In one of its final acts before municipal elections, Saint John council decided to maintain the city’s police commission.
The idea of abolishing the commission had been under consideration since last fall, but councillors wanted more information before they made a decision.
An independent review by Governedge of the city’s police governance model found the commission model was the right approach.
Fred Kaustinen, principal with Governedge, told council the model needs to be modernized and provided several recommendations:
- Develop a clear mandate for the commission, established by council, outlining its roles and responsibilities, expectations for transparency and public reporting, community engagement, and how policing priorities will be aligned with community needs and council’s strategic objectives
- Strengthen communication and reporting between the commission, council and the public
- Enhance community engagement and transparency in decision-making
- Align policing priorities with community needs and expectations
- Support ongoing training, governance best practices and performance oversight.
Mayor Donna Noade Reardon the report confirmed a solid foundation.
“Our focus now is on strengthening that foundation to enhance transparency, improve accountability and ensure policing continues to reflect the priorities of our community,” Reardon said.
Council committed to reviewing the recommendations and working collaboratively with the commission and the Saint John Police Force to create an implementation plan.
Commission chair Tamara Kelly said continuous improvement should be the aim.
“We are committed to ensuring our governance model reflects best practices and delivers the level of accountability and transparency our community expects,” Kelly said.
