Police Act changes will remove longstanding conflict

A longstanding concern has been addressed by proposed changes to the Police Act. Under the current rules, the chair of the local police board is automatically the person serving as mayor of the local municipality. That can create an appearance of conflict as councils must approve budgets recommended by the police board.

The new rule will allow local governments to determine who their representative will be on their police board and will allow members of the police board to elect their chair and vice-chair.

“This is an important update as it will remove politics from the important decisions around ensuring police are adequately funded,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “Having appropriate resources is fundamental for police so they can continue to keep our communities safe.”