Ontario’s Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) is refusing to investigate the case of a septuagenarian who says he was obstructed from entering a public meeting of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Board last year.
“While we understand that the interaction with the officer was upsetting to you and the complaint you filed on the surface may show some incivility, the director has decided that it is not in the public interest to investigate your complaint,” OIPRD said in a letter sent last week to Ray Dawson.
“The actions of the officer as outlined in your complaint do not rise to the level of misconduct as defined by the Police Services Act and regulations,” said OIPRD.
Dawson’s complaint indicated that on November 27 of last year, he showed up five minutes early for a 2 p.m. meeting of the police board.
He was concerned that he was asked to provide his name to gain access to a public meeting, and was forced by a large, blond male officer to wait 15 minutes after the meeting’s normal starting time before being allowed access, as desk officers dealt with other matters, one at a time.
The public portion of meetings of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Services Board tend to be brief.
Over the years, many meetings have concluded in less than 15 minutes.
After SooToday.com wrote about Dawson’s complaint on December 11, Robert Keetch, the Sault’s new police chief, promised to move quickly to remedy the situation.
“I will have a representative of this police service present in the lobby in advance of the public portion of the meeting,” Chief Keetch promised SooToday.
“Any individual interested in attending will be granted access.” the chief said.
That was how public meetings were handled at the Sudbury Police Service, from which Keetch was recently recruited.
Yesterday, Dawson was back to attend the January public meeting of the police board, and he found a definite improvement.
SooToday.com, which has previously experienced treatment similar to that described by Dawson, also noticed that smoother, more courteous access was provided.
Dawson was even allowed to address Thursday’s meeting.
He asked that meeting agendas provide more detailed information about matters to be discussed, and was assured that an attempt would be made to do that.
He also asked for an update on two letters he had sent to the police board, related to his ongoing efforts to ensure that local taxi companies comply with provincial labour law, particularly the provisions for minimum wage.
On that point, Dawson was told that an update would be provided at the board’s next meeting in February.
Mayor Christian Provenzano cautioned Dawson that although he claimed to be raising points of order, in reality he seemed to be using the occasion to press for a review of previous board decisions.
OIPRD advised Dawson that the courts are the only route available to him now to dispute its decision on his complaint.
“Please be advised that the Police Services Act, our governing legislation, does not provide for an appeal process from the classification and screening of complaints conducted by the OIPRD,” Dawson was told in the OIPRD letter,
“The only avenue available to challenge the screening decision is a judicial review before the Superior Court of Justice.”
But Dawson seemed initially encouraged by the reception he got yesterday at Sault Ste. Marie police headquarters.
“Judging from the meeting today, and the response that I was getting from the new board, they are more willing to listen to what I have to say,” Dawson told SooToday.
“The reception that I got was much different today than it was in the past. That’s very much appreciated. Given that, I would say at this point I’m in a wait-and-see.”
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Earlier SooToday.com coverage of this story
(PHOTO: File photography of taxi activist Ray Dawson. David Helwig for SooToday.)
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