As the Chief of Brantford Police, what is your role when it
comes to the public?
The Police Service Act of Ontario states, "The duties of a chief of police include, administering the police force and overseeing its operation in accordance with the objectives, priorities and policies established by the board under subsection 31 (1: ensuring that members of the police force carry out their duties in accordance with this Act and the regulations and in a manner that reflects the needs of the community, and that discipline is maintained in the police force; ensuring that he police force provides community-orientated police services and; administering the complaints system in accordance with Part V."
The Police Services Act of Ontario, which I am referring to, is 568 pages.
Section 4 of this act refers to what the municipality shall provide by way of adequate and effective police services. The "Core Police Services" fall under the following five headings, crime prevention, law enforcement, assistance to victims of crime, public order maintenance,
and emergency response.
In your opinion, should the police care about their image and
their relations with the public?
The founder of modern day policing Sir Robert Peel, said, "The basic mission of the police is to prevent crime and disorder." He believed that the police are the public and public are the police. This basic philosophy has been the guiding light for policing since Peel said it in 1829. I have grown up in this community, I live in this community, I raised my family in this community, and I just happen to be the chief of police. I care deeply about the image this service has with the public as does every officer with whom I have the pleasure of serving beside.
What type of activities/services for the public are you involved
with? How do they help the public?
We provide direction to the public through programming focusing on the five core principals as stated above.
Can you give me an example where your role with the public has
been difficult?
Having recently completed 30 years of policing I have reflected on the challenges our officers face everyday and it is very difficult to find one challenge that is greater than another. We respond to just over 45,000 calls for service a year. Our role as peacekeepers is a difficult role at the best of times. We are in some cases the last line of defence for some people. In some cases, there is no one else that will, or can help, and we are usually dealing with people who are in conflict. It is our responsibility to attend and gather evidence of whatever crime that has been committed. We do so impartially, we are to put this evidence into a format acceptable to the court, assist the Crown in the presentation of this evidence and it is the courts responsibility to determine guilt.
Over the course of my career, this responsibility has gotten increasingly more complicated. Others in the criminal justice system will take days, weeks and sometimes months, to dissect what, in some cases, our officers have done after having nothing more than a split second to react. As I stated before we are simply the conduit for information to the court. We depend on the eyes and ears of the public to give that evidence in order that the court can draw the correct conclusions. It isn't about "winning or loosing,” but rather the presentation of clear and concise
evidence.
What message, if any, do you have for the public?
Remind the public we do not write laws. We are bound by the same sets of laws as everyone else in this community, province, and country. The police must remain impartial. We are trying to find the best evidence possible given any set of circumstances. It's one thing to know someone has committed a crime, it's another thing to prove it "beyond a reasonable doubt" to a third party. We need the public for us to do our jobs. We need the public to understand and take responsibility for their actions. Be aware of the circumstances, be aware of the worse case scenario, and always be prepared with an alternative plan should you find yourself in an unexpected situation.
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