Paperback, Thomson Reuters
On April 1, 2024, the Ontario Government replaced the Police Services Act with the Community Safety and Policing Act, the first major change to police governance in over thirty years.
Major changes include:
- A new emphasis on the need to be responsive to the unique histories and cultures of First Nation, Inuit, and Metis communities, including the ability of a band council to establish its own police services board;
- The repeal of the role of police chiefs in appointing hearing officers for the adjudication of disciplinary complaints and the transfer of that function to adjudicators appointed by the Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission;
- The ability of police chiefs to suspend officers without pay in limited circumstances; and
- The abolition of the Ontario Civilian Police Commission and the transfer of its responsibilities to the newly established Inspector General of Policing.
As well, the Special Investigations Unit which conducts investigations into criminal allegations of serious police wrongdoing is now governed by its own legislation entitled the Special Investigations Unit Act, included in this Guide. The Guide contains all the regulations for both Acts. Each statutory section of both Acts is described and fully annotated with relevant jurisprudence.