The Durham Regional Police Services Board is the civilian governing body of the Police Service. Its responsibilities include establishing objectives for policing in consultation with the Chief of Police, setting policies for the effective management of the Police Service, and hiring and monitoring the performance of the Chief of Police. The Board consists of seven members, three appointed by the Province of Ontario and four chosen by Regional Council.
As civilian members who represent the public’s interests, the Police Services Board is committed to a high quality of community-based policing that is accountable, professional, and sustainable. The Board recognizes the challenges to law enforcement created by a changing environment, demographic shifts, emerging technologies and evolving crime trends and patterns. With the support of the citizens in Durham Region, the Police Services Board is confident of meeting future policing challenges in the years ahead.
The DRPSB is a member of both the Ontario Association of Police Services Board www.oapsb.ca and the Canadian Association of Police Governance www.capg.ca
BOARD’S RESPONSIBILITIES
The responsibilities of the Police Services Board are outlined in section 31 (1) of Ontario’s Police Services Act, as follows:
- appoint the members of the municipal police force;
- 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 force;
- recruit and appoint the chief of police and any 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 (secondary activities);
- establish guidelines with respect to the indemnification of members of the police force for legal costs under section 50;
- establish guidelines for dealing with complaints made under Part V;
- review the chief of police’s administration of the complaints system under Part V and receive regular reports from the chief of police on his or her administration of the complaints system.
- The Board approves the budget presented by the Chief of Police, prior to submitting it to Municipal Council for approval. The Board also negotiates collective agreements.