The Road Ahead: A Strategic Plan for Ontario’s Inspectorate of Policing 2024-2027

The Inspectorate of Policing (IoP) recognizes that its work, and the work of its community partners, takes place on traditional territory of Indigenous Nations in Ontario, including the Anishinaabe (comprising the Algonquin, Mississauga, Ojibwe, Anisininew (Oji-Cree), Odawa and Pottawatomi peoples), the Omushkego (also known as Swampy Cree), the Lenape and the Haudenosaunee (Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Tuscarora, and Seneca) and the Métis peoples.

We acknowledge that there are 46 treaties and other agreements that cover the territory now known as Ontario. We acknowledge that we continue to live and work in these territories and are thankful to the First Nations and Métis peoples who have cared for these lands since time immemorial. Their enduring contributions continue to strengthen Ontario and enrich all communities. We also acknowledge the many other Indigenous peoples from Indigenous nations who call this place home. The IoP is honoured to collaborate with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leadership, partners, and communities across their territories. The IoP is committed to deepening its understanding of the rich history of this land while honouring the inherent and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples.

The IoP would also like to acknowledge that its office is located in Toronto and on the traditional territory of many First Nations including the Mississaugas, the Anishinabek Nation, the Chippewas, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Wendat peoples and is now the home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis persons.  We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed by the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa nations.

Policing is a core public service. When danger strikes, we expect the police to be there to keep us safe. Whether the police are called on to respond to an active threat, investigate an offence after it has occurred, or prevent crime before it happens, their role is complex, constantly evolving, and fundamental to a safe society.

We deserve the best policing possible, and police services deserve a system that supports them as they do their important work. Society must look ahead to ensure that the police we call upon are equipped to anticipate and effectively address new and emerging threats. Our institutions of independent civilian governance, including police service boards, must ensure that local policing is accountable and being delivered fairly, effectively, and in a manner that meets community needs.

As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, I grew up understanding that when the power of the state – including the police –is misused, the consequences can echo for generations. Early on, my grandparents’ stories taught me the importance of ensuring policing services respect, serve and protect all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. And so, it is the legacy of my grandparents and the reminders of their sacrifice that drive my commitment towards public safety and guide me as I lead the Inspectorate of Policing.

As we embark on a new era of policing oversight in Ontario, the IoP is steadfastly committed to improving performance in policing to make everyone in Ontario safer. This is not just a vision, but our mission – a mission now made more tangible with the launch of the IoP’s inaugural Strategic Plan.

This Strategic Plan serves as a roadmap to guide us in fulfilling our mandate and achieving our vision over the next three years. This Plan outlines our approach and the specific work we will undertake to make lasting, positive impact on Ontario’s policing sector and the diverse public it serves. The IoP has a role to play in building bridges between those that deliver policing services, and the public who live, work, and visit in the communities our police serve.

We are committed to engaging police services, boards, employers of special constables, community groups and other police oversight bodies and government to achieve our mission. We will ask the tough questions the public deserves to have answered, identify best practices in performance where they exist, and be a ‘right touch’ regulator in using our compliance and enforcement tools where they are needed to improve policing performance and maintain public safety.

I am proud to serve as Ontario’s Inspector General of Policing, and I am confident that the IoP’s work – guided by the compass this plan represents and delivered by a dedicated group of public servants that act as inspectors, investigators, advisors, data analysts, data scientists and performance measurement experts – will help Ontario distinguish itself for policing excellence worldwide. 

Thank you for your early trust and confidence as the IoP works each day to make Ontario safer for all.

Ryan Teschner 

Inspector General of Policing of Ontario

Our Strategic Plan serves as a comprehensive roadmap that outlines our vision over the next three years. It will guide us in establishing our priorities and processes to fulfill our legislated mandate of serving the public’s interest. 

We adopted a three-year approach to achieve these objectives, providing a structured framework for decision-making while remaining flexible to adapt to changing public safety needs. This timeframe pushes us to continually assess and enhance our approach in fulfilling the Inspector General’s mandate, based on feedback from the community and results of our work. Through this process, we can identify what we could do differently in pursuit of improving policing service delivery in Ontario. By prioritizing evidence-based decision-making and fostering a culture of continuous growth, we also aim to ensure that Ontario’s policing sector – comprised of police services, boards, and special constable employers – operate in a manner that is effective, transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of the diverse communities they serve.

