Reference: SPC on PCSP

MOTION
NO.

THE CITY OF WINNIPEG
Council Meeting of July 23, 2020

MOTION
Moved by
Seconded by

(Councillor Chambers)
(Councillor

WHEREAS all provinces in Canada have civilian governance for police services
through boards or commissions that provide oversight to their local police
service;
AND WHEREAS these police boards or commissions are governed by different
provincial legislation and bylaws;
AND WHEREAS jurisdictions across Canada have different requirements, policies,
and procedures for completing background security checks on potential public
board members;
AND WHEREAS the Police Services Act Police Board Regulation 2 (3) requires
that, “Before being appointed to a municipal police board, a person must provide
the appointing authority with a signed consent authorizing inquiries to be made
into the person's background, including a search of the child abuse registry
established under The Child and Family Services Act and inquiries to determine
whether the person has been convicted of, or found guilty of, contravening a
federal or provincial enactment, or has any outstanding charges for
contravening a federal or provincial enactment awaiting court disposition ”;
AND WHEREAS Article 12 of the City of Winnipeg Bylaw No. 148/2012 “Winnipeg
Police Board Bylaw” requires that “potential Board members must pass
background security checks, without limitation, any background security checks
pursuant to the [Police Services] Act”;
AND WHEREAS the Manitoba Police Commission submitted a report to the
Minister of Justice in July 2013 entitled “A Report Examining Security Clearance
for Municipal Police Board Appointees” wherein it was recommended that
security clearances continue to be provincially regulated and that a person who
consented to a background check has an option to request an alternate police
service perform the check and if they do so, it is further recommended that it be
the RCMP;
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 AND WHEREAS the current application for a background check states that an
applicant can request that the RCMP complete the check;
AND WHEREAS the aforementioned report includes a cross jurisdictional study
on the type of background check required for various police boards which
provide oversight to their local policing agency;
AND WHEREAS Council, as the appointing authority, wishes to be assured that
police board members are capable of exercising their role free of any
vulnerability or influence that could bring the administration of justice into
disrepute and to ensure that public confidence in the board as a whole and/or as
individuals is maintained;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED in order to ensure maximum transparency and
neutrality when conducting a background check for the purposes of being
appointed to the Winnipeg Police Board, that the Winnipeg Public Service report
back in 90 days with an up to date cross jurisdictional review regarding security
checks for the purposes of serving on the Winnipeg Police Board that examines:
A.

Which Canadian jurisdictions require a background security check;

B.

Which agency preforms said background security check;

C.

The breadth of the background security check conducted;

D.

The intended purpose of the background security check.

RECORDED
VOTE

YEA

CARRIED

NAY

LOST
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