The objective of the audit was to assess whether the Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB) undertook all necessary and appropriate action, leading up to and during the convoy protest, to fulfill its mandate to provide adequate and effective police services in the City of Ottawa.
The scope of this audit was limited to OPSB’s role in the context of their responsibility of providing adequate and effective police services.
The focus of this audit was to determine whether the OPSB obtained the details necessary to engage in a meaningful consultation with the Chief on matters concerning Board policies and the operational mandate of the Ottawa Police Service in responding to the convoy protest. This included assessing whether the Board’s actions were aligned with and satisfied its mandate and oversight responsibilities.
Given the significant impact that the convoy protest had on the City of Ottawa and its residents, the Auditor General accepted a request from the Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB or the Board) to conduct a review of the response of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS). This audit focused exclusively on assessing whether the OPSB undertook all necessary and appropriate actions leading up to and during the convoy protest to fulfill its mandate of providing adequate and effective police services in Ottawa.
We found that in the early stages of the protest, the Board did not clearly understand its role relative to a major event but sought out legal expertise and support to guide them through the rapidly changing event. As time went on and, in an attempt, to fulfill its mandate, the Board took steps to request operational information and asked questions of the Chief of Police; however, for most of the three-week convoy protest, this information was not provided, which impacted their ability to effectively undertake their oversight responsibilities.
Further, we noted that elements of the infrastructure supporting the Board have the potential to impact their overall effectiveness, including: skills and expertise, orientation and training and support available to Board members.
