Police Association of Ontario Response to the Ontario Government's Announcement of the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act

TORONTO, Feb. 19, 2019 /CNW/ - Over the past seven years, the Police Association of Ontario (PAO) has been committed to advocating for the thoughtful modernization of the Police Services Act with both the former and current provincial governments on behalf of our 18,000 sworn and civilian members.

The PAO has remained steadfast that our priority is to ensure Ontario's front-line police personnel are provided with the tools and funding required to keep Ontario's communities safe while being effectively supported by common-sense oversight, accountability and transparency measures to further the public's trust in our members.

Ontario's front-line police personnel welcome today's announcement by the Ontario Government that they are introducing a new Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act. We are optimistic that this Act will restore fairness and respect for professional policing in the province, make oversight more effective, and improve governance, training, and transparency for the profession.

Local uniform and civilian police personnel are best able to effectively keep their communities safe when there is a high level of trust and cooperation with the public. It is the expectation of the PAO that the new Act will support initiatives that assist our members in further developing these important community relations and outreach programs. In addition, police accountability and oversight measures must be comprehensive in order to maintain the public's trust. The PAO is hopeful this new Act will provide clear processes for police conduct inquiries, and will decrease delays in investigations that can currently take years to complete, causing undue stress for both the officers involved and the affected parties.

Without having had the opportunity to review the Ontario Government's Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act ahead of its introduction today, the PAO must now undertake a fulsome review of the legislation before being able to provide public comment on its contents.

The Police Association of Ontario is committed to being an active participant while this Act moves through the legislative process and to working with the provincial government to ensure Ontario continues to be a safe place to live, work, and visit.

About the Police Association of Ontario

The Police Association of Ontario (PAO) is the official provincial representative body for 18,000 sworn and civilian front-line police personnel from 48 local police associations across Ontario. A unifying voice for advocacy in policing, the PAO provides its member associations with representation, resource and support.

Website: PAO.ca
Twitter: @PoliceAssocON
Facebook: @PoliceAssociationOfOntario

SOURCE Police Association of Ontario