N.S. municipalities grapple with the best way to oversee police

Nova Scotia municipalities that pay for RCMP have been examining their police oversight boards — or starting them — in light of recommendations from last year's report on the province's mass shooting.

Some longtime joint boards are breaking up to focus on their own issues. Others say joining with neighbours makes more sense.

The Mass Casualty Commission report last year said Nova Scotia municipalities need to revitalize police boards by providing them enough funding to function properly, and training their members and police liaisons to understand their responsibilities.

"Unfortunately it took a mass casualty report of one of the most tragic events that ever happened in Nova Scotia to highlight some of the deficiencies," said Mayor Jamie Myra of the Town of Lunenburg, which hasn't had a board for years.

Oversight boards were always a requirement under the province's Police Act for both municipal forces and RCMP, but some municipalities like Lunenburg believed they didn't need them — and the provincial government hadn't pressed the issue until now.

Lunenburg's council recently suggested forming a joint board with nearby Lunenburg County municipalities that use the RCMP. Myra said it made sense because they often deal with the same issues, and the officers the town pays for are stationed in the county.

"You have more diverse citizens that you can get on the committee, more diverse situations," Myra said. "And … things that happen just outside our four square kilometres still impacts the town."

Mahone Bay and Chester declined, saying their individual boards worked well. They say they don't want to weaken local input because a joint board would have to reduce the number of citizens and councillors from each unit.

But the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg is interested.

"I don't believe there will be things lost in the area," said Mayor Carolyn Bolivar-Getson. "I think it will … enhance what we currently have here."

The Municipality of Colchester is going the other way. It is breaking up its longtime board with the Town of Stewiacke.

Dan Troke, Colchester CAO, said the municipality wants to focus on issues in the larger region and be ready for whatever comes out of the provincial policing review.

"You're addressing present state while you're looking at what the future state is going to look like," Troke said.

That means Stewiacke will create its own board after the October municipal election for its one Mountie position. However, Stewiacke Mayor George Lloy is optimistic about the change, and says it won't be a major cost to the town.

"It's unique, but again, an opportunity: you have the one-on-one," said Lloy.

The Region of Queens Municipality started its first RCMP advisory board earlier this year and it has met once so far. It has citizen members from north and south Queens, as well as Acadia First Nation.

Coun. David Brown, the board chair, said he's happy to have a "robust" board, and that board meetings will be held around the region to make sure residents everywhere can participate.

"We were all equally to blame for not doing it," Brown said. "I think the important thing now is that we do it right."

Guysborough creating own model

The Municipality of the District of Guysborough has approval from the Department of Justice to create its own RCMP oversight body that will differ from the usual structure of five or seven members made up of councillors and citizens — with one of those residents chosen by the province.

Deputy CAO Shawn Andrews said the municipality is now recruiting citizen members who will attend committee-of-the-whole meetings with all councillors when the RCMP are present.

"It's just easier when everyone is in one room, and then we have representation from all of our districts at the same time when we have the RCMP in quarterly," Andrews said.

David Walker has thought a lot about police oversight. He's a former member of the Bridgewater police commission, and past president of the Nova Scotia Association of Police Governance, where he's held roles for more than 15 years.

Walker said he believes in joint boards because they give municipalities the strength to tackle large issues together, but agrees there's a line where they could become too big.

At the heart of the issue, Walker said, is his belief that police services should be arranged regionally in Nova Scotia — rather than municipal forces or the RCMP having contracts with every municipal unit. The conversation would then become who delivers the services, but Walker said the RCMP should first focus on their priorities as a national force.

"I think the current model does not allow us to provide adequate and effective policing," Walker said. "So it has to change."

The panel conducting the police review is expected to deliver their report by April 2025.