Following a competitive request for proposals, the Manitoba government has chosen a leading non-profit with expertise in community safety to lead stakeholder consultations and a broad review of The Police Services Act (PSA), Justice Minister Cliff Cullen announced today.

“Our police services play a critical role in protecting Manitobans, and positive relationships between agencies and the communities they serve improve safety and security for everyone,” said Cullen.   “Civilian oversight ensures policing services reflect the diversity of the province, and improves transparency and accountability in policing.”

The Community Safety Knowledge Alliance (CSKA) was chosen to lead the independent review of the PSA.  CSKA is a Saskatchewan-based non-profit that supports governments and other stakeholders in developing, implementing and evaluating new approaches to community safety and well-being.

“Canadian policing is in a period of transition, characterized among other things by expanding and changing service demands, growing societal pressure for greater operational and fiscal accountability, and by escalating costs – making this review most timely,” said Cal Corley, chief executive officer, CSKA.  “We have an outstanding multi-disciplinary team and look forward to supporting the government as it considers the future of policing and police governance in Manitoba.”

The review will assess how the PSA supports professional, transparent and effective delivery of police services including:
•    perspectives on the changing context for policing and community safety;
•    a jurisdictional scan of similar legislation, organizations and approaches;
•    stakeholder consultations including focus groups, in-person and telephone interviews, and a survey;
•    a gap analysis intended to identify changes needed to ensure the act meets the current and future needs of Manitobans; and
•    a comprehensive final report detailing findings, conclusions and recommendations.

The PSA defines the roles and responsibilities of the Manitoba government, the Manitoba Police Commission, the Independent Investigations Unit, municipal and First Nation police boards, municipal councils and police services, and establishes the inter-relationship between the various entities.  It also sets out the direction for the creation of standards for police services, as well as a mechanism to ensure compliance.

The province issued the request for proposals in May 2019, seeking an independent and comprehensive review of The Police Services Act, as is required by legislation.  The final report is expected in mid-2020, the minister noted.

For more information about CSKA, visit http://cskacanada.ca/.

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