By Thomas Goyer
Residents of Muskoka interested in joining OPP policing detachment boards will soon learn what the eligibility requirements will be.
The OPP detachments boards are being established for individual OPP detachments across Ontario to oversee how policing is provided in their local community, to set objectives and to provide consultation with the local community. District team lead Christina Kilbourne, who recently presented proposed eligibility criteria to District Councillors, said local input is at the heart of the development of these detachment boards.
“The reason that the ministry Solicitor General wants to create these local boards is just so that they can have more of a local flavour and meet the local needs better,” Kilbourne said.
In 2021, Muskoka District was tasked with consulting local municipalities, Indigenous communities and residents to determine the composition of both the Huntsville and Bracebridge OPP detachment boards. Following the consultation, a formula was established that would see a six-member Board at the Huntsville Detachment and a 16-member OPP Detachment Board in Bracebridge.
The makeup of the boards must include one elected official from each representative municipality, one elected official from each representative First Nation Council, one community representative from each lower-tier municipality and First Nation as well as the District Chair and mandatory provincial appointees.
There has been further consultation to determine the eligibility for community members to be appointed to the board. First Nation representatives will be selected from criteria developed by First Nation communities.
A preliminary list was presented to the Finance and Corporate Services Committee by Kilbourne on Wednesday. The list states that to be appointed a person must be 18 years of age or older, must live in the geographic area the OPP Detachment covers, must not have a criminal record and must not fall under a group involved in, or related to, law enforcement functions. This final provision includes judges, justices of the peace, police officers, First Nations officers, prosecutors, defence lawyers, former police officers or any employee of a police provider.
Kilbourne made it clear that the provision which stipulates a person must live in the geographic area the OPP detachment covers is understood to allow seasonal residents to qualify.
“For absolute clarity, it means a person who resides in Muskoka, regardless of how long they reside in Muskoka,” Kilbourne said.
The District will not be able to implement the criteria until the enabling legislation is implemented by the Province. Kilbourne stated that until that happens, the District cannot fully detail what the appointments will look like.
“I think the best we can do is to provide as much information as the Minister of Solicitor General has available to us and perhaps outline what the process for creating the terms of reference are,” Kilbourne added.
Once the plan is finalized, interested residents will be invited to apply for the board, with District Council vetting and subsequently appointing those who qualify.
Related:
OPP detachment boards to provide community voice in policing: Stevens
Discussions around the possibility of creating a police services board continue: Mayor
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