Saint John Board of Police Commissioners

Background

The City of Saint John is seeking applications from residents interested in serving on the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners.

The Board of Police Commissioners provides civilian governance and oversight of the Saint John Police Force in accordance with the New Brunswick Police Act. Commissioners help establish priorities, policies, and strategic direction for policing services in Saint John while ensuring accountability to the community.

The City encourages applications from individuals representing a broad cross-section of the Saint John community. Diverse perspectives and experiences help strengthen the Board's ability to serve residents effectively.

The Saint John Board of Police Commissioners (the “Commission”) is the governance authority for the Police Force. The role of the Commission is to provide and maintain an adequate, efficient and effective police force – one that is aligned, to a reasonable degree, with the community’s evolving needs, values and expectations. The Commission shall provide objective civilian governance through strategic direction, oversight and public accountability. In so doing, the Commission must respect the Chief of Police’s lawful operational independence regarding individual operational decisions – i.e. whether and whom to investigate, prosecute, or arrest.

The Commission has a maximum of eight appointed commissioners and a minimum of seven. The Province of New Brunswick is responsible for appointing one commissioner. The Mayor (or designate) is a board member and Common Council appoints the remaining commissioners.

Position Description
Time Commitment:
Meetings are held eleven (11) times per year and last approximately 3 hours. Commissioners spend an additional 50-60 hours per year towards committee duties and are also expected to attend a yearly training session of one (1) day per year.
The Chair person is expected to attend the occasional Council and out-of-town meetings.

Authority:
The authority of the Commission is delegated solely through bylaws, policies and resolutions. In no instance is the authority of the Commission ever delegated to a single Commissioner. Individual Commissioners are prohibited from directing the Chief of Police or any other police officer, discussing labour matters outside Commission meetings or speaking publicly on behalf of the Commission.

Term:
3 years, appointed by Common Council

Renumeration:
Currently under review

Reports to:
The Commission Chairperson

Accountability:
The Commission is accountable to Common Council in accordance with the Commission Mandate, and to the Justice Minister in accordance with the Police Act and its regulations.

Responsibility:
The role of the Commission is to provide and maintain an adequate, efficient and effective police force – one that is aligned, to a reasonable degree, with the community’s evolving needs, values and expectations. The Commission shall provide objective civilian governance through strategic direction, oversight and public accountability. In so doing, the Commission must respect the Chief of Police’s lawful operational independence regarding individual operational decisions – i.e. whether and whom to investigate, prosecute, or arrest.

General Duties:
Every member of the Commission is expected to do the following:
• Strive to be fully informed of strategic matters regarding the Force and community safety
• Prepare for and attend all Commission meetings
• Act as a team member who actively contributes to fulfillment of the Commission’s role and subsequently supports all Commission decisions
• Critically review and consider reports provided to the Commission, questioning and probing matters relevant to the Commission’s role
• Participate in committee work
• Comply with the Code of Conduct
• Participate in discussions and decision-making regarding adequate and effective policing policies, verifications and corrective actions
• Participate in the development of the Strategic Plan for policing in Saint John
• Participate in the evaluation of Force performance relative to the Strategic Plan
• Participate in the annual evaluation of the Chief of Police
• Participate in the Chief of Police selection process
• Participate in collective bargaining
• Participate in budget deliberations and monitoring of financial activities

Requirements

Qualifications:
• Knowledge of the community
• Process-minded
• Strategic thinking
• Effective judgement
• Works well in a team
• Integrity
• Bias to learn

Removal of a Board Member:
Commissioners may be suspended or removed from the Commission for violating the Code of Conduct or repeated absences from Commission meetings.

Criminal Background Check Requirement

Please note that citizens wishing to serve on the Police Commission must consent to a Criminal Background Check. No previous police-related experience is required. Eligible candidates will be required to participate in an interview to gauge how well the skills they gained in previous career experiences can be applied to the Commission’s work.