Time to redefine police oversight

Re Senator to probe Thunder Bay police board, July 25 I learned from your article of the existence of yet another “police oversight” mechanism, the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC). So let’s see then: Ontario has the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), more than five dozen police boards and the OCPC, now with its own senator! Every one of them mandated to provide some kind of direction and control over police.

And still, it takes seven months before charges are laid against a cop and his brother accused of beating an innocent Black teenager bloody and blinded. The Toronto police force responsible for the officer couldn’t be bothered to report his actions to the SIU. Durham police laid charges against the victim, then withdrew them when the coverup attempt became obvious.

It takes the OPP (not Thunder Bay police) to arrest the mayor (a former police officer) for extortion, while York Region police have to be called in after Thunder Bay police demonstrate incompe- tence or indifference to multiple Indigenous deaths there.

In his 2008 and 2011 reports, the provincial ombudsman made 49 recommendations on systemic issues in policing in Ontario. Next to none of them has been implemented. But the Attorney General has finally announced new legislation to be introduced in the fall to enhance police oversight.

The word “oversight” has two meanings: the action of overseeing something, and the failure to notice or do something. Dare we hope that, at long last, the Attorney General might have the first definition in mind? Stuart Rogers, Toronto