CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF POLICE IN ONTARIO

Basically it's been a joke. For a very long time. They do what they want to do and normally they do it with the co-operation and benign oversight of local police boards and municipal councils. Afterall how many local politicians are poor or marginalized ? How many are likely to get into trouble with the law when they can buy they way out of trouble? Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "Report aimed at enhanced civilian oversight of Ontario police out this week".

Interestingly there were 1,500 individuals speaking at 18 public consultations. Justice Michael Tulloch also held 130 private meetings. Really and who were those with pray tell? Immediately after this statement in the story it is mentioned that Police Associations, police commissioners, and police services board members all weighed in on Ontario's three police-oversight agencies. Were these the 130 private meetings? If so then let me get this straight. Private citizens had to speak publicly about their experiences yet the vested interests in the status quo got to speak privately with the Judge heading the government-commissioned review of the three agencies that oversee policing in Ontario?

People at public meetings were highly critical of the so called transparency and accountability of the SIU, OPIRD and the OCPC. One speaker at a public meeting in Toronto last fall stated that "we think they are all useless.". Well that certainly is a blunt assessment. I guess my question is whether this review is supposed to reform these police oversight agencies or is it simply another government whitewash and public relations project to attempt to restore credibility and confidence in government bodies.