A survey of Ontario police boards shows strong support for the idea of giving police chiefs the authority to suspend officers accused of serious misconduct without pay.
The survey by the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards aims to identify priorities as the province considers possible changes to the Police Services Act for the first time in more than 25 years.
Aside from giving chiefs more freedom to suspend officers -- which received unanimous support from the 107 boards surveyed -- there was strong support for giving police boards the ability to lay off staff, including police.
The current Police Services Act became law in 1990, and the province has committed to reopening the legislation in order to modernize it, with a new version to be introduced this spring.