PUBLIC MINUTES

BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS

Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 1:00 P.m. - 5:00 P.m.

Committee Room E, Ground Floor, City Hall

PRESENT:

• Commissioner J. Custead, Chair
• Commissioner K. Healy, Vice-Chair
• Commissioner Mayor C. Clark at 3:58 p.m.
• Commissioner H. Gough
• Commissioner S. Greyeyes
• Commissioner Z. Jeffries at 1:09 p.m.
• Commissioner B. Penner

ALSO PRESENT:

• Chief T. Cooper
• A/Deputy Chief D. Haye
• Deputy Chief C. McBride
• SPS Executive Director M. Arscott
• SPS Solicitor A. Smith, via teleconference
• BPC Communication Consultant L. Nyirfa
• BPC Solicitor S. Edmondson
• City Clerk A. Tittemore
• A/Board Secretary H. Janzen

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1.

MINUTES/DELEGATIONS/PRESENTATIONS

1.1

Call to Order

The Chair called the meeting to order on Treaty 6 Territory and the Traditional Homeland of the Métis People and confirmed roll call.

1.2

Confirmation of Agenda

• Moved By: Commissioner Gough
  1. That Item 1.4.1 be withdrawn; 
  2. That Item 4.2 be heard before Item 4.1; and  
  3. That the agenda be confirmed as amended.
  
  

  In Favour: (5)	Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (2)	Commissioner Jeffries, and Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1.3

Adoption of Minutes

• Moved By: Commissioner Healy

  That the minutes of the public Board of Police Commissioners meeting held on October 19, 2023, be adopted.

  
  

  In Favour: (5)	Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (2)	Commissioner Jeffries, and Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1.4

Delegations

1.4.1

Irene Seiferling - Mental Health Care

This item was withdrawn.

1.5

Chair's Report

Chair Custead spoke to the following:

• Noted it was Chief Coopers last public meeting before going on vacation and then retiring;
• Come and go retirement celebration for Chief Cooper will be held on December 14, 2023, from 3-5 p.m.;
• Regina has a new Police Chief starting, passed along congratulations to the Board of Police Commissioners Chair, Jada Yee. 

• Moved By: Commissioner Greyeyes

  That the information be received.

  
  

  In Favour: (5)	Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (2)	Commissioner Jeffries, and Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1.6

Chief's Report

Chief Cooper spoke to the following:

• SPS hosted, with many community partners involved, a Feast and Round Dance to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Gender Diverse People on November 8th. 
• Pleasant Hill Community associated presented last month and SPS has met with them since the last Board meeting. 
• 10 new recruits will be graduating December 8th in Regina, happy to welcome them back to Saskatoon. 
• SPS has been assisting with rallies and protests, ensuring safety for the community. 
• Regina's new Police Chief, Farooq Hassan Sheikh, is starting December 1. He has lots of experience and it will be exciting to see what he can add.

Commissioner Jeffries entered the meeting at 1:09 p.m.

• Moved By: Commissioner Greyeyes

  That the information be received.

  
  

  In Favour: (6)	Commissioner Jeffries, Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (1)	Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

1.7

Environmental Scan

Commissioner Penner asked if the Peel's Principles are displayed anywhere publicly in the police headquarters building and if by January the Administration could report back on the feasibility of having the principles displayed and where members of the public could see. He also noted the possibility of adding them to the Board of Police Commissioners website. 

Chief Cooper responded explaining the Peel's Principles, they are the foundation on modern policing. It is included in the training and not something that they would be opposed to posting in the building. 

Commissioner Healy attended a third building bridges featuring Uganda culture spotlight by The People Bridge Advocacy Group. It was an extremely enlightening and interesting session. He also noted that he commends the media of Saskatoon who helpfully informed the public of the over incarceration of Indigenous women in Saskatchewan.  

• Moved By: Commissioner Greyeyes

  That the information be received.

  
  

  In Favour: (6)	Commissioner Jeffries, Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (1)	Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  Item 4.2 was considered next. 

  
  

2.

CORRESPONDENCE/CITY COUNCIL REFERRALS

3.

ROUTINE/STATISTICAL REPORTS

4.

RESPONSES TO BOARD REFERRALS

4.1

SPS Involvement with Complex Needs Individuals

At its meeting held on August 17, 2023, the Board considered a response letter from Honourable Hindley, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Honourable Makowsky, Minister of Social Services, dated June 19, 2023 regarding housing and supports for individuals with complex needs. The Board resolved that SPS further report on Police interactions with individuals with complex needs.

In this regard, a report of the Chief of Police was provided.

Chief Cooper introduced the report and Superintendent Darren Pringle presented the report with a PowerPoint. Together they responded to questions of the Board.

