contradict a zero-tolerance policy for abuse of authority.
“After vowing to ‘fix’ policing laws in the province, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government proposed new legislation Tuesday that would limit the mandate of the police watchdog, impose time-limits on its probes and roll back efforts to promote independent investigations into public complaints about officers […] ,[Previously] police services [were] expected to over-notify, meaning they call in the SIU when it’s reasonable their mandate could be invoked, including deaths and serious injuries incurred in the presence of police, such as a heart attack or a suicide. This means the SIU, not the police service, makes the decision on whether to launch an investigation. /[Attorney General Caroline/] Mulroney said the proposed new legislation would remove the expectation that the SIU be called in for deaths such as a suicide, unless the police chief “reasonably believes” that an officer’s conduct may have been a contributing factor in the incident. Notification of the SIU would still be mandatory in cases of death or serious injury caused by police use of force, incurred in detention, or as the result of a car chase, as well as for allegations of sexual assault.”
Ford government unveils plan to ‘fix’ police oversight, limit SIU mandate
For The People: A Plan for Ontario
Reference Documents
“The SIU Director may cause an investigation to be conducted into any incident in which any of the following occurs, if the incident may have resulted from the conduct of an official; 1. The death of a person; 2.The serious injury of a person; 3.The discharge of a firearm at a person; 4.The sexual assault of a person, as reported by the person.”
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