ONTARIO CIVILIAN COMMISSION ON POLICE SERVICES
IN THE MATTER OF an application for consent to the abolishment of the Terrace Bay Police Service
Presiding Members:
Murray Chitra, Chair Dr. John Balkwill, Vice-Chair
Appearances:
Robert C. Edwards, Counsel for Terrace Bay Police Services Board M. Heather Adams, Clerk/Administrator, Township of Terrace Bay Wes Moore, Staff Sergeant, Ontario Provincial Police David C. Smeltzer, President, Terrace Bay Police Association Peter McGinness, Sergeant, Ontario Provincial Police
Hearing Date: June 13, 2001
This is an application by the Council of the Township of Terrace Bay (the "Township") pursuant to section 40 of the Police Services Act R.S.O. 1990, c. P.15 as amended (the "Act") for consent to the abolishment of the Terrace Bay Police Service (the "Service"). This is for the purpose of having policing in the Township provided under contract with the Ontario Provincial Police (the "OPP").
Background:
Terrace Bay is located on the north shore of Lake Superior on Highway 17. It is about 215 kilometers east of Thunder Bay and 475 kilometers west of Sault Ste. Marie.
The community was established by the Longlac Pulp and Paper Company to take advantage of the surrounding boreal forest following the Second World War. It was initially designated as an Improvement District on September 1, 1947.
This was followed by municipal status on July 1, 1959.
The Township is approximately 150.47 square kilometers in size. This includes 46 kilometers of roads. It is currently the home to 2,325 persons residing in 845 households. The average age is 32.9 years. The major employer is the Kimberley-Clark Pulp and Paper Mill.
The community has a number of retail outlets and business premises. It boasts of excellent recreational facilities, including a golf course, a community center that provides facilities for squash, racquetball and tennis courts, a bowling alley, an outdoor swimming pool, weight room, sauna, and walking trails. There is also a hockey arena and curling club.
Current Policing Arrangement:
The Township is policed by the Service. The present authorized complement consists of a chief of police and six constables. Accordingly, the officer to citizen ratio is 1:332 (7 officers to 2,325 residents). One constable position is vacant. The officers are supported by one civilian secretary.
The community is patrolled 20 hours a day. There are two ten-hour shifts from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Officers are on call for the remaining four hours.
The Service operates from a building at 38 Radisson Avenue. It consists of a public reception area, records room, chief's office, washroom and staff workstations. The Service also has access to additional facilities across the street in the lower level of the Township offices. These are used for a garage, secured property room, breathalyzer room, interview room, exhibit storage, armory and staff lockers.
The Service has no cells or secure custody facilities. It uses the cells at the OPP facility in the neighboring community of Schrieber.
Communications and dispatch for the Service are provided by the OPP from its Communications Centre in Thunder Bay. This contractual arrangement has been in place since June of 1998.
The Service is accountable to a five-member municipal police services board.
The surrounding communities are policed by the OPP. The region in question is quite large. The Nipigon OPP Detachment patrol area is 23,354 square kilometers. It consists of municipalities, First Nations Territories and Unorganized Areas. There are 355 kilometers of highways, 1637 kilometers of other roads and 280 kilometers of waterways.
The municipalities and First Nations in question include: Beardmore Township – 418 residents Schreiber Township – 1788 residents Dorion Township – 472 residents Red Rock First Nation – 250 residents Red Rock Township – 1144 residents Nipigon Township – 2010 residents Pays Plat First Nation – 61 residents
They represent a total population of 6143. The majority live in close proximity to either Highway 11 or 17.
Based on 2000 OPP costing summaries the above noted municipalities fund the cost of 10.85 uniformed officers and 1.67 civilian employees. Accordingly the dedicated municipal police to citizen ratio is 1:566 (10.85 officers: 6143 residents). As well, the municipalities collectively contribute $23,150 towards the cost of common Regional Headquarters services.
These officers are part of an integrated Detachment. The total number of authorized officers providing both municipal and provincial policing in the Nipigon Detachment region is 29. They consist of a staff sergeant, 4 sergeants and 24 constables. We are advised that two uniformed positions are currently vacant. One officer is expected to return to work shortly and the other vacancy is being filled by recruitment. The integrated Detachment is supported by a total of 3.5 civilian members.
The Process:
Over the course of the past few years the Township and Terrace Bay Police Services Board (the "Board") have been concerned about the increased cost of policing and the ability of the Service to meet provincial adequacy requirements.
