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Civilian Oversight

Civilian Police Oversight in Ontario

There are three agencies that oversee different areas relating to police services.

Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD)

The Office of the Independent Police Review Director is responsible for receiving, managing and overseeing all public complaints about the police in Ontario. As a civilian arm’s-length agency of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, our decisions are independent from the government, the police and the public.

Our goals is to provide an independent, effective, transparent and accessible public complaints system that is fair to both the public and the police and builds confidence in the public complaint process.

Our office cannot investigate, recommend or lay criminal charges.

Special Investigations Unit

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) conducts investigations of incidents involving the police that have resulted in death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. The SIU is a civilian law enforcement agency independent of the police. For more information about the SIU, please visit www.siu.on.ca. 

Ontario Civilian Police Commission

The Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) is an independent quasi-judicial agency that hears appeals of police disciplinary decisions; adjudicates disputes between municipal councils and police service boards involving budget matters; conducts hearings into requests for the reduction, abolition, creation or amalgamation of police services; conducts investigations and inquiries into the conduct of chiefs of police, police officers and members of police services boards; determines the status of police service members; and provides general enforcement relating to the adequacy and effectiveness of policing services. For more information about the OCPC, please visit their website.

Civilian Police Oversight in Canada

There are a number of police oversight agencies in Canada. Please visit the individual websites to get more information about how each agency operates.

Federal

Canadian Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement
Military Police Complaints Commission
Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (CRCC)​

Alberta

Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT)
Edmonton Police Commission
Calgary Police Commission
Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB)

British Columbia

Independent Investigations Office of BC
Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner

Manitoba

Independent Investigations Unit​​
Law Enforcement Review Agency (LERA)

New Brunswick

New Brunswick Police Commission

Newfoundland & Labrador

Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Public Complaints Commission

Nova Scotia

Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner
Serious Incident Response Team

Prince Edward Island

Office of the Police Commissioner

Québec

Système Déontologique Policier (Police Ethics System)

Saskatchewan

Public Complaints Commission

Civilian Police Oversight in the United States of America

National Association of Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement

Albany, NY

Citizens’ Police Review Board 

Albuquerque, NM

Independent Review Office of the Police Oversight

Atlanta, GA

Citizen Review Board

Austin, TX

Office of the Police Monitor

Berkeley, CA

Police Review Commission

Chicago, IL

Independent Police Review Authority

Eugene, OR

Office of the Police Auditor​
Civilian Review Board

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles Police Commission
Office of the Inspector General

New Orleans, LA

Office of the Independent Police Monitor

New York, NY

Civilian Complaint Review Board

Portland, OR

Portland City Auditor’s Independent Police Review

San Diego, CA

Citizens’ Law Enforcement Review Board

San Francisco, CA

Department of Police Accountability​

Civilian Police Oversight in Europe

England and Wales

Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)

Scotland

Police Investigations and Review Commissioner

Northern Ireland

Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Ireland

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission

Civilian Police Oversight in​ Oceania

New Zealand

Independent Police Conduct Authority

Australia

Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity
Commonwealth Ombudsman
Independent Commission Against Corruption (NSW)
Crime and Misconduct Commission​ (Queensland)

Civilian Police Oversight in Asia

Hong Kong

Complaints Authority Against Police Officers of the Hong Kong Police Force