News Release

Mayor Kelly Says it is Time for Integrated Policing Across Canada

(HALIFAX, N.S.,January 10, 2006) -- Mayor Peter Kelly says the best solution for increased public safety and security in Canada is to integrate policing services across the country.

Mayor Kelly said today that since Canadian municipalities pay for 65 per cent of all policing costs in the country, they should have a seat at the table with the federal and provincial governments in an effort to examine ways to integrate and better focus policing efforts, based on today’s challenges.

The Mayor, who serves as the Chair of the Working Group on Public Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, says he’s encouraged to hear recent reports of tri-level government meetings this month around the guns and gang problems in several major Canadian cities. However, this would be just a start and dialogue among all levels of government should continue, not be confined to the guns and gangs issues only.

“While the recent discussions about guns and gangs are a firm, positive step in the right direction, they are taking place in a crisis situation, and revolve around specific, short-term solutions. A strategic, national approach to policing, involving all levels of government, is long overdue,” challenges Mayor Kelly.

In 2000, the Auditor General of Canada called for clear agreement among all players in the law enforcement community - in the federal, provincial and municipal governments - on level of service, funding arrangements, user input, management and accountability. By 2005, the Auditor General was cautioning citizens of the risks to national security if governance structures and legislative and infrastructure frameworks remain unclear.

Mayor Kelly notes that the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Canadian Association of Police Boards have all passed resolutions within the past two years urging the federal, provincial,territorial and municipal governments to join in a review and public policy discussion on policing for the 21st century.

“Canadian municipalities are very frustrated at being left out of most discussions on public safety and security issues. We need to work together to establish what level of policing is responsible for responding to which incidents...and who will cover which costs,” he said. “ Federal and provincial/territorial governments regularly meet to address their priorities, but the absence of a municipal voice leaves a huge void.”

Mayor Kelly says threats to personal and community safety are felt most at the community level, and are often handled first by municipal responders. Municipalities offer the first response to crime and national security threats, and this is where community-based prevention should occur.
Many police organizations are moving very deliberately to integrate their operations, because they recognize that threats to public safety cross jurisdictional boundaries. However, this integration is taking place in the absence of a policy framework established by governments.

“All levels of governments have the responsibility to work together to set out who is responsible for what, who pays for what, how police are governed, and where accountability resides,” Mayor Kelly said. “Canadians need a clear definition of integrated policing, and a policing model that eliminates inefficiencies, duplication and fragmentation.”

In order to beat criminals at their own game, police and public safety experts must be able to operate - and cooperate - across political boundaries. Police experts believe that an integrated response to modern global threats is necessary if criminals are to be brought to justice and if criminal and terrorism acts are to be prevented from occurring. This is the concept behind the term “integrated policing.”

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Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010