Police special constables’ new responsibilities raise oversight questions

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With police forces across Ontario expanding the ranks and responsibilities of special constables, civilian oversight is needed for the occupation, says the head a professional organization.

But Ontario’s police watchdog, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU), says it has no plans to expand its mandate to oversee the conduct of special constables.

London police became the latest force in Ontario to expand the use of special constables, hiring 19 of the civilian employees to help ease the burden on frontline officers. Special constables, previously tasked with providing court security and transporting prisoners, are now used for everything from guarding crime scenes and detainees at the hospital to searching for and logging evidence and directing traffic.

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St. Thomas police deploy special constables to work with the city’s most marginalized residents, connect them with services and keep them out of the justice system.

The embrace of special constables to take on duties traditionally handled by police officers raises the question about oversight.

The Ontario Special Constables Association, an organization created to share knowledge about the profession and lobby governments, wants some form of civilian oversight, president Sarah Kennedy said.

“Civilian oversight legitimizes the profession and increases public’s trust and awareness of special constables,” Kennedy said in an email. “Any move towards civilian oversight must be done carefully, allowing a lot of time to transition and prepare for that model.”

But there are some labour issues at play, Kennedy said, noting some special constables are part of trade unions and this would need to be addressed.

“Some unions may be unwilling to support the officers throughout an SIU-type investigation,” she said.

The SIU is responsible for probing all cases of serious injury, death, gunfire and allegations of sexual assault involving officers provincewide. The watchdog’s mandate also includes special constables working for the Niagara Parks Commission and peace officers providing security at Queen’s Park.

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“There are no plans for expanding our mandate at this time,” spokesperson Kristy Denette said in an email.

Special constables are considered peace officers and trained in some use-of-force techniques, but they don’t carry a gun or conducted-energy weapon. The civilian employees are granted all or some of the authorities of police officers, depending on how their roles are defined by the employers, which include parks, agencies, ministries, conservation authorities and post-secondary schools.

Special constables complete in-house training but aren’t required to attend the 12-week basic constable training at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer that sworn officers must attend before hitting the streets.

Special constables are typically paid less than police officers, though their salaries are rising across Ontario. London has among the highest-paid special constables in the province, with a starting salary of $91,356 that increases to $110,510 after 30 months on the job.

Kennedy said industry stakeholders, including unions and police associations, should have input to help guide the process toward civilian oversight to ensure there’s a balance of fairness and accountability.

“If accountability systems aren’t fair, then the accountability itself is illegitimate,” she said.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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