March 2, 2015 Attention: RCMP Police Advisory Boards in Nova Scotia On January 15, 2015 the members of the Nova Scotia Association of Police Governance (NSAPG) met with representatives from the RCMP Advisory Boards in Halifax to put together a plan for the Advisory Boards to have membership in the NSAPG. This initiative is strongly supported by the Nova Scotia Department of Justice as this will give all policing boards’ one voice when dealing with the Department and the Minister of Justice. Your support of the goals and objectives of the NSAPG will be greatly appreciated. The challenges & complexity of policing in Nova Scotia continues and the NSAPG will continue to promote municipal policing in its’ dealings with the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association and the Minister of Justice. We hope that our membership in the Canadian Association of Police Governance, and our liaison with other Public Safety organizations will allow us to champion the views of Municipal Police Boards and Advisory Boards in Nova Scotia and gain valuable information that we can pass on to our member Boards. Other benefits of joining the NSAPG include the annual conference in September that we hold in conjunction with the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association. This allows for networking with many departments across the province. We hope you will consider joining the NSAPG as we move forward. Your membership form is included. Yours in policing, Councillor Lisa Emery Vice President, NSAPG March 2, 2015 Description of Service Rate Amount Due Annual NSAPG Membership $200.00 $200.00 Fee September 1, 2014 – August 31,2015 Please make cheque payable to “Nova Scotia Association of Police Governance” and forward it to the following address: NSAPB, c/o Mr. Pat Cappello, 45 Exhibition Drive Bridgewater NS B4V 0A6 NOTICE REGARDING BYLAWSAND DUES: 1. At Present we have made room for 1 RCMP Advisory Board member to join our board. When we receive membership from Advisory Boards we can let the PABs decide who will represent them for the rest of this year. 2. In September there will be the conference in Truro where changes can be made to bylaws during the AGM at the end of the conference. Changes will include how many members of the PABs will be part of the main NSAPG board representing all PABs in the province. 3. We are looking at using the UNSM Regions that were approved by the UNSM Board on February 3, 2012 to divide the province into districts that will have one PAB representative sit on the main NSAPG board. 4. During the last year’s AGM it was decided to bring the PABs into the NSAPG and have them pay dues of $200 a year. It is also being considered to raise that to $400 a year at the beginning of the 2015-16 term in September. This too can and will be discussed during the AGM in September 2015. Only one member from each area can vote on these possible changes. 5. Proposed changes to the bylaws must be in by June 30th of each year to be distributed before the annual AGM and discussed and voted on during the AGM in September. OTHER NOTES: This year the September Conference will be held in September in the Town of Truro. Upon receipt of membership more information will be sent out to you. We also have information on how to join the national board (CAPG) as well and that can be sent upon request. Finally, thank you for your patience. It has taken a while to pull all the information together and sort out how to move forward. We are looking at hosting a meeting with the NSAPG and all Advisory Boards again sometime in early May. We will get back to you with a date, time and location. Yours in Policing, Councillor Lisa Emery VP and Secretary NSAPG SPECIAL BOARD MEETING AGENDA January 15th, 2015 WESTIN HOTEL, HALIFAX NS BEDFORD ROOM 9:00 am TO 12:00 pm 1. Call to Order & Attendance (9:05 a.m.) Introductions were made by all 40 people in the room. A sign-up sheet was sent around for contact information. Chief McNeil, Truro: The Chiefs have a long history of working with the boards as a resource to the boards. We are the only province that works together. We have a common goal of putting public safety forward on provincial agendas together. 2. Additions/Deletions to the Agenda: Justice Appointees to Boards, MOU and Research Question. Motion: Moved by Mike Moreash and seconded by Pat Cappello to approve agenda with additions. Motion carried. 3. Declaration of Conflicts None 4. Minutes – November 4th, 2014 NSAPG Meeting in Halifax Motion: Moved by Mike Moreash and seconded by Nola Folker-Hil to pass the minutes. Motion carried. 