Police board
Encyclopedia
A police board is an appointed form of local government
charged with the responsibility of overseeing a local police force
In the United States, the term is used for some police departments. For example, the Chicago Police Board oversees the Chicago Police Department
.
In Canada, the police board is charged with overseeing a territorial police
department - the term is also used for the same function in Scotland
. Every municipality in Canada that operates their own police force is required to establish such a board. The legislation of Police Boards is in the jurisdiction of each provincial legislature.
with a population over 5,000 are required by the British Columbia Police Act to provide for a police service. Municipalities in this category have two options: contract with the provincial
government
for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
or create an independent police
department.
Municipalities that choose to operate an independent police
force are required to create a civilian oversight body called a "Police Board". Members of the police board are civilian
members of the community
and are appointed by the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General through an Order in Council. A police board usually has between five and eight members, depending on the size of the municipality. The Mayor
of the municipality is, by law, automatically the Chairperson of the board. One other member of board is usually nominated by the municipality to represent the municipality's interest. Board members are selected from a variety of backgrounds and are usually appointed for one or two year terms. They may be re-appointed to a maximum of six years service. Except for the Mayor, municipal councillors may not be appointed to the municipality's police board.
The mandate of a police board is to own and operate the independent municipal police department ensuring that police independence from political interference is maintained. The board functions as:
The board selects and evaluates the Chief Constable and sometimes other senior departmental managers thereby allowing the board to maintain indirect control and influence over the department, although, in the same way that the police board is independent of the municipal council for policing matters, the Chief Constable is independent from the board for operational matters.
Public complaints against the police were formerly dealt with by the police board. Since July 1, 1998, public complaints are handled by the Police Complaint Commissioner of British Columbia who, as an Officer of the Legislature, is appointed by and responsible to the legislative assembly
. Only level of service complaints and complaints against the Chief Constable are still dealt with by the police board.
Police departments may be amalgamated at the discretion of the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. This occurred on January 1, 2003 when Esquimalt and Victoria
police departments were amalgamated and a combined police board created with the Mayor of Victoria as the Chairperson and the Mayor of Esquimalt as the Vice-Chairperson. Enhanced "professional response, crime prevention and investigation in both communities" were cited as the reasons for the amalgamation.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are contracted to provide municipal policing to 59 British Columbia municipalities including Surrey
, Burnaby, Kelowna
, Prince George
, Kamloops and Nanaimo. Police boards are not utilized for RCMP municipalities.
There are currently 11 municipal police boards in British Columbia:
is elected). The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service is a regional police force for the Metro Vancouver region and its police board is made up of five civilian members (including the chair and a senior management from the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority), a RCMP "E" Division Assistant Commander and a Vancouver Police Department
Deputy Chief Constable. They are all appointed by the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General through an Order in Council.
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
charged with the responsibility of overseeing a local police force
In the United States, the term is used for some police departments. For example, the Chicago Police Board oversees the Chicago Police Department
Chicago Police Department
The Chicago Police Department, also known as the CPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Chicago. It is the largest police department in the Midwest and the second largest local law enforcement agency in the...
.
In Canada, the police board is charged with overseeing a territorial police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
department - the term is also used for the same function in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Every municipality in Canada that operates their own police force is required to establish such a board. The legislation of Police Boards is in the jurisdiction of each provincial legislature.
British Columbia, Canada
All municipalitiesMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
with a population over 5,000 are required by the British Columbia Police Act to provide for a police service. Municipalities in this category have two options: contract with the provincial
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
or create an independent police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
department.
Municipalities that choose to operate an independent police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force are required to create a civilian oversight body called a "Police Board". Members of the police board are civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
members of the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
and are appointed by the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General through an Order in Council. A police board usually has between five and eight members, depending on the size of the municipality. The Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the municipality is, by law, automatically the Chairperson of the board. One other member of board is usually nominated by the municipality to represent the municipality's interest. Board members are selected from a variety of backgrounds and are usually appointed for one or two year terms. They may be re-appointed to a maximum of six years service. Except for the Mayor, municipal councillors may not be appointed to the municipality's police board.
The mandate of a police board is to own and operate the independent municipal police department ensuring that police independence from political interference is maintained. The board functions as:
- the employer of both the "sworn" police officers and the civilian employees of the department and sets the priorities and develops the administrative policies of the department;
- the financial overseer and develops the annual police operating budgetBudgetA budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
in consultation with the municipal council; and - the supervisor of the Chief ConstableChief ConstableChief constable is the rank used by the chief police officer of every territorial police force in the United Kingdom except for the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police, as well as the chief officers of the three 'special' national police forces, the British Transport Police, Ministry...
.