• Moved By: Commissioner Gough
  1. That the board write a letter referencing this report with the Provincial Government as information on the challenges faced by individuals facing complex needs upon release.

  That SPS Administration:

  2. Share this report with the Provincial Government as information on the challenges faced by individuals facing complex needs upon release.
  3. Work with community partners in order to identify best practices in Canada for release of hard to house or unhoused persons and report back to the board.
  4. Offer to work with Provincial Government as they develop policies for the new Complex Needs facility in order to identify a way to maximize the use of government and community supports when individuals are released recognizing that the process for SPS detention could benefit from best practices developed to support this provincial unit and the importance of direct access to health and social service supports and coordinated case planning.
  5. Continue to lobby for social housing that has sufficient support resources to sustainability support individuals with active addiction or other complex needs that can cause community disruption.
  
  

  In Favour: (6)	Commissioner Jeffries, Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (1)	Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  Item 5.1 was considered next.

  
  

4.2

Provincial Investment for Alternative Response Officer Expansion

At its meeting held on October 19, 2023, the Board considered the 2024-2025 Police Operating Budget Estimates report and resolved, in part, that given the opportunity to match Provincial investment in Alternate Response Officer (ARO) positions, will the administration bring forward to the November 16, 2023 Board of Police Commissioners meeting, a business case report for co-investment, outlining where capacity can be made within the budget presented, and how total projected ARO units would be deployed if fully resourced.

In this regard, a report of the Chief of Police was provided along with a request to speak from Shane Partridge, Pleasant Hill Community Association, dated October 24, 2023.

Chief Cooper introduced the report and Superintendent Darren Pringle presented the report with a PowerPoint. Together with SPS Executive Director Michele Arscott they responded to questions of the Board.

The Board heard from Shane Partridge and Ruth Reimer, Pleasant Hill Community Association and they responded to questions of the Board. 

• Moved By: Commissioner Penner
  1. That the authorized strength of SPS be increased by 5 FTE’s for the additional AROs; and
  2. That the SPS operating budget be increased by $200,000 to match the Provincial funding of $200,000 for the program.
  
  

  In Favour: (6)	Commissioner Jeffries, Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (1)	Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  Item 4.1 was considered next. 

  
  

5.

OTHER

5.1

Continued Partnership Saskatoon Police and Fire

A report of the Saskatoon Fire Chief was provided.

Fire Chief Hackl presented the report. Together with Chief Cooper they responded to questions of the Board. 

• Moved By: Commissioner Penner

  That the information be received.

  
  

  In Favour: (6)	Commissioner Jeffries, Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (1)	Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

6.

BOARD INQUIRIES/NOTICE OF MOTIONS

7.

IN CAMERA SESSION

• Moved By: Commissioner Healy

  That the Board move In Camera to consider matters exempt to the public under its Governance Policy No. 12.4, Section 10(2) of The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Bylaw No. 7531, Section 27(15) of The Police Act, 1990, and Section 16(1)(b) and (d), 21 and 28 of The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

  
  

  In Favour: (6)	Commissioner Jeffries, Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes
  Absent: (1)	Commissioner Mayor Clark

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

  The meeting recessed at 2:49 p.m.

  
  

8.

RISE AND REPORT

The Board convened In Camera at 3:03 p.m. with the following in attendance:

• All Board members
• SPS Administration (Ashley Smith virtual)
• Board Solicitor Edmondson
• Board Communications Consultant Nyirfa
• City Clerk Tittemore
• A/Secretary Janzen

Mayor Clark entered at 3:58 p.m.

SPS Administration left the meeting at 4:05 p.m. with the exception of Chief Cooper

Chief Cooper left the meeting at 4:34 p.m.

Board Solicitor Edmondson left the meeting at 5:00 p.m.

The Board completed its In Camera session at 5:39 p.m. and reconvened publicly to rise and report, as follows:

• Moved By: Commissioner Healy
  1. That the Board of Police Commissioners approve the Saskatchewan Provincial Intercept Program Capital Project for $340,000 with the funding provided by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety and the remainder of the funding being allocated from the program shared with the Regina Police Service (RPS), with no net budget implications; and
  2. That the remaining submitted correspondence, reports and discussion remain In Camera under its Governance Policy No. 12.4, Section 10(2) of The Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Bylaw No. 7531, Section 27(15) of The Police Act, 1990, and Sections 16(1)(b) and (d), 21 and 28 of The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
  
  

  In Favour: (7)

  Commissioner Jeffries, Commissioner Mayor Clark, Commissioner Gough, Commissioner Penner, Commissioner Custead, Commissioner Healy, and Commissioner Greyeyes

  
  
  
  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

9.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 5:50 p.m.