As a result, on July 19, 1999 the Township Council passed a resolution requesting a costing for the purposes of having policing provided in the community by the OPP. The Ministry of the Solicitor General (the "Ministry") agreed to have the OPP undertake such a costing.
The proposal was completed and presented to Township Council on April 13, 2000. Similar presentations were made to the Board and the public. As a result of these meetings, the OPP was requested to provide further options.
The revised proposal was presented at a second public meeting on June 15, 2000. On July 24, 2000 Council passed a resolution unanimously accepting one of the proposed policing models. This acceptance was contingent on the OPP offering employment to the existing members of the Service.
Township Council passed an unconditional resolution accepting the proposal on March 26, 2001. The following day Township Council formally requested a hearing before the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services (the "Commission") as required by the Act. On April 4, 2001 Council advised the Commission that all outstanding issues had been resolved and that it wished to proceed.
This correspondence was tabled at the Commission's meeting of May 7th and it was agreed that a hearing would be held in Terrace Bay on June 13, 2001. Notice of this proceeding was published in three local newspapers during the week of May 21st and June 4th.
The meeting was held as scheduled and presentations and submissions made by various individuals. We also had the opportunity to inspect the Schreiber Satellite OPP Detachment and the Service's facility on Radisson Avenue. As well, since that time, we have also requested and received further details about certain aspects of the proposal.
The Law:
Policing in Ontario is governed by the provisions of the Act.
Section 4(1) of that legislation imposes upon municipalities the obligation to provide "adequate and effective police services in accordance with its needs". This obligation may be met in a number of different ways. A municipality may choose to establish and maintain its own police force, enter into a joint policing arrangement with another municipality, or contract for policing services from the OPP.
However, in situations where a municipal police service exists, it can only be abolished for the purpose of putting in place an alternative policing arrangement after following procedures set out in the Act.
Specifically, section 40 provides:
40(1) A board may terminate the employment of a member of the police force for the purpose of abolishing the force … if the Commission consents and if the abolition … does not contravene this Act.
(2) The Commission shall consent to the termination of the employment of a member of the police force under subsection (1) only if,
(a) the member and the board have made an agreement dealing with severance pay or agree to submit the matter to arbitration; or (b) the Commission has made an order under subsection (3).
(3) If the member and the Board do not make an agreement dealing with severance pay and do not agree to submit the matter to arbitration, the Commission, if it is of the opinion that it would be appropriate to permit the abolition of the police force … size, may order the member and the board to submit the matter to arbitration and may give any necessary directions in that connection.
If the Commission is of the view that these requirement have been met, then a municipality may enter into a contract with the Solicitor General under section 10 of the Act for policing to be provided by the OPP.
The Issues:
The nature of this scheme is self-evident. It is to ensure that no municipal police force is abolished unless arrangements are in place that will satisfactorily meet the policing needs of the community in question. Any new arrangements must provide for appropriate staff, equipment and facilities to ensure adequate and effective policing. As well, no member of a municipal police force is to be terminated without steps being taken to allow for proper severance.
Accordingly, the purpose of this proceeding is two-fold.
First, the Commission is to receive and review the proposal that has been accepted by Township Council. We are to consider any public comments and submissions.
Second, assuming we are satisfied that the proposal allows for "adequate and effective police services", then our next obligation is to determine whether or not a member is to be terminated as a consequence of abolition. If this is the case, and the parties have reached an agreement with respect to severance or consent to have any outstanding matters referred to arbitration – then the matter ends there. If such agreement has not been reached then the Commission may order the parties to arbitration.
That being said, it is worth noting that given the wording of the Act there are a number of matters beyond the Commission's purview. It is not our role to judge the relative merits of municipal versus OPP contract policing in a particular community or the potential of any proposal to reduce or increase policing costs.
These are matters for Township Council and the Board to assess. It is also not our function to judge whether or not what is being proposed is superior to what may already be in place or some other alternative. Our focus is to determine whether the arrangements being proposed meet the requirements of the Act. Finally, it is not our function to determine what constitutes an appropriate severance payment. That is a matter for bargaining between the parties and in the absence of agreement for arbitration.
The Proposal:
The proposed policing arrangement was described to us by Staff Sergeant Wes Moore. Essentially, it calls for the integration of the current municipal policing resources of Terrace Bay with the Nipigon OPP Detachment.
