QUESTIONNAIRE

Candidate's Name:[M O'Rourke]
Candidate's Ward:Goulbourn  ( 6 )

Section A: OTTAWA POLICE SERVICES BOARD (PSB)

Question

1a) What is your understanding of the role of the Ottawa Police Services Board (PSB)?
1b) If elected, will you seek to be appointed as one of the three City Council representatives?
1c) If so, why would you be particularly appropriate for this appointment?

Answer:
 a) Council and civilian board charged with monitoring and evaluating the actions of the chief of police and setting the policies and goals for effective operations of the police services in Ottawa.

b) No

c) N/A

Question

2. Do you believe that the PSB has to date improved public trust in the police service by providing effective civilian oversight, thus assuring the community of appropriate police behaviour? Why or why not?

Answer: In general I think that the PSB has provided a reasonable level of oversite for operations of the police service, this is not an endorsement of the financial management aspects of the board which I believe need to be reviewed along with all other city run programs.

Question
3. What policies should the PSB introduce or update concerning the policing of major events, and why?

Answer:   Maintain constant training in large crowd control operations always with a view to keeping all event attendees from getting out of control

Question
4. In the spirit of transparency and openness related to public business, would you support:

(a) posting the records of the proceedings of the PSB on the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Web site?

(b) Or should the PSB have its own website and the PSB proceedings be posted there?

Answer:

a) within the normal course of business this is acceptable, however we must also accept that personnel issues are confidential and would remain so.

b) it should be a part of the larger Ottawa site

Section B: POLICY CONCERNS WITH THE PSB

Question

5. In May 2002, the Citizen Panel on Policing and the Community made recommendations concerning aggressive police behaviour toward peaceful G-20 demonstrators in November 2001. According to the Ottawa Police Service's Agenda for Excellence, released in April 2002, the stated objectives of the OPS are:

to uphold the democratic rights of all individuals to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly; and
to ensure the safety of demonstrators and the rest of the community at major events.

(a) In your opinion, has the policing of major events since the November 2001 G-20 demonstrations improved?

(b) If not, what needs to be done?

(c) What should be the role of the PSB?

(d) If appointed to the PSB, how will you help?

Answer:

a) The police in Ottawa have generally done a commendable job in policing major events. I  believe that the review of police actions and response at major events and the continued monitoring of the actions of police at these events will continue to afford all citizens an acceptable level of security
.
b) continue to monitor and train in large crowd control operations

c) fulfill it's mandate to set policy and operational guidelines

d) work to ensure compliance with the established guidelines and maintain a level of public accountability with release of information as per your earlier query

Question

6. Ontario regulations from 1997 make this the only province in Canada to NOT allow third party complaints about police behaviour, i.e. a witness to police wrongdoing cannot file a complaint with the PSB. Ontario regulations from 1997 also put the complaints process entirely in the hands of the police (investigation, hearings, adjudication). This is a clear conflict of interest. The City of Toronto Auditor has been very critical of this situation. Will you push to have the Ontario Minister of Public Safety and Security recognize the need:

(a) for an independent review of complaints against the police?

(b) to allow complaints to be filed by witnesses and others?

Answer:

There are currently a number of avenues available to the public for complaints to be aired, if you believe that these processes are insufficient then make your case to the province to change the legislation and the complaints process.

Question

7. More than 200 complaints were made to the PSB in 2002 concerning alleged police misconduct in Ottawa. The Board found that less than 5% were substantiated.

(a) Do you believe this percentage is valid?

(b) If no, will you work to establish an effective, independent and responsive complaints process here in Ottawa?

Answer:

a) I have no reason to believe that the percentages are in error, with all the information available to the PSB on the misconduct complaints I have to believe that the PSB has fulfilled it's mandate in this area

b) N/A

Question
8. Pepper spray and tasers have potentially lethal effects. Amnesty International has expressed concerns about their use. As a member of City Council and possible member of the PSB, would you support:

(a) making public the guidelines for the use of either of these weapons? Why or why not?

(b) changing the policy to eliminate use of these weapons by police? Why or why not?

Answer:

a) The guidelines should be in the public domain so long as this information does not put at risk the safety of the officers of the police service

b) Until other enforcement procedures are available and as long as the PSB ensures that there is proper training in the use of these weapons I won't support there removal

Question

9(a) Do you think that the media sensationalize protest activities and downplay the value of public expression of views in maintaining our democracy?

(b) If so, in what ways can City Council contribute to a balanced perception by citizens of the rights of those who wish to express dissent in public places?

Answer:

a) The media is going to pick those clips that in there [sic] opinion show the most accurate depiction of what happened at a protest. If there is violence then this will in all likely hood be reported. If the protesters maintain a peaceful and lawful demonstration respecting the rights of all citizens then they will have their public expression of view publicized

b) city council doesn't control the media, the organizers of a protest are the ones most able to get their message aired if they provide a controlled activity that allows for a balanced report of the issues

Question

10. The Ottawa police are increasingly videotaping citizens involved in or near demonstrations, possibly violating privacy rights.

(a) Do you agree with this? If so, why?

(b) If you do not agree with this, would you support the PSB, as part of its oversight responsibility, in discouraging the use of intimidating and indiscriminate taping of citizens?

Answer:

a) given the activities of all groups in these activities it is not unreasonable to have some type of surveillance to help in proving what did or didn't happen at an event

b) if there are no issues from an event then the surveillance footage should be destroyed after a reasonable timeframe, this is something that could be determined by the PSB

Question

11. The OPS has said that video shot of peaceful demonstrators, not needed for any criminal prosecution, is destroyed afterward. Would you support the PSB requiring a periodic report from the OPS confirming that this destruction of the images has been done within a specified timeframe?

Answer:

see 10 b

Section C. AGENDA FOR EXCELLENCE (AFX) FOR POLICING MAJOR EVENTS

Question
12. Since the Agenda for Excellence was released as a draft document in April 2002, nothing appears to have been done to finalize the document as policy for the Ottawa Police Service. Since the PSB is responsible for establishing policing policy, whether you are on City Council or on the PSB itself, would you support setting a short deadline for having the very good principles and guidelines in the AFX incorporated as policy for the OPS?

Answer:

I haven't looked at the AFX and without the review of this I won't commit to it being incorporated.

Question
13. The Major Events Liaison Team (MELT) unit was created as part of the AFX, and intended to work on improving communications between police and protestors at major events so as to defuse dangerous situations. Initially they appeared to have some success in this role. However they were not present at significant later events where violence has taken place (e.g.,
eviction of protestors from 246 Gilmour Street in July 2002, Algerian refugees and their supporters tasered at Minister of Immigration's office in May 2003).

(a) Would you be willing to find out more about the status of this unit and support its increased use as per its original mandate?

(b) As the MELT members are only on assignment to this group and the funding is unclear, would you push for the MELT unit to be made a permanent part of the OPS structure, i.e. with a budget and one or more permanent positions?

Answer:

a) If the MEL [sic] Team is required after a review of it's operations then yes I would support it

b) this obviously follows from a)