Policies Governing and Directing Police Services Board

The Board will govern with a style that emphasizes:

1. outward vision
2. diversity in viewpoints
3. strategic leadership
4. clear distinction of the Board’s and the Ontario Provincial Police’s roles
5. collective decisions
6. future orientation
7. proactive rather than reactivity
8. openness and transparency.

Accordingly the Board will:

1. Operate in all ways mindful of its civic trusteeship obligation to the people of the Township of Hamilton. No Board officer, committee or member will hinder this commitment.
2. Ensure the continuity of governance capability through orientation of new members of the Board’s governance process.
3. Cultivate a sense of group responsibility. The Board, not the Ontario Provincial Police, will be responsible for excellence in governing. The Board will be the initiator of Board policy, not merely a reactor. The Board will make use of the expertise of individual Board members to enhance the ability of the Board as a body rather than to substitute individual judgements for the Board’s values.
4. Monitor and discuss the Board’s process and performance at least annually. Self-monitoring will include comparison of Board activity and its adherence to policies in the Governance process.
5. Enforce the necessary discipline to govern with excellence.

Such discipline will apply to:

The Board will approach its tasks with a style that emphasizes an outward vision rather than day-to-day operations. It will focus on strategic leadership more than administrative detail, therefore, making a clear distinction of the Board and Police Service roles. The Board’s approach will also seek to be proactive, rather than reactive and will, therefore, focus on the future rather than the past.