Staffing
The new Detachment area would be divided into three patrol zones. They would be as follows:
Zone 1: Townships of Nipigon and Beardmore, Highway 17 from Gravel River to Nipigon and Highway 11 from Nipigon to Beardmore Zone 2: Townships of Red Rock and Dorion, Highway 11/17 Nipigon to Quimet Canyon, Highway 628 and Red Rock First Zone 3: Township of Schreiber, Hamlet of Rossport, Pays Plat First Nation and Highway 17 from Steel River to Gravel River
Terrace Bay would be part of Zone 3.
The proposed total Nipigon Detachment complement would be 34 uniformed officers and 4.5 civilian staff. The officers would consist of a staff sergeant, 4 sergeants and 29 constables. They would be responsible for performing both municipal and provincial policing duties.
A certain portion of this complement would be allocated to municipal policing in Terrace Bay. Specifically, this would be .2 staff sergeant, .45 sergeant and 5 constables. This would also include .8 civilians (.6 clerical and .2 caretaker). Accordingly, the officer to citizen ratio would be 1:411 (5.65 officers: 2325 residents). Terrace Bay would also contribute $11, 872 to the cost of common Regional Headquarters support services.
Including the officers previously identified as being responsible for municipal policing in other parts of the region, this would bring the total dedicated municipal policing resources for the integrated Nipigon Detachment to 16.5 officers and 2.47 civilians. This would represent an overall officer to citizen ratio of 1:513 (16.5 officers: 8468 residents). Further, the combined municipalities would be contributing a total of $35,022 to the cost of common Regional Headquarters support services.
Deployment
It is proposed that the integrated Detachment be structured into four platoons. Three of these platoons would each consist of a sergeant and five constables. The fourth platoon would consist of a sergeant and 11 constables. It is this latter platoon that would have the responsibility for patrolling Zone 3.
Overall, the supervisor to officer ratio would be 1:6 (1 staff sergeant and four sergeants: 29 constables).
Officers would generally work two ten-hour shifts from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. Any calls for service during the four hours when officers would not be patrolling would be responded to by officers "on call".
In Zone 3 there would normally be three officers scheduled to work in the patrol area during the day and afternoon shifts. This would include a minimum of two officers working each shift. There would be four officers assigned to the Friday and Saturday afternoon shift. Two officers would start at 8:00 p.m. and provide patrol coverage until 6:00 a.m. the following morning.
The Detachment would also have three officers assigned to special duties. This would include a community service officer, a detective constable and a court officer. The current arrangement with respect to courts (in Schreiber and Nipigon) would continue.
The Detachment also has the ability to call on further specialized services from the OPP North West Regional Headquarters in Thunder Bay. These include a 20 member crime unit, 2 canine teams, 2 technical identification services units, two emergency response teams and an in-service training unit. There is also a 20 member Auxiliary Unit in Thunder Bay that could be deployed for special occasions.
Facilities
Administration for the Nipigon Detachment would continue to be located at the existing facility at Highway 11/17 in the Township of Nipigon. The Nipigon Detachment facility would continue as the operational office for Zones 1 and 2.
This is a single story brick building of approximately 3876 square feet. It is a well-appointed facility with:
- double bay garage
- five holding cells (monitored by 6 contract guards)
- interview/breathalyzer room
- offices for clerical staff, supervisors and detachment commander
- general office for constables
- lunchroom and washrooms
- security storage and secure storage for firearms
- emergency diesel generator
It is accessible to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. After hours assistance is available through a wall-mounted phone directly connected to the OPP Communications Centre in Thunder Bay.
The operation police facility for Zone 3 is located at 23 Kingsway Road in Schreiber. This is approximately 14 kilometers west of Terrace Bay. It is responsible for the policing of Schreiber, Rossport and Pays Plat First Nation. It is proposed that the officers assigned to the Township will be deployed out of this facility. This would include the sergeant and eleven constables identified above. Secretarial support would also be assigned to this facility.
The Schreiber Satellite facility is an older single story building that at one time served as a residence. It has an attached garage, general office space, a sergeant's office, storage facilities, a kitchen, washrooms and three holding cells. The cells are not monitored by camera. We are advised that is done by contract guards who are posted near the cell area. An eyewash station was recently installed (to decontaminate persons sprayed with tear gas 'oleoresin capsicum'). The facility is computer and telephone equipped and has an exterior phone that is directly connected to the Communications Centre in Thunder Bay. It has a diesel backup generator that is no longer in use.
