The professionalism of the Belleville Police Service is reflected by the competence, integrity and pride of its members. Situations, however, do arise when individuals tarnish the positive image of all members through isolated incidents. In such cases, the role of Professional Standards is two-fold:

1. To ensure/restore public confidence in the organization; and 
2. To provide specific and general deterrents to negative actions and behaviours.

Professional Standards is also involved in the regular review of operations in order to ensure a high standard of performance.

There are currently two processes in Ontario where a member of the public can make a complaint against police.

The Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) opened to the public on October 19, 2009. You can make a complaint about any incident involving the police that occurred on or after October 19, 2009. This includes conduct, policy or service complaints.

The OIPRD is an independent, arms-length agency of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, staffed entirely by civilians. The role of the OIPRD is to ensure that the public complaints process is fair, transparent, effective and efficient.

The OIPRD is responsible for making sure the public complaints system works for everyone, both the police and the communities they serve.

Your complaint can be in relation to the policies of, or services provided by the Service or the conduct of a police officer of the Belleville Police Service.

External Resources

• www.oiprd.on.ca
• http://www.occps.ca/
• http://www.legalaid.on.ca/
• http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/index.html
• www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/