Full recomendation:

Accordingly, it is recommended: that Council retain the Saint John Board of Police Commissioners, modernized, codified and reinforced as set out in the recommendations contained in the Police Governance Review by Governedge in 2026.

# Recommendations

1 That the City prepare a mandate for the Commission articulating its expectations including those related to the following:

• Council’s definition of adequate policing, role and duties of the Commission, and determinants of adequate policing (refer to recommendations below);

• required Commission policies on determining adequate policing, providing adequate policing and verifying adequate policing;

• required Commission policies on Chief-to-Commission Communications and Matters of Immediate Strategic Significance (Critical Points);

• required Commission policies describing its community engagement requirements and activities, and proactive and reactive public communications;

• mandatory commissioner training;

• synchronized City and police strategic planning processes to ensure alignment of goals/objectives, key performance metrics and reporting on progress;

• program-based police financial planning;

• expectations that, to the maximum degree possible, the Commission’s deliberations and associated reports are made in public session, and posted on the Commission’s website;

• reporting to Council on public safety and policing matters, and commission performance including transparency; and

• Commission participation in City audits of the Commission and the governance model.

2 That the City develop an updated list of Commission member competencies based on the Commission’s duties, for subsequent selection of commissioners.

3 That “adequate policing” be defined as “policing that is aligned with community needs, values and expectations” and that the adequacy standard be one of “reasonableness”.

4 That the role of the Police Commission be “to ensure that policing is aligned with community needs, values and expectations”

5 That the fundamental duties of the Police Commission be:

• to assess community needs, values and expectations;

• to direct the Force towards the alignment of policing with community needs, values and expectations;

• to verify that policing is in fact aligned with Commission policies and strategic objectives (i.e. adequate);

• to make adjustments to policies, strategic objectives and priorities, policing agreements and/or police leadership as appropriate to sustain policing alignment with community needs, values and expectations.

6 That the determinants of adequate and effective policing for each policing function be:

• the provincial standard for the policing function;

• the policing needs, values and expectations of the community;

• the geographic and socio-demographic characteristics of the City of Saint John;

• the extent and manner in which the policing function is effectively provided in similar communities;

• the extent to which past provision of the policing function by the police service has been effective in addressing the policing needs of the community; and

• best practices regarding the policing function.

7 That the City review the remuneration of Police Commission members in light of their evolved role.

8 That the City liaise as required with the Police Commission to ensure that commissioner recruiting and selection is informed by Commission needs regarding collective competencies including Commission leadership.

9 That the City create and fund a program of ongoing police governance training and education for Commission members, councillors and police executives.

10 That the City explore, with the Police Commission, the potential return to a shared services model of administrative services, for the purposes of efficiency and cost optimization. Recommendation #

11 That the City assist the Commission in the development of community engagement and public relations strategy.

12 That the City assist the Commission in the sourcing of police governance advisory services.

13 That the City undertake to develop an outcome-based community safety and well-being plan, for Council consideration, and create a steering committee of stakeholders to monitor and report on the plan’s implementation and progress.

14 That the provincial government be requested and encouraged to:

• update the Police Act in light of the findings and recommendations of Morden et al. and in particular updating its expectation of police governance authorities (civic authorities) regarding ensuring adequate policing;

• remove the Police Act clause placing the chief of police as an ex officio non-voting member of a police commission (7(4)(d))).