A daunting task but one that must be undertaken, that is the assessment from Police Services Board Administrator Malcolm Mercer, following Thursday evening’s release of the much anticipated final report from an expert panel on policing in Thunder Bay.
“We’ll have to sit down and sort out what the priorities are, what comes first, how do you actually achieve progress. I think of it as a lot of work to be done, I think of it as a lot of work that is well worth doing.”
The panel was struck in March of 2022 prior to Mercer’s appointment to the board, which at the time was described as dysfunctional.
status quo and quick fixes are no longer tenable
– Conclusion of Expert Panel
That appointment was extended earlier this year which makes Mercer the sole vote holder on the board.
10 action proposals have been listed for both the police service and board to address issues on racism, workplace mental health and labour relations.
Board member and city councillor Shelby Ch’ng says right now the board and city is entering uncharted territory.
While some on the board expressed a want to get the issue solved quickly, Ch’ng notes it won’t be that easy.
“We didn’t create this problem overnight, this has been inherited through a whole system of colonialism and oppression and I think it is going to take a lot to unpack, and figure out what is the way forward for us.”
The some of the recommendations by the panel include completing recommendations made in previous reviews, including one by former Canadian Senator Murray Sinclair and urging the governments of both Canada and Ontario to recognized the fractured relationship between the city and Indigenous peoples and communities.
Specifically those higher levels of government are requested to be at the table and provide the financial resources required to build a new model of regional policing.
The full 201 page report can be found here.
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