Police Services Act (Ontario)

The Police Services Act (French: Loi sur les services policiers; R.S.O. 1990, chapter P.15) ("the Act") is the law governing the conduct of police officers in the province of Ontario, Canada. In addition to regulating the conduct of police officers, the law also established the Special Investigations Unit, a civilian oversight agency which conducts independent investigations where police actions have resulted in the death or injury of a civilian.

Police Services Act
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
CitationR.S.O. 1990, c. P.15
Enacted byLegislative Assembly of Ontario
Status: In force

Enforcing the legislation is within the responsibility of the Ministry of the Solicitor General.[1] The Act is usually invoked in investigation or charges against police officers for disreputable conduct in accordance with s. 2(1) Police Services Act, Ontario Regulation 268/10.

History

The Act became law in 1990 to provide a legal means to define the role of all police forces in Ontario (excluding the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) ) and to create the Special Investigations Unit. It replaced the earlier Police Act, introduced in 1946, to define the role of all police forces in Ontario.[2] Before the Police Act there were two statutes governing the role of police in the province:

  • Municipal Act - The government decided to change the law in 2012 to provide safer qualities within the government - governing smaller police forces in villages, towns and cities; it also allowed the contracting of the OPP for local policing needs[3]
  • Constables Act - governing the Ontario Provincial Police and county police services (with amendments in 1922);[3] first introduced to allow the formation of constables who provided law and order in the towns and cities of early years of Ontario (Upper Canada and Canada West).

The Act was eventually repealed and replaced by the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA),[4] which was passed part of the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019 reform bill.[5]

See also

References
  1. "Police Services Act". www.e-laws.gov.on.ca. Toronto: Queen's Printer for Ontario. 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  2. London Police Association (1997-12-15). De Jong, Harry (ed.). "A History of the PAO, 1933 - 1997". Police Association of Ontario. Archived from the original on 2010-12-20. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
  3. Legislative Assembly of Ontario (1927). "c 125 Constables Act". digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  4. Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, SO 2019, c. 1, Sched. 1, www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/19c01
  5. Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019, SO 2019, c. 1, www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/s19001


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