THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Services Board (TBPSB) convened for its regular session this morning.
Following is a summary of notable items:
The Board met for the first time including the Office of the Civilian Police Commissioner appointed administrator, Malcolm Mercer, presiding over the meeting.
Update on Harassment in the Workplace
The board received a public update on an Action Plan – Harassment in the Work
Place – A Shift in Culture. Specific actions highlighted at the meeting that were undertaken include:
1. The Service has hired external investigators to conduct harassment investigations.
2. In March 2022, Workplace Investigation Training was completed by TBPS HR Manager, which focussed on harassment investigation fundamentals.
3. The Service’s Harassment Policy has been reviewed by an external HR consultant. The consultant has produced their recommendations for change and they are currently being implemented into the TBPS policy.
4. The Service has engaged an external consultant retained to perform harassment training for supervisors, which will occur in the Fall of 2022.
5. The Service will be offering the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Associates Resiliency training program to its members, which is designed for first responders. It will provide strategies to withstand, recover and grow in the face of stressors they have on the job.
Artificial Intelligence Policy
The Service would like to use artificial intelligence based software to review video footage through its Eye in the Street project, and seek the support of the Board through a policy on the use of such technologies. A draft policy will be presented to the Board at a future meeting.
OIPRD Annual Report Recommendations
A summary of the status/progress of the OIPRD Recommendations was presented for the Board’s information. These include:
• R.1: The report will be completed in the Spring of 2022. The meetings with the families are nearing completion with the last of the family meetings occurring May 9-11, 2022.
• R.11: As of May 2022, the Inspector of CIB and the Regional Coroner will speak weekly to ensure continuous communication.
• R.13: The move to OPTIC is expected to be completed this year.
• R.19: The in-car cameras installed in Primary Response front-line vehicles all became operational on July 5, 2021.
• The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee had their first meeting in September of 2021. Its general purpose is to consider, discuss, research and propose new innovations on who the service is, what’s represented internally and externally and to ensure the best service to the community. It will include community engagement.
New Members of Board
While the Board awaits new provincial appointees to replace those members that have resigned, none are expected until after the Provincial election. The new appointee from Thunder Bay City Council, Shelby Ch’ng, will not take her seat pending the outcome of the provincial election in which she is a candidate.
Expert Panel Estimated Travel Budget
The Board approved the budget limit of approximately $64,000 for the Expert Panel’s work, including community engagement and travel to Thunder Bay. This work will provide advice and inform new Board Members on a go-forward basis.
Other Matters
• The 6th episode of “Our Call” video series was presented to the Board on the topic of a weapons complaint related to mental health.
• The Board received correspondence from the Police Youth Corps thanking the Board for their support in the amount of $3,500.
• An “All Chief’s memo on the topic of Police Services Boards and Elections was presented for the Board’s information.
