On October 19, 2019, the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) will celebrate its 10-year anniversary.
We’ll be marking 10 years of helping build trust between communities and police services across the province through an accountable and transparent police complaints process, our ongoing leadership in policing oversight and our ability to influence policing policies.
The OIPRD opened its doors on October 19, 2009, with 38 full-time staff and Gerry McNeilly as the first Independent Police Review Director. Within the first nine months, the OIPRD received more than 2,000 complaints and launched a systemic review on police actions during the 2010 G20 summit, an event that brought together political leaders from around the world and generated massive protests in Toronto.
The OIPRD has received more than 33,000 complaints in the last ten years and retained more than 1,100 investigations. Our investigations have examined important issues and sensitive matters involving deaths, serious injury, mental health crisis, fraud, deceit, sexual harassment, sexual assault and discrimination.
The OIPRD has also conducted five systemic reviews and made more than 140 recommendations for meaningful change. I am proud to say that most recommendations have inspired systemic changes to how police serve their communities.
One of the most effective ways to create and maintain trust between the public and police officers is through our alternative dispute resolution programs. These programs have successfully fostered open and honest dialogue between individuals and police.
If you would like to learn about what we have done in the last fiscal year, please read our annual report, now posted on our website.
The government’s recently passed Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA) will usher in an era of significant change in policing oversight. The OIPRD will be renamed the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (the LECA).
The OIPRD is already preparing for the changes ahead and working hard to ensure systems are in place for a smooth transition. Despite the major changes coming ahead, our strong commitment to police oversight and the public complaints process remains unchanged.
Sylvana Capogreco
Interim Independent Police Review Director
