A committee of community members is ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work for the Thunder Bay Police Services Board (TBPSB).
Chair Alok Mukherjee released a statement following Tuesday’s meeting, which saw the board move further with the appointment of a panel of experts tasked with reviewing a number of areas, including the multiple human rights complaints, mental health-related concerns and past recommendations from other police oversight boards.
“We understand that many in Thunder Bay, especially members of the Indigenous community, are tired of reports, and are looking for action,” said Mukherjee. “As an independent group, our job is to apply a critical lens to any progress made in implementing past recommendations, identify gaps and barriers, and propose tangible additional steps to assist the Board in its efforts to rebuild trust with the community and transform the Thunder Bay Police Service.”
Mukherjee is a former chair of the Toronto Police Services Board and will be joined by these other individuals:
- Kimberly Murray (former executive director, Truth and Reconciliation Commission)
- Dilnaz Garda of Beyond the Blue (an advocate of mental health for police)
- Laura Kloosterman (retired police officer now with Badge of Life Canada)
- Sandy Smallwood (former vice-chair, Ottawa Police Services Board)
- Paul Cook (former president, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police)
More about the work of the panel will be outlined in the coming days.
The Board is facing multiple complaints to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.
Senior leadership are under the microscope of the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) while Ontario Provincial Police is investigating the actions of other members of the force.
