Three days of intensive training are set for Thunder Bay’s Police Service Board.
The Ontario Civilian Police Commission’s administrator vowed to “get the board back as a voting board as soon as possible.”
The training session is expected to be completed in February.
The session and the services by administrator Tom Lockwood is being paid for by the OCPC.
Mayor Bill Mauro is concerned with the costs of implementing recommendations and feels funding is needed from outside the city.
Mauro says implementing the recommendations could cost in the millions and it can’t be left to just the city to pay for it.
The board is going to lobby the province for funding.
Lockwood started the meeting reading a statement on behalf of the board saying they acknowledged systemic racism in the police service and the board.
Chair Celina Reitberger suggests they are not trying to shame local police by saying there is systemic racism.
“We are focusing on systemic racism. Don’t forget that first word, because if you forget that first word then people take it personally. We are not pointing at anyone and saying you are a racist person.”
A public event is being held in January and is hoped to improve relations with the Indigenous community.
Future board meetings will also be held away from the police headquarters as people felt it was too intimidating to attend at 1200 Balmoral.
A location for their January meeting has yet to be set. The board is also looking into webcasting their meetings to make it more available to the public.