Board Meeting Highlights - January 30, 2019
Election of Board Chair and Vice Chair
Mayor Virginia Hackson was re-elected as Chair of the Regional Municipality of York Police Services Board. Mayor Hackson has served on the Board since 2012 and as Chair since 2017 and is serving her third term as Mayor of the Town of East Gwillimbury. Under her leadership, the Board has supported important decisions on community safety, advocacy and policing priorities. Mayor Hackson looks forward to ensuring that strong and safe communities and good police governance continue to be the Board’s priorities.
The Board re-elected Mr. John Molyneaux as its Vice Chair. Mr. Molyneaux has served on the Regional Municipality of York Police Services Board since November 2010 as a provincial appointee and more recently as a citizen appointment by York Regional Council. Mr. Molyneaux has also served on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards and is committed to advancing community safety in York Region.
Recognition of Former Board Member
The Board thanked Mr. Khalid Usman, whose term ended in December, for his dedicated and committed service to the Board and to the citizens of York Region. Mr. Usman was appointed to the Board by York Region Council in December 2015 and has supported the Board’s mandate and demonstrated his commitment to police governance and community safety. As a member of the Board, he has been involved in significant board decisions, including the budget approval processes and the approval of the current Business Plan.
Mr. Usman thanked the Board for the opportunity to serve on this Board and thanked the members of York Regional Police for ensuring the safety of the citizens of York Region.
2019 - 2019 Business Plan Status
The 2017-2019 Business Plan for York Regional Police aims to provide high quality, affordable police services to its residents in a way that is transparent, accountable and inclusive. Most Year 2 priorities such as the construction of the King Community substation, new e-learning sessions, enhanced response to opioid-related occurrences and mental health strategy have been completed, and activities scheduled to be completed in 2019 such as implementation of a youth strategy and delivery of equitable and inclusive recruitment initiatives are in progress and on track. A copy of the 2017-2019 Business Plan is available here.
Report on Police Auxiliary and Volunteers
The Board received a report from the Chief of Police outlining the contributions made by York Regional Police (YRP) volunteers and auxiliary members. Members of the auxiliary unit are required to commit at least 12 hours per month. Some of their duties include participation at special events, administrative functions, emergency/disaster response and traffic control. The auxiliary unit donated over 23,000 hours in 2018. YRP also has a volunteer program comprised of citizens who support the work of the police. The program includes a Chaplain program, District Liaison Committees and Police/Community Advisory Councils.
Board Supports CIECYR Symposium
The Board approved sponsorship for the 2019 Symposium which will be held by the Community Inclusivity Equity Council of York Region in April. Participants, including community leaders and human service providers in health, education and policing, will enhance their critical skills to assist in developing more inclusive and equitable practices, policies, programs and initiatives.
Next Police Services Board
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. Location: Committee Room A, York Region Administrative Centre, 17250 Yonge Street, Newmarket.
Contact: Mafalda Avellino, Executive Director, psb@yrp.ca or 1-877-464-9675 ext. 77906.
The Regional Municipality of York Police Services Board is a seven-member civilian Board that oversees and governs the York Regional Police and is comprised of one member as Head of Municipal Council, three members are appointed by resolution of Regional Council and three by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Accessible formats or communication supports are available upon request