It’s the first Guelph Police Services Board meeting of the year, and that means that there’s some beginning of the year business to get through. As observant politicos know, there’s a checklist for the police board every January, and we will go through it for this initial gathering of 2024, plus there will be an update from the Chief, some successful granting news, and the way forward for future meetings.
NOTE: This meeting takes place virtually at 2:30 pm but it will be broadcast on Guelph Police’s YouTube page.
Human Resources Report: Member Appointments – The hiring of two new full-time officer and the two new communicator-dispatchers make up the complement of new staff that the board has to approve this month.
Budget Signing Authorities – At the beginning of every year, the board has to approve (or re-approve) the signing authorities for the Guelph Police Service. This year, there have been some minor administrative changes to better reflect the current organizational structure and job titles, and some changes that align the authority with what’s been approved in the 2024 budget.
Acting Chief and Deputy Chief of Police Appointment – At the beginning of every year the Police Service has to name which people will serve as the acting chief if Gord Cobey is unavailable, and who would serve as the deputy chief if either Daryl Goetz or Steve Gill (or both) are unavailable.
Professional Standards Q4 Report (2023) – It’s the start of a new quarter, so that means it’s time for the quarterly report on Police professional standards. In the last quarter of last year, there were 16 new public complaints through the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, and only six were referred to Professional Standards with five of those six still ongoing. There was one new investigation initiated by the Special Investigations Unit in the last quarter, and there’s another investigation that’s still ongoing under the SIU.
Board Correspondence Report – There’s only one piece of mail this month, and it’s incoming. It’s a letter from Deputy City Clerk Dylan McMahon about the city council resolution on intimate partner violence that was passed last November.
Membership Renewals for 2024 – If the Guelph Police Service wishes to remain a part of the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards and the Canadian Association of Police Governance then the board has to approve the $7,341.52 membership fee for the former and the $2,132.82 fee for the later.
Grant Funded Capital Projects – Although the budget is done, this meeting agenda does include budget news. The Guelph Police Service has received two grants from the Ministry of the Solicitor General, one to expand the Break Enter Auto Theft (BEAT) Team by two members and the other to support the transition to the Next Generation 9-1-1 system.
Board Meeting Format – As discussed at last month’s meeting, the board is looking for some direction about what meetings will look like going forward. Will they still meet online? Will the board now meeting in-person? Will it be some combination of the two? A decision will have to be made!
Chief’s Monthly Report – As usual, Guelph Police Services Chief Gord Cobey will deliver a verbal report about the latest goings on at 15 Wyndham Street South.
Guelph Politico 