The Nipigon Detachment area also has two Community Policing Offices. Essentially, these are offices with a desk, telephone and computer that are available to officers for meetings or interviews.
One such facility is located at the former Red Rock Police Station at 42 Salls Street. It is equipped with a computer with OMPAC access and a telephone. As well, there is an exterior phone with direct access to the Communications Centre in Thunder Bay.
Another Community Policing Office is located at 78 Pearl Street in Beardmore. This is a former OPP Detachment office that now serves as the municipal building for the Township of Beardmore. It is telephone and computer equipped. The office also has an exterior mounted telephone.
It is also proposed that the current Terrace Bay Police Office at 38 Radisson Avenue be used as a Community Policing Office. It is described earlier in this decision. It would be available for interviews, phone service and policing needs. During the "call-out" period, one marked police car would be kept at the office for possible use. As well, portable radios will be stored at the office for officers on walking patrol in Terrace Bay.
Communications
The communications and dispatch function for the proposed integrated Detachment would be provided by the OPP Communications Centre in Thunder Bay. This would continue the existing arrangement for both the Service and Nipigon OPP Detachment.
The Communications Centre is a 24-hour, 365 days per year operation. It is staffed by 17 communications officers (13 full-time and 4 casual), 6 sergeants/team leaders, 1 technologist and 1 staff sergeant/unit commander. The sergeants are available to provide operational support and direction to any officer on patrol.
The communications system itself is a hybrid microwave system using several linked towers placed throughout the region. They provide overlapping coverage to the Nipigon Detachment area.
The Centre monitors OPP Simplex and the Provincial Common Channel. All incoming and outgoing calls are recorded. Citizens in Terrace Bay can continue to contact the Centre using a toll free 1-888 number or a local administration number.
All officers will be equipped with portable radios while on patrol. These radios are linked to police vehicles by in-car repeaters.
Equipment
The Nipigon OPP Detachment currently has the following equipment:
- 8 rifles, 2 shotguns and a semi-automatic handgun for each officer
- 2 breathalyzers and 4 alcohol testers
- 5 radar units (4 moving and 1 hand held)
- 1-16 foot aluminum boat with 40 HP motor and trailer
- 2 snowmobiles with a double deck trailer
- 11 vehicles with four spike belts
It is proposed to add two further marked vehicles, a roadside screening device, a radar unit and additional long guns. All Terrace Bay Police officers currently use the OPP standard issue SIG Sauer P229 handgun.
Records Management
Both the Service and Nipigon OPP use the Ontario Municipal and Provincial Police Automation Co-Operative (OMPPAC) as their records management system. This is to be replaced in the near future with the Niche RMS.
It is proposed that all police records from the Service would be reviewed and brought in line with OPP records management practices. As well, all Service Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) records would be transferred to the North West Region Centralized CPIC unit in Thunder Bay upon disbandment.
Transitional Planning
All current members of the Terrace Bay Police Service have been offered employment with the OPP. This includes all uniformed members and the one civilian clerical worker. It is proposed that the clerical worker be assigned to alternate between the Schreiber Satellite Detachment facility and the proposed Terrace Bay Community Policing Office.
It is proposed that members of the Service and Nipigon OPP undertake joint patrols to become familiar with their new responsibilities. All Terrace Bay Police Service officers will receive a one-week orientation course at the OPP Academy in Orillia and training in the new Niche RMS.
Once the proposal is approved, it is intended that material will be prepared for local media to advise citizens on the details of the transition.
Decision:
Is the proposal presented by the OPP and accepted in principle by the Township likely to provide adequate and effective police services?
At the current time the Act does not define what constitutes "adequate and effective police services". However, some assistance can be found in certain provisions of the Act, regulations and prior Commission decisions.
In particular, subsection 4(2) of the Act states:
4(2) Adequate and effective police services must include, at a minimum, all of the following services:
- Crime prevention.
- Law enforcement.
- Assistance to victims of crime.
- Public order maintenance.
- Emergency response.
Subsection 4(3) sets out that a municipality must provide "all infrastructure and administration necessary for providing such services, including vehicles, boats, equipment, communication devices, buildings and supplies".
Further, on January 1, 2001 Ontario Regulation 3/99 came into full force and effect (the "Regulation"). This Regulation details a series of expectations with respect to adequacy and effectiveness under the five general headings noted in subsection 4(2). Some of these provisions describe specific services to be provided while others concern the manner in which they are to be delivered.