5. Correspondence None 6. Business Arising from the Minutes of meetings held in September and November a) Meeting with the Minister of Justice just before the conference: Action Item from this meeting was to get Board and Advisory Boards working together. Also, get the MOU information from Fred Sanford. b) Policing & Public Safety Committee Update from Greg MacArthur and/or Fred Sanford: A format with both municipal boards and advisory boards to bring local issues forward to DOJ. c) Police Standards Committee Update from Mike Moreash and/or Fred Sanford: This committee which has members from both municipal boards and advisory boards meets and goes over proposed policies to standardize all policing units in the province. Chief’s wanted provincial standards for their protection. There are too many different guidelines to follow especially regarding taser usages. d) RCMP Reps on NSAPG At present there are 10 representatives one from each municipality with a municipal police force. At present we are looking for one representative from the Advisory Boards as per the Bylaws. This can be changed with an email vote by the NSAPG. There was discussion on perhaps having three RCMP representatives on the NSAPG representing the regions of ( SWNova, NENova and the CBRM) Right now Mike Moreash represents both Municipal Police and RCMP for HRM. Resolutions and Nominations should be sent in by May. Another possibility is having a Council of Board Chairs. Need: Terms of Reference for all committees (Police Standards and Public Safety). WE will send out an invoice and membership form to all boards. A package including a bit of history of the NSAPG and the benefits of having membership and the minutes of this meeting. Also, a possible position paper on the next steps. e) Online Board Training Fred Sanford There is a training session online for both municipal boards and RCMP Advisory Boards. Call 902-424-3355 and let them know which training session you wish to take. f) Bylaws of NSAPG Bylaws have been brought up to date as of January. There will be future discussion on the cost of RCMP Advisory boards. At present $200 but future discussion may move dues up to $400 an year. This would be done during the AGM in September. g) Conference summary 2014 from Walter Rutherford and Truro in 2015 President read the summary. There was also discussion on the CAPG conference for 2015. Go to CAPG website for more information. h) NSAPG AGM minutes from September 2014 (Information only) 9. New Business a) Shared Services (Pat Power on the phone from Annapolis Royal) Tabled. b) Justice Appointees: Fred Sanford, There is no way to speed up the process. All appointments have to go through and be approved by the Executive Council. These terms are for three years and the person can reapply for another term by sending in a letter to the Executive Council. The notice for these appointments goes into the Chronical Herald along with other government appointments to boards. There are police background checks done as well. You can get posters from Fred Sanford regarding Justice Appointments to display at Town Halls. These people do not submit reports to Justice and if you have trouble with attendance from a provincial appointee contact Fred Sanford. c) MOU: Nola Folker-Hill, This was a document signed by the Towns and the DOJ. All parties including the Chiefs, Boards and Advisory Boards would have to be in agreement in order to change the MOU. This document would have to be sent to Chiefs and brought to RCMP Advisory Boards for consensus for the NSAPG to bring this discussion to the Minister as a single voice. Issue: If a town removes police personnel to lower than the force size in 2009 they will lose their seconded officers one for one. Also need feedback from the UNSM and the AMA. Needed: a proposal to amend the MOU. d) Research: the use of sworn officers to chaperone people at the hospital and the possible use of volunteers of police services to do this job. 10. Sundry 11. Next Meeting: May, 2015 possible around the time of the UNSM Spring Conference at White Point. 12. Adjournment at 11:30 a.m. Motion: moved by Pat Cappello and seconded by Lisa Emery. Motion carried. Approved September 20, 2014 BY-LAWS OF THE NOVA SCOTIA ASSOCIATION OF POLICE GOVERNANCE DEFINITIONS Boards – a Municipal Police Board or a Police Advisory Board GOALS AND OBJECTIVES To establish a provincial body to express the views and positions of Municipal Police & Police Advisory Board Governing Authorities. To provide a means for the collecting and sharing of information and discussion of matters relating to policing. To create a formal network for the dissemination of information relating to the governance of policing. To consider matters of Provincial interest which affect policing and to formulate policy positions and appropriate responses at the policy making level for dissemination to government and the public on such matters as: Drug and substance abuse policies Sentencing policies Young offenders Communication policies Employment equity Minorities, the alienated and disadvantaged Recruitment & retention of women and minorities Policing standards Community oriented policing Regional policing To comment on social, economic, cultural and legislative questions; particularly of provincial concern which affect the quality, efficiency and cost of policing.