MACP Committees

Mandate:

To provide a Provincial coordinating role for traffic safety issues.

Objectives:

  1. Promote cooperation, communication, and coordination among the Manitoba police community.
  2. Promote sharing among police in research, training, and policy standards.
  3. Develop, strengthen and maintain Provincial partnerships.
  4. Maximize the resources of police and partners towards safer roads.
  5. Provide recommendations on possible MACP directed initiatives to the MACP executive.

Chair: Michael Gagliardi, Inspector – OIC “D” Division Traffic Services

Mandate:  Act as an information sharing conduit and advocate for Tactical Teams within the province, ensuring consistency of best practices on training, operational tactics and equipment; achieved through continual research, identification of trends and targeted communication.

Objectives:

  • Promote cooperation, coordination and communication among Manitoba police agencies who deploy or have access to tactical teams.
  • Ensure the sharing of best practices for training, tactics, tools and policy, identified through continual scans of the current policing environment locally, regionally and nationally.
  • Formalize joint provincial partnerships between agencies with tactical teams and also agencies who rely on teams outside their immediate organization for tactical support, in the form of MOUs and agreements