March 21, 2022 Board of Police Commissioners

Agenda

1. CALL TO ORDER AND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

2. COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – February 28, 2022 and March 9, 2022

4. APPROVAL OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AND APPROVAL OF ADDITIONS AND DELETIONS

Additions: 

• Item 11.1 – Commissioner Critchley – Special presentation from Sunny Mariner, Canadian lead on Violence Against Women Advocate Case Review

Deletions:

• Item 10.2.4 Commissioner Critchley – Independent legal opinion regarding the Board’s jurisdiction as it relates to the review and approval of the annual HRP budget proposal

5. BUSINESS ARISING OUT OF THE MINUTES 

6. CALL FOR DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

7. CONSIDERATION OF DEFERRED BUSINESS 
7.1 Review of Proposed Board of Police Commissioners 2022 Meeting Schedule – December 13, 2021 [PDF]
Motion:
That the Board of Police Commissioners approve the proposed 2022 meeting schedule until June 2022 as outlined in Attachment 1 of the February 7, 2022 staff report.

7.2 Commissioner Critchley – Human Resources consultant to study the issues of understaffing and increased mental health claims within the Halifax Regional Police – February 28, 2022 [PDF]

Motion on the Floor:

MOVED by Commissioner Critchley, seconded by Commissioner Blackburn

THAT the Chair of the Board of Police Commissioners direct the Chief Officer of the Halifax Regional Police (HRP) to, in consultation with and with the approval of the Board of Police Commissioners, hire a Human Resources consultant to study the issues of understaffing, increased mental health claims, and increased long-term absences within the Halifax Regional Police. The objective of this study would be to present a report to the Board of Police Commission which would outline: 

a) the contributing factors giving rise to these issues; and

b) recommendations for addressing these issues in the short, medium, and long term. 

This report could then inform budget deliberations in future fiscal years.

8. CORRESPONDENCE, PETITIONS & DELEGATIONS
8.1 Correspondence 
8.2 Petitions
8.3 Presentations
8.3.1 Presentation – Policing and Family Violence Against Men – Kelsey Green [PDF]

- Presentation [PDF]

9. INFORMATION ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD

10. REPORTS/DISCUSSION
10.1 STAFF 
10.1.1 Wortley Report Progress Update
(i) Wortley Report Progress Update Tracking Document [PDF]
(ii) Halifax District RCMP Interim Report on Recommendations in the Halifax, Nova Scotia: Street Checks Report [PDF] 

10.2 MEMBERS OF BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
10.2.1 Commissioner Critchley - Staff report on section 51 of the Police Act [PDF]
Motion:
That the Board of Police Commissioners request a staff report from HRM Legal Services clarifying the meaning of the phrases “discipline,” “personnel conduct,” “contract negotiations,” and “security of police operations” in section 51 of the Police Act (collectively, the “grounds” for going in camera). The staff report should provide a definition for each of these phrases and explain what evidence is required under each ground before the Board can move in camera.

10.2.2 Commissioner Critchley – Staff report regarding ongoing HRP policies and procedures review [PDF]
Motion:
That the Chair of the Board of the Police Commissioners direct the chief officer of the Halifax Regional Police to draft a staff report providing details regarding their ongoing policies and procedures review.

10.2.3 Commissioner Critchley – Staff report intended to develop a new, statutorily compliant review and approval process for the annual HRP budget [PDF]
Motion:
That the Board of Police Commissioners request a staff report from HRM Financial Services for the purpose of developing a new budget review and approval process for the 2023/24 fiscal year which is in compliance with the Police Act.

10.2.4 Commissioner Critchley – Independent legal opinion regarding the Board’s jurisdiction as it relates to the review and approval of the annual HRP budget proposal 

Note: Item 10.2.4 was deleted from the agenda.

Motion:
That the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners (the “Board”) seek an independent legal opinion regarding the Board’s jurisdiction under the Police Act, including as it relates to the review and approval of the annual Halifax Regional Police (“HRP”) budget proposal under section 53 of the Act. 

10.2.5 Commissioner McDougall - Canadian Association of Police Governance 33rd Annual Conference in Saskatoon

10.3 COMMISSIONER UPDATES

10.4 HALIFAX REGIONAL POLICE/ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE CHIEF UPDATES

11. ADDED ITEMS
11.1 Commissioner Critchley – Special presentation from Sunny Mariner, Canadian lead on Violence Against Women (VAW) Advocate Case Review [PDF] 

Motion:
That the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners invite Sunny Mariner, an internationally recognized expert on Violence Against Women Advocate Case Review, to provide a thirty-minute presentation to the Board either at a special meeting of the Board or during the Board’s regularly scheduled June meeting.

12. ITEMS FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION 
    
13. IN CAMERA (In Private) 
The Board of Police Commissioners may rise and go into a private In Camera (In Private) session, in accordance with Section 51 of the Nova Scotia Police Act for the purposes of dealing with the following:

Private and Confidential Information Items
1. Correspondence dated February 15, 2022
2. Correspondence dated February 24, 2022
 
14. NOTICES OF MOTION 

15. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – April 25, 2022

16. ADJOURNMENT

INFORMATION ITEMS
1. Information report from the Legislative Assistant dated March 17, 2022 re Presentation Requests. [PDF]

For further information regarding this meeting, please contact Andrea Lovasi-Wood, Legislative Assistant, at lovasia@halifax.ca or 902.490.5934

To submit correspondence, email clerks@halifax.ca. More information: https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/a-c/board-police-commissioners/engagement-bopc