In developing this Strategic Plan, we were informed by many sources of information in the policing and police governance domains. We conducted environmental and jurisdictional scans, examined current and future needs assessments, and consulted with our staff, senior management, and members of the policing sector.

How we will measure our success in achieving our objectives is vital. Being transparent about our work and progress is at the heart of our organization. However, as a new entity, we lack a track record of operational experience to identify the most relevant or impactful measures. For this reason, we are in the process of establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) for each objective in this Strategic Plan. Once we establish our KPIs, we will detail them in future annual reports and track our progress against each of them.

We look forward to sharing updates on our vision towards improving police performance and our contributions to making everyone in Ontario safer. 

Over the next three years, we will focus on three key objectives, including how they will enhance performance and boost public confidence in Ontario’s policing sector. For each objective, we will detail its importance, our commitments, and outline our approach to deliver on these commitments.

1. We will improve Ontario’s policing performance and set a global benchmark
2. We will serve the public interest
3. We will propel greater insights and foresights to address risks

We want every person in Ontario to feel safer in their community, and to have confidence in the policing and police governance they receive. 

This means that policing is delivered in a manner that supports and reflects the diversity of the people it serves, while being responsive to the unique needs of each community. This also means that policing and police governance is delivered progressively, fairly, equitably, and based on evidence-informed processes. 

We are dedicated to working towards achieving this vision and establishing Ontario as a leader in policing excellence worldwide. 

The IoP is dedicated to: 

• examining performance through inspections, research, and data and analytics to drive evidence-based actions and improvements;
• identifying effective performance and, where improvements are needed, supporting the sector’s continuous development; and
• ensuring that the policing sector is responsive to the diverse communities it serves in the context of an increasingly complex service-delivery environment.

Driving improvements in policing performance starts with operating collectively under a set of values that shape the IoP’s approach and its culture. 

Embodying these values while delivering on our mandate is the key to achieving the objectives in this Strategic Plan. 

At the IoP, we believe in:

• Continuous Improvement: Identifying effective performance in the policing sector, and where improvements are needed. We will focus on addressing the areas that matter most to the public.
• Risk-informed Decision-Making:  Selecting the right tools for the right problems and consider the level of risk present when enforcing policing and police governance compliance.
• Independence: Operating at arm’s-length from government or any other influence to ensure impartiality and confidentiality in our operations and decision-making.
• Integrity: Engaging in activities that inspire public confidence and preserve our objectivity and impartiality.
• Fairness: Addressing issues of non-compliance in an objective and timely manner that considers local context, with a focus on ensuring trust and confidence in the policing sector.
• Transparency: Being transparent in our decision-making and publicly report on our work and its results.
• Collaboration: Working collaboratively with our partners and the regulated entities we oversee to support their success in our shared mission of making Ontario safer.

About Ontario's Inspector General and Inspectorate of Policing

Chief Justice of Ontario, the Honourable Michael H. Tulloch’s 2017 review of the provincial police oversight system provided recommendations on improving transparency, accountability and effectiveness in police service delivery and its oversight system. These recommendations, along with input from various sources including independent reviews, policing and police governance stakeholders, social services, and diverse Ontario communities, emphasized the need to modernize the laws that govern police service delivery in the province. This led to the establishment of the 2019 Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA) and its regulations, which came into effect April 1, 2024. 

The CSPA replaces the Police Services Act (PSA) – now over 30 years old – and aims to ensure that policing practices remain responsive to contemporary challenges and community needs. One of the more significant elements of the CSPA is the establishment of the role of Inspector General of Policing (IG), who is responsible for ensuring that adequate and effective policing and police governance is provided to all Ontario communities. The IG is supported by the IoP, an arm’s-length division of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, created to provide the operational support necessary to fulfill the IG’s mandate under the CSPA.