The board selects and evaluates the Chief Constable and sometimes other senior departmental managers thereby allowing the board to maintain indirect control and influence over the department, although, in the same way that the police board is independent of the municipal council for policing matters, the Chief Constable is independent from the board for operational matters.
Public complaints against the police were formerly dealt with by the police board. Since July 1, 1998, public complaints are handled by the Police Complaint Commissioner of British Columbia who, as an Officer of the Legislature, is appointed by and responsible to the legislative assembly
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
. Only level of service complaints and complaints against the Chief Constable are still dealt with by the police board.
Police departments may be amalgamated at the discretion of the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. This occurred on January 1, 2003 when Esquimalt and Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
police departments were amalgamated and a combined police board created with the Mayor of Victoria as the Chairperson and the Mayor of Esquimalt as the Vice-Chairperson. Enhanced "professional response, crime prevention and investigation in both communities" were cited as the reasons for the amalgamation.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are contracted to provide municipal policing to 59 British Columbia municipalities including Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, Burnaby, Kelowna
Kelowna
Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
, Prince George
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
, Kamloops and Nanaimo. Police boards are not utilized for RCMP municipalities.
There are currently 11 municipal police boards in British Columbia:
- City of Vancouver, British Columbia - population: 569,814 - number of police officers: 1,124 - police to population ratio is 1:507
- City of Abbotsford, British ColumbiaAbbotsford, British ColumbiaAbbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
- population: 127,712 - number of police officers: 158 - police to population ratio is 1:808 - District of Saanich, British ColumbiaSaanich, British ColumbiaThe District of Saanich is a municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is located north of the provincial capital, Victoria. It has a population of 108,265 people, making it the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, and the seventh most populous in the province...
- population: 107,964 - number of police officers: 141 - police to population ratio is 1:766 - District of Delta, British ColumbiaDelta, British ColumbiaDelta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...
- population: 100,576 - number of police officers: 141 - police to population ratio is 1:713 - City of Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
- population: 93,097 - number of police officers: 211 - police to population ratio is 1:441 (includes Township of Esquimalt, British ColumbiaEsquimalt, British ColumbiaThe Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
) - City of New Westminster, British ColumbiaNew Westminster, British ColumbiaNew Westminster is an historically important city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and is a member municipality of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. It was founded as the capital of the Colony of British Columbia ....
- population: 59,426 - number of police officers: 106 - police to population ratio is 1:561 - District of West Vancouver, British ColumbiaWest Vancouver, British ColumbiaWest Vancouver is a district municipality in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, the municipality is northwest of the city of Vancouver on the northern side of English Bay and the...
- population: 45,212 - number of police officers: 77 - police to population ratio is 1:587 - City of Port Moody, British ColumbiaPort Moody, British ColumbiaPort Moody is a small, crescent-shaped city in Metro Vancouver, located at the east end of Burrard Inlet in British Columbia, Canada. Port Moody is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south, and Burnaby on the west. The villages of Belcarra and Anmore, along with...
- population: 26,690 - number of police officers: 34 - police to population ratio is 1:785 - District of Oak Bay, British ColumbiaOak Bay, British ColumbiaOak Bay is a municipality located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian Province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Capital Regional District, it is a community east of and adjacent to the City of Victoria...
- population: 18,207 - number of police officers: 22 - police to population ratio is 1:828 - District of Central Saanich, British ColumbiaCentral Saanich, British ColumbiaCentral Saanich is a district municipality in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District. It is located on the Saanich Peninsula. The district began as a farming community, and many hobby farms, along with a handful of small working farms and vineyards, still exist...
- population: 16,091 - number of police officers: 21 - police to population ratio is 1:766 - City of Nelson, British ColumbiaNelson, British ColumbiaNelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
- population: 9,630 - number of police officers: 17 - police to population ratio is 1:566
Exception
The 12th police board is not in conformity with the above description of the Police Board and it does not have any elected representative on the board (whereas a MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
is elected). The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service is a regional police force for the Metro Vancouver region and its police board is made up of five civilian members (including the chair and a senior management from the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority), a RCMP "E" Division Assistant Commander and a Vancouver Police Department
Vancouver Police Department
The Vancouver Police Department is the police force for the City of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several police departments within the Metro Vancouver Area and is the second largest police force in the province after RCMP "E" Division.VPD was the first Canadian police force...
Deputy Chief Constable. They are all appointed by the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General through an Order in Council.
External links
- BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General - Police Services Division
- British Columbia Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner
- Police Services Act of Ontario
Independent police departments in British Columbia
- Abbotsford Police Department
- Central Saanich Police Service
- Delta Police Department
- Nelson Police Department
- New Westminster Police Service
- Oak Bay Police Department
- Port Moody Police Department
- Saanich Police Department
- South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service
- Vancouver Police Department
- Victoria Police Department
- West Vancouver Police Department