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Changes made to West Nipissing’s police board
January 9, 2023 By David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Jan. 9, 2023, West Nipissing, Ont. – Some changes to the West Nipissing police board have been made by the municipality, to comply with updates to Ontario’s Community Safety and Policing Act 2019. Although this act is not yet in force, the province anticipates it will be brought in later this year or in early 2024.
Soon after the Act was passed, the province began consulting with municipalities “on re-constituting OPP detachment boards,” in early 2020, explained Alisa Craddock, West Nipissing’s director of corporate services, in a memo to council.
COVID-19 derailed these consultations, although at one point, the province wanted to have one OPP detachment board per detachment. This would mean that West Nipissing’s police board would be amalgamated in the Sudbury detachment board, Craddock noted. However, the municipality and Inspector Michael Maville, the West Nipissing OPP Detachment Commander “provided rationale to the Ministry on why West Nipissing should not be amalgamated,” and the province agreed. West Nipissing’s board became “an exception” and remains a board unto its own.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General requested that West Nipissing submit its preferred composition for an OPP board, and presented three options. All three options allowed for five total board members, and option one allowed for three council members, one community representative, and one provincial appointee.
The second option was for two council members, two community representatives and one provincial appointee. Option three saw one council member on the board, three community representatives and one provincial appointee.
Council opted for option two. Councillor Daniel Gagne will serve on the board, and the other spots will be filled at a future council meeting.
– BayToday.ca
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