Ottawa Witness Group Questionnaire
to all candidates in the 2003 Ottawa municipal
election
QUESTIONNAIRE
Candidate's Name: Dawn Pickering
Candidate's Ward: Somerset
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:
1a) The role of the Ottawa Police Services Board is to ensure that the
powers that the police have are not abused and to ensure that citizen complaints
regarding police conduct are reviewed and appropriate measures are applied.
1b) If elected I may seek to become part of the Board if that is what
would best serve the interests of my Ward.
1c) My belief in a true community requires that the opinions of all
residents in the community be heard. I am open-minded, accessible and interested
in what the residents of the community have to say.
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:
I believe that the PSB has some level of public trust, although it does
not have a high profile amoung most residents of the City. Because new
issues come into light everyday, the PSB should continue to try to find
ways to keep this level of trust and to increase public awareness of its
role and existence.
Question
3. What policies should the PSB introduce or update concerning
the policing of major events, and why?
Answer:
Crowd control will always be important for major events and the PSB
needs to work to ensure that there is an appropriate level of policing
at all community events. Citizens also have a role in policing local community
events by providing additional security as appropriate to the crowd size
and the event type. Police and residents should continue to work together
on crowd control and providing general security at events without intimidating
the crowds and while allowing peaceful protests.
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:
b) It would be better if the PSB has its own website. It would cause
less confusion and ensure that the proceedings are posted as they were
recorded. Further, the Ottawa Police Service should have a link to the
PSB website. This would ensure that the public has access to the 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:
I believe that the policing of major events has improved since the G20
demonstration. This can clearly be seen from the various peaceful protests
during the War on Iraq.
c) The role of the PSB should be to ensure that the Ottawa Police upholds
its Agenda for Excellence. The PSB should also take into consideration
that sometimes freedom of expression and assembly might render the community
less secure. Therefore, the PSB should look at all the possible consequences
of a demonstration before deciding on the type of action taken by the police.
d) If appointed to the PSB, I will make sure that all decisions
are based on facts and will best meet the security and freedom of expression
rights of the community.
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:
Yes
Yes
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:
There’s no way to answer this question fairly without actually looking
at the log of complaints and the process through which the Board decided
on how many were substantiated. I believe that the Board did its best to
come up with a fair and accurate number.
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) Guidelines for the use of either weapons should be made public
and their use and effects examined over a certain time period. I believe
that in cases where a demonstration has gotten out of control pepper spray
is a more effective way to calm the situation than other weapons that could
inflict more harm and injury to the protesters, however there may still
be better ways that could be examined.
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:
I do believe that the media to an extent does sensationalize protests.
However, I do not think that they downplay the value of public expression.
They rather help spread the views of the protesters, which the non-participants
would otherwise not know.
I think the best way to contribute to a balanced perception regarding public
places, is by creating awareness about the rights individuals have and
the advantages of having a public space. At the same time, making available
cases of violent protests would allow residents to perceive the importance
of how public places are used. It is only by demonstrating the two extremes
that guidelines can be created on the best ways to use a public place,
and hopefully provide a more balanced view. Peaceful protest is a right
of Canadians, but when protestors begin assaulting each other or acting
out violently, they are breaking the law and endangering their right to
protest in a public place.
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:
Videotaping demonstrations is a very critical issue. It could be perceived
as violating the privacy rights of the involved, however, it helps the
PSB to review complaints made by citizens to ensure that both the protestors
and the police behaved appropriately.
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:
Yes. It will make videotaping demonstrations more acceptable.
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:
Yes. It is important that the Agenda of Excellence and other policing
policies be finalized. It will contribute to a safer community, as both
protestors and the police would know how to follow the guidelines. It will
also make the rendering of decisions by the PSB faster and allow for the
review of more complaints. Overall, it should make the system more effective.
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:
Yes.
I favour the MELT unit to be made a permanent part of the OPS Structure,
but budget will be based on the outcomes of the Program Review that the
current Council is working on.
Thank you again for taking the time to complete this questionnaire.