THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Service Board is asking for clarity over what implications current Ontario legislation means for policing bodies of water in the city — and up to the Canada-U.S. border.
At its meeting in March, the board received a report from the police service that included an analysis and risk assessment of waterways policing and rescue operations. The board said that report, and its follow-up request for more information, are so it can develop a policy around policing on the water, especially now that the Community Safety and Policing Act has replaced the decades-old Police Services Act as the provincial legislation that governs municipal police forces and policing standards.
A 2011 memorandum with Ontario Provincial Police, according to the report to the board, allows city police to request the OPP’s underwater search and recovery unit and/or marine unit services. The board heard that Thunder Bay Fire Rescue takes lead on water and ice rescues.
“Now, what we need to make sure … (is) do we want to take that on ourselves or do we want to continue status quo with the OPP,” police board chair Karen Machado said to reporters after the meeting.
“Are they able to provide that effective and efficient policing? Will they be doing those things? What are the costs associated with both levels so we can make an informed decision?” she continued. “So, we need more information.”
Machado said it’s incumbent on the board to make sure its policies are in accordance with current legislation.
During the meeting, the board heard from Ron LeClair, who was serving as an advisor from the provincial Inspectorate of Policing, that municipalities are responsible for policing all waterways within their boundaries. Additionally, for municipalities where there is a shoreline, that responsibility extends from that shore up to the international boundary.
In Thunder Bay’s case, that would mean the Canada-U.S. border that runs through Lake Superior.
“This is a challenge that many municipalities are facing because of, as the chair said, it's the act that has brought this up,” LeClair said. “No one in particular decided that this is the way it's going to go, except for this is what's in the new act.”
“That's where some analysis from the OPP might be helpful in terms of how do they figure out how much time to spend on what body of water,” board secretary John Hannam said.
The board passed a motion requesting more information before drafting any new policy.
Another option that was brought up at the meeting was whether Thunder Bay police should, effectively, rebuild a marine unit and handle that aspect of policing itself. That, however, would come at a considerable cost said Jeremy Pearson, the police service’s deputy chief of administration.
He told the meeting that the service does not own boats or any supporting equipment like trailers. And while he said there was a city police dive team many years ago, even if any of that equipment still existed, it would be long obsolete.
City police officers also would need to receive current training, he said, adding that should they consider this option, the municipal service “would be starting from ground zero.”
LeClair said, regardless of how the board’s policy reads when they draft it, and whether the municipal force continues to work with the OPP or bring marine policing in-house, the result will have to be provincially compliant.
“The act is quite clear, related to the municipality's responsibility to provide adequate and effective policing on the waterways, which is, it is an expectation that there'll be compliance with that.”
