Six members of the Winnipeg Police Board were sworn in today at City Hall. Mayor Sam Katz performed the swearing-in at a ceremony attended by Police Chief Devon Clunis.
The inaugural board is made up of City Councillors and citizen members (City and provincial appointees). The City-appointed Police Board members, who were appointed in compliance with provincial legislation (The Police Services Act) and approved by Council in May of 2013, are as follows:
- Scott Fielding, City Councillor (St James - Brooklands), Chair of the Standing Committee on Protection and Community Services
- Thomas Steen, City Councillor (Elmwood - East Kildonan) and Councillor responsible for Youth and Recreational Opportunities.
- Paul Edwards, partner in the Winnipeg law firm of Duboff Edwards Haight & Schachter, practicing in the areas of Labour and Employment, Civil Litigation, Environmental, Government Relations Law and Negotiations.
- David Keam, President, Best Sleep Centre, a successful Manitoba retailer and a former member of the Winnipeg Police Advisory Board.
- Mary Jane Loustel, National Aboriginal Program Executive for IBM Canada, Chair of Economic Development Winnipeg, and Board Director and Chair of Finance Committee with the Aboriginal Human Resources Council.
The Province of Manitoba has appointed Leslie Spillett, founder of the Aboriginal organization Ka Ni Kanichihk, to the Police Board. A second provincial appointee is to be named, pending a mandatory background check, which will bring the Police Board to seven members.
“I am excited to see the Winnipeg Police Board take shape,” said Councillor Fielding, who will serve as Chair. “This citizen-led board will provide direction, set budgets, and hire and evaluate the Police Chief. We have an exciting and challenging time ahead of us.”
City appointees were selected based on a balance of skills including experience in one or more of the following areas: financial acumen, community crime prevention, understanding of the urban Aboriginal context, familiarity with the City’s LiveSAFE Crime Prevention Partnership, governance, policy making and strategy.
Citizens appointed to the board will serve for a term not to exceed the lesser of three years or the term of the Council that made the appointment. Councillors appointed to the board may serve for a one-year term, and may be a board member only so long as they remain a Councillor.
The mandate of the board, which was established in a by-law on November 28, 2012, is to provide civilian governance regarding law enforcement, give administrative direction to support effective policing in our city, and act as a liaison between the community and the Winnipeg Police Service.