Who We Are & What We Do
The Ottawa Police Community Equity Council, working within an intersectional framework, will collaborate with the Ottawa Police Service to work more effectively with Indigenous, racialized, and faith based communities in Ottawa.
The roles of the council are:
a. Respond to community around specific situations and facilitate resolution within the OPS. (Bridge or liaison role)
b. Provide advice and solutions from a bigger perspective (post incidents and based on thematic trends) on the relationships between OPS and the community.
c. Provide advice and solutions to the OPS around internal changes that they need to make to address thematic trends.
Outcomes
a) To improve relationships between Indigenous, racialized and faith-based communities and the Ottawa Police Service.
b) To see changes within the OPS are initiated to develop and maintain strength-based relationships with Indigenous, racialized and faith-based communities.
c) An increase in the accountability relationship between the police to the Ottawa community
Specific actions will be identified to achieve these outcomes and to measure the progress in the work of the CEC.
Principle Based Relationship
• Solution focused
• Strength based
• Transparent
• Respectful and honest.
Principles will continue to be developed by the CEC that will inform the work of the Council.
The Objectives of the Council
Community and police service members will provide meaningful and honest feedback about the ongoing relationship with the community and police.
Community members will provide strategic advice, based on input from the community, to the Ottawa Police Service on how to improve the relationship.
Community members will provide engagement support when a critical incident occurs between the community and the police.
Police members will offer insights into police processes and systems to influence positive change within the police systems while recognizing the limitations of the police structure.
Police service members will be advocates for change within the police service.
The CEC will provide suggestions to change OPS systems and processes.
Code of Conduct - The Four Agreements
Agreement #1
Be impeccable with your word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using your words to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your words in the direction of truth and love.
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
Agreement #2
Don’t take anything personally
Agreement #3
Don’t make assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, selfabuse and regret.
Agreement #4
Always do your best
Our Role in the Community - Accountability
Communication Processes:
Formal CEC Media spokespeople
The Community and OPS Co-Chairs are the media spokespeople for the Community Equity Council unless another person has been delegated to speak on behalf of the Council on a specific issue.
Collective media messages
The Community Equity Council, or the Communications Committee, will develop collective media messages that reflect the overall direction of the CEC. Those messages can be shared by all Council members if approached by the media.
Website
The existing website for the Community Equity Council is on the previous COMPAC webpages on the Ottawa Police Services website.
Social Media
The social media protocol was developed by the Communications Committee.
Tracking CEC Communication
The Communications committee will track the media stories.
Accountability of the Council to the Ottawa Community
Individual Accountability
Each Community Council member has been asked to identify an organization that they will ensure accountability to. That accountability includes: updating the organization and getting their feedback on the issues that are arising at the Council and, if possible, presenting a public report through that organization (e.g. AGA or community gathering) on the work of the Community Equity Council. The Council member is required to complete their accountability relationship template on an annual basis.
Annual work plan with performance indicators
The Community Equity Council will work with an annual work plan that has specific outcomes and performance measures. The work plan will be developed at the first meeting of each year and will be based on the issues identified by the community and OPS around Indigenous, racialized and faith based communities.
Annual Orientation
Annual evaluation of the Council
An annual orientation will be provided that includes an overview of the Ottawa Police Services, the data related to the communities in Ottawa and the intersectional approach.
Annual CEC report
The Community Equity Council will do an annual evaluation that will include an individual assessment by each Council member and a group evaluation. The results will be used to support improvements and changes to the Council. The evaluation will be done in the fall of each year.
An annual report will be developed each year in late fall that will assess the progress of the Council, including the areas the Council focused on, the impact of the work and lessons learned.