30 years since oversight bodies, police accountability remains an issue

 By Susan Rabichuk and Lisa Deveau We have been indoctrinated not to question the police. Adequate police oversight and accountability is long overdue. Officers swear an Oath to uphold fundamental human rights and equal respect, but what happens when officers, including the chief, abuse their power, or, in the case of the

A lack of police accountability and oversight is the sole reason for public anger

 This past weekend demonstrations across Canada by various groups and individuals demanding that governments defund police result from the lack of police accountability in Canada. Police violence has reached such an unacceptable level in this country that it has undermined people’s trust and confidence in our criminal justice system. Although the term

Police investigating police result in no consequences

 There is no doubt that one of the major catalysts behind the calls to defund the police has to do with the blatant ineffectiveness of police oversight agencies in this province and across Canada. If these agencies actually did what they are supposed to do and that is conduct unbiased

Ottawa Police Service — Sheep in sheep’s clothing

 The Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB) has received multiple complaints about harassment and misogyny against female officers and employees on the force for over a decade. On July 8, 2020 Ottawa police officer Carl Keenan was found guilty in a Gatineau court of assault causing bodily harm in relation to

Ottawa man left destitute after faulty police investigation

 If you Google ‘police misconduct in Ottawa’ it is clear that the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has a problem. From the high-profile death of Somali-Canadian Abdirahman Abdi at the hands of two Ottawa Police Officers in July 2016, to Constable Jason Mallette who faced a dozen charges of misconduct in

Hiring more cops should come with conditions

 Above: Ottawa Chief of Police, Peter Sloly The appointment of Peter Sloly as Ottawa’s new Chief of Police should be welcome news for the residents of our community. The Ottawa Police Service has been under a barrage of criticism both internally from its own members and externally by members of

Criminology expert Darryl Davies calls on city to do something about Police Association president’s actions

 Dear Mr. Egli, The latest instalment of policing chaos in this city comes at the hands of Matt Skof, the President of the Ottawa Police Association. It's beyond belief that Matt Skof would post a video to YouTube and publicly call Charles Bordeleau, the Ottawa Chief of Police, a liar without

Ottawa Police Services Crisis: The Cart Pulling the Horse

 Ottawa Life Magazine has been writing about the problems with the Ottawa Police for the past five years. In 2011, we said that Councillor and Ottawa Police Services (OPS) Board Chair Eli El-Chantiry should resign over his all too cozy relationship with then Police Chief Vern White. El-Chantiry saw no

Opinion: Something is Rotten in the State of Ottawa

 It has been said that the reason nothing changes in the criminal justice system is due to the ‘four horsemen’ of political inaction: inertia, ignorance, apathy and cost. When it comes to the Ottawa Police Services Board and their lackadaisical attitude to the issue of carding, it appears all four