The Mandate of the Inspector General 

The IG’s duties, powers and responsibilities are described in Part VII of the CSPA. The IG serves the public interest by promoting improved performance and accountability in the policing sector, while ensuring compliance with the CSPA and its regulations. Under Ontario’s CSPA, the IG is empowered to:

• independently assess and monitor legislated policing entities
• provide advice and support to legislated policing entities on governance and operational matters by sharing evidence-based research and data related to performance
• monitor and conduct inspections of legislated policing entities to ensure compliance with the CSPA and its regulations
• investigate complaints concerning the delivery of policing services and the conduct of police board members
• issue directions to ensure compliance with the CSPA and its regulations – and, if necessary – impose measures if there is a failure to comply, and

• publicly report on the activities of the IG, including publishing inspection results and an annual report.

   

Who the Inspector General oversees

Under the CSPA, the IG oversees the following Ontario policing entities:

• municipal police services and police service boards
• Chiefs of Police
• the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and OPP detachment boards
• First Nations OPP boards and First Nations police service boards that opt-in to the CSPA
• any entity providing policing by an agreement authorized by the CSPA
• any public sector body that may be prescribed to provide policing
• organizations that employ special constables

The IoP remains committed to engagement with all these entities to consider the diverse needs of the public as we work to improve policing performance to make Ontario safer.

The Public We Serve

Ontario has the largest population of any province or territory in Canada and exhibits significant demographic and geographic diversity. In 2023, Ontario’s population grew by 3.4 per cent and is now home to approximately 14.5 million people spread across 492 communities. As of 2023, demographic data reveals that 2.7 per cent of Ontarians identify as Indigenous, 34 per cent as a visible minority, and 63.3 per cent as White. 

Ontario’s communities are spread across both urban and rural areas. Urban centres like Toronto, Ottawa, and Hamilton are economic hubs with high population density. Rural areas contribute to the province’s agricultural and natural resources, covering expansive areas with relatively low population density. Ontario is also home to many Indigenous communities and territories with various cultural and governance frameworks. This rich diversity presents unique opportunities and challenges for the way policing services and governance are delivered.

With a diverse and growing population, the policing being provided to these communities should evolve too. With the advent of new technology, tools and practices are being leveraged in response to changes in crime, social issues, and public expectations. These changes are driven by common thinking that emphasizes proactive and collaborative approaches to prevent crime by addressing its root causes and engaging social sectors like healthcare, education, and other services to support community safety and well-being. These collective efforts are propelling the sector towards a more community-oriented, preventative, and accountable model of policing. 

The IoP recognizes that we, too, have a role to play in the wider, interdependent system that works together to improve public safety. The IoP is committed to adapting and responding to the ever-changing policing and police governance landscape with modern approaches, to ensure we remain focused on matters that have the greatest impact on communities. 

The Operational Independence of the Inspector General

The CSPA created a new system of policing compliance oversight that is driven by independent, evidence-based decision-making. 

The CSPA includes specific protections to ensure the IG functions independently in fulfilling their statutory mandate under the CSPA, discharging their operational activities, and making oversight decisions. This independence ensures impartiality and integrity in the IG’s functions. There are several ways in which the CSPA creates legal protections for the IG’s independent decision-making: 

• The IG position is an Order-in-Council five-year appointment, renewable for an additional term of five years. This means the appointment is a government order recommended by the Executive Council and signed by the Lieutenant Governor, which is different from ordinary government employment.
• The CSPA specifically prohibits the Solicitor General from directing the IG or any inspector appointed by the IG with respect to their functions under the CSPA.

• While the Solicitor General may make a complaint to the IG about the compliance of a police service or conduct of a police service board member, the IG may refuse to investigate the complaint. The IG must provide written reasons for the decision to decline to act on a complaint.

   

Who We Are

The IoP is a new, modern organization of professionals who conduct inspections and investigations, research, and data analysis, and liaise with police services and boards across the province to deliver on the IG’s oversight mandate. 

The IoP has built a strong team of staff with diverse skill sets, experiences and backgrounds that are committed to helping improve the delivery of policing services across Ontario. The IoP supports the IG and serves the public interest by ensuring police services and police service boards comply with Ontario’s policing requirements while being responsive to the diverse communities they serve. 

