The Smiths Falls Police Services Board is being urged to address significant governance issues, according to a letter sent following an April 1 meeting with board leadership.
The author, Kelley Denham, says current board policies are decades old, reference legislation that has since been repealed, and predate modern interpretations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Those gaps are described as creating “daily risks” for the board’s oversight of the Smiths Falls Police Service.
Deputy Chair Shawn Pankow addressed the concerns at the April board meeting, and confirmed they’re in possession of updated policies.
The board’s established a small working group featuring Pankow and provincial appointee Andrew Howard to sift through the proposed changes, and provide an update at the May meeting.
Howard said public input will be part of the process.
The letter calls for updates to governance policies to align with current legislation and expectations, particularly around accountability, oversight, and Charter compliance.
Story by Grant Deme