Further parts of the regulation assign responsibility for the development of plans, procedures and policies to ensure that the overall objectives are met.
Commission decisions in various contexts have articulated different tests to assess or determine adequacy. At page 15 of Municipality of Chatham-Kent (August 14, 1998) we stated:
Broadly these tests have been comparative or alternative. The comparative tests may be applied historically or geographically. Where it is applied historically, the current or proposed staffing level is compared to that which the municipality has received in the past. If past staffing levels were considered adequate, the proposed or current level is normally presumed to be adequate and effective.
Where the comparative test is applied geographically, the proposed or current staffing level is measured against those found in communities of similar size and needs. If the levels are considered adequate in those communities a similar level proposed is generally presumed to be adequate and effective. These presumptions are by definition rebuttable.
How do these tests apply to the facts of this case?
At the current time the authorized complement for the Service is 7 officers. As a result, the present officer to citizen ratio is 1:332. The number of officers performing municipal policing functions in the Detachment area is 10.85. Accordingly, the ratio of officers to citizens is 1:566. Combined, the present number of officers performing municipal policing functions in both areas is 17.85 for a ratio of 1:474.
It is proposed to integrate these resources in a single detachment. However, a total of 5.65 officers would be allocated to the Township. This would result in a new ratio of officers to citizens of 1:441. As well, this would see a new combined total of municipal policing resources in the proposed detachment area of 16.5 officers for a ratio of 1:513.
On the face of it, this is a slight reduction from the current number of dedicated municipal policing resources. However, it is still highly favorable and well within the acceptable range. In the recent past, this Commission has approved policing arrangements for ratios of 1:622 (Wellington County), 1:738 (Chatham-Kent), 1:726 (Haldimand Norfolk), 1:743 (Leamington Mersea) and 1:766 (East Zorra-Tavistock).
Further, this proposal is an improvement on the arrangement that this Commission authorized for the Nipigon Detachment area in Township of Red Rock (May 26, 2000). The approved ratio in that decision was 1:543.
We also note two other factors. First, the overall population for the various communities in the Detachment region have been decreasing. Over the course of the past 10 years, this has ranged between 5 to 15% for the different communities in question.
Further, the total number of calls for police service and reported crimes have either remained constant or decreased. For example, the total number of calls for service for both the Nipigon Detachment and Service in 1999 was 2034. The number of reported offences was 672. In 2000, the combined calls for service was 1993 and the reported offences was 624. Given the above, we are satisfied with the proposed staffing level.
However, we do have some concerns with the proposed hours of deployment. Essentially, the plan calls for the continuation of the existing arrangement wherein officers work ten-hour shifts. As a consequence there will be four-hour periods in which the Township and Detachment area are not being patrolled. Calls for service during that period will be responded to by "on call" officers dispatched from the Communications Centre in Thunder day.
The Regulation states:
4.(1) Police forces shall, using their own police officers … respond to emergency calls for service 24 hours a day.
(2) Police forces shall, using their own police officers … provide community patrol consisting of,
(a) general patrol; and
(b) directed patrol in the areas at the times where it is considered necessary or appropriate.
(3) Every chief of police shall establish procedures and processes on community patrol which address when and where directed patrol is considered necessary or appropriate based on such factors as crime, call and public disorder analysis, criminal intelligence and road safety.
Further, the regulations require that:
5.(6) A communications center … must operate 24 hours a day with one or more communications operator or dispatchers to answer emergency calls for service and maintain constant two-way radio communication capacity with police officers who are on patrol or responding to emergency calls.
Does the proposed arrangement meet these requirements?
Clearly, the Thunder Bay Communications Centre operates 24 hours a day. As well, the proposal calls for the Detachment area to be patrolled by locally deployed officers who will be available twenty-fours hours a day (albeit with four of those hours "on call") to respond to emergencies.
On the face of it, the proposed arrangement meets the technical requirements of the Regulation. As well, it may be true that the number of calls for service received during the early hours of the morning are few in number. However, it is essential that all calls (regardless of time origin) be responded to in a timely and efficient manner and that the safety of citizens living in this immense region is not compromised.
Based on the information before us, we are reluctant to direct a change to an arrangement that has been in place for some time. However, we feel that is sufficiently important in light of the new Regulation to require that calls for service and response times during the four hour period be closely and regularly monitored to ensure that emergency response is both adequate and effective.