The Structure of the IoP

• Investigate
• Inspect
• Advise & Monitor
• Research & Analyze Data 

The Inspectorate of Policing

• Office of the IG: Supports engagement with the sector, stakeholders and public, as well as public communications.
• Investigations, Inspections, and Liaison Branch: Investigates public complaints concerning delivery of policing services and conduct of police service board members. Monitors and conducts inspections of police services and boards to ensure compliance with the CSPA and its regulations. Provides advice to police services, chiefs, boards, and First Nation police services who opt-into the CSPA.
• Centre for Data Intelligence and Innovation: The IoP’s data powerhouse that drives continuous improvement in Ontario’s policing sector through data collection, analysis, research, and performance measurement. Supports evidence-based decision-making.

Strategic Objectives

1. We will improve Ontario’s policing performance and set a global benchmark
2. We will serve the public interest
3. We will propel greater insights and foresights to address risks

Why this objective is important: 

Improving performance is essential for enhancing legitimacy and public trust in policing. It also fosters continuous learning and growth across the sector, which will help us achieve and maintain internationally recognized excellence. Currently, there is no standard model for measuring policing performance in Canada. We seek to change that.

We will create a first-of-its-kind Performance Measurement Framework to evaluate the health of Ontario’s policing and police governance. We will collect and analyze data and conduct other sector-based research to establish performance baselines. Then, once baselines are established, we will use this framework to identify areas for improvement where our involvement may be needed, and drive evidence-based advancements in policing.

Through this process, we will become a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for policing performance in Ontario. This Centre will engage the sector, academia, and other partners to marshal the best of policing and police governance in Ontario and elsewhere. Our ultimate goal is to identify leading practices that are working well, assist the sector in embracing these practices, and raise the overall performance bar to ensure Ontario is a national and international policing leader. 

Why this objective is important:  

Community safety is the core of a healthy and functional society. People want an environment where they feel safe to live, work and play, and where they can trust the institutions that serve them. 

Improving the performance of police services and their governance enhances effectiveness, legitimacy, accountability, and trust in the system, ultimately serving the public interest. 

The IoP will serve this public interest by asking the questions the public wants to have answered, conducting independent research and analysis, using our findings to inform our priorities, and actively pursuing improvements in policing and police governance provincially. This work will ensure that the actions the police take to prevent, detect, and address crime are responsive to the diverse needs of Ontario’s communities.

We will regularly engage with the public and listen to their concerns. We will report on our findings and activities, helping to advance public understanding and contribute to discussions about policing in Ontario. We will also ensure our work reflects the reality that policing is part of a larger interdependent system, and that while policing cannot solely resolve society’s most pressing public safety concerns, effective policing is a key component of achieving community safety and well-being.

Why this objective is important:  

The IG’s role is one of compliance and performance oversight, requiring an operating ‘right touch’ philosophy that determines risk levels throughout the province, and informs decisions on what approaches best address the compliance issues at hand.  

To achieve this objective, we have implemented a risk-based compliance and enforcement framework that anticipates and uncovers policing and governance issues, identifies leading practices to intervene and resolve them, and ensures compliance with the CSPA and its regulations. Our model also provides deeper insights into the root causes of challenges facing policing and its governance in Ontario and is based on working with municipal police services and boards, the OPP and OPP detachment boards, First Nations Police Services and Boards that have opted-in to the CSPA, and other policing entities to proactively address them. Taken together, this approach seeks to address the most pressing antecedents to public safety risks in Ontario, better positioning the province’s police services and boards to anticipate and address these risks. 

Our model incorporates findings from the policing sector, along with research and analytics, to establish a risk-focused approach for identifying, assessing, and mitigating potential policing issues before they become critical public safety concerns. Our approach to compliance oversight also helps enhance policing accountability by implementing a clear and consistent approach for monitoring, proactively inspecting, and addressing compliance issues, and publicly reporting on our work and results.    

777 Bay Street, 7th Floor

Toronto, ON M5G 2C8

Tel: 1-888-333-5078

www.IoPOntario.ca 

Improving policing performance to make everyone in Ontario safer
 

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