Further, we do not wish this decision to be seen as an endorsement of "twenty hour policing". While it may be acceptable in some situations, it is neither preferable or the best method of ensuring effective proactive policing.
That being said, we do have concerns about three related matters. First, the backup generator for the Satellite Detachment should be in working order. It is essential that this office have the capacity to operate during a power blackout, particularly during winter months.
Second, the cells at this facility and the Nipigon Detachment building are not adequate. They are not suicide proof or monitored by camera. Further, the fact that the Nipigon cells have porcelain sinks and toilets represents a safety hazard to both staff and prisoners. The need for these renovations has been identified but they are currently not scheduled to take place. We believe that they are required for this proposal to be acceptable. See Town of Renfrew (August 25, 2000).
The current Terrace Bay Police building is in good order and will serve as an appropriate Community Policing Office. However, we feel that there should be an external mounted telephone with direct access to the Thunder Bay Communications Centre for off-duty hours. Such phones are currently in place at the Nipigon Detachment, Schreiber Satellite Detachment and Red Rock Community Policing Centre.
That brings us to the issues of termination and severance. As noted above, all current uniform members and the one full time civilian employee of the Service will be offered employment with the OPP. At this time, all uniform members have agreed to accept this offer of employment. The civilian member is undecided.
That being said, we find that the proposed level of supervision is acceptable (1 supervisor: 6 officers). Further, we recently examined the local communications arrangement at the Thunder Bay Communications Centre in Township of Red Rock and found it to be adequate. Given this and the fact that this service appears to have worked well in both the Township and Nipigon Detachment area for the past two years, we are satisfied with this aspect of the proposal. We also find that the proposed additional equipment and transitional plan to be suitable.
That leaves the question of facilities. The plan calls for all officers who would be patrolling Zone 3 and the Township, to work from the Schreiber OPP Satellite building. The facility is 14 kilometers west of Terrace Bay. The current Terrace Bay Police Service building would be maintained as a Community Policing Office.
We approved a similar arrangement in Township of Red Rock. In that case, the proposal was to move the municipal complement to the Nipigon Detachment building 15 kilometers west of Red Rock. The former municipal police building at 42 Salls Street was kept as a Community Policing Office. We do not see why such an arrangement would not be acceptable here.
We are advised by the President of the Terrace Bay Police Association that an agreement with respect to severance payments is contained in the 2001 Collective Agreement. It covers both uniformed and civilian staff. There is a possible outstanding issue concerning a uniform member that has not been resolved. If this is not possible then all parties are agreeable to having the issue determined by arbitration.
We, therefore, direct that any outstanding severance issues, 90 calendar days from the date of this decision, are to proceed forthwith to arbitration.
We are also informed by Mr. Edwards that the Board and the Chief have entered into an agreement and there are no unresolved issues on his part.
Accordingly, pursuant to section 40 of the Act, we consent to the abolition of the Terrace Bay Police Service.
This approval is subject to the following conditions:
Calls for service and response times during the four hour period, when officers are not on duty in the Nipigon Detachment region, be monitored and are the subject of regular reports to the District Commander and local Police Services Boards.
A working backup generator be in place at the Schreiber Satellite Detachment facility.
Renovations be undertaken to the cells at both the Nipigon Detachment building and Schreiber Satellite Detachment. These renovations are to include conversion from porcelain to stainless steel sinks and toilets for the Nipigon Detachment cells; increasing the size of cells, changing doors to a suicide/tamper proof design; installation of video monitoring; and changing the style of bed to prevent concealment.
A direct telephone line be installed on the exterior of the current Terrace Bay Police office at 38 Radisson Avenue. This will be a free line, linked to the OPP Communications Centre in Thunder Bay. This telephone will be available to the public for emergency use 24 hours a day, lighted and easily visible from the street.
Any outstanding severance issues unresolved within 90 days of this decision are to proceed forthwith to arbitration.
This decision can take place following completion of items 2, 3 and 4. The proposal as presented to us on June 13, 2001 is not to be altered without consent in writing from the Commission.
We would like to express our appreciation for the presentations of all parties and the written submissions of Mayor King and Chief Fenton.
DATED THIS 31st DAY OF JULY, 2001.
Murray W. Chitra Chair, OCCPS
Dr. John A. Balkwill Vice-Chair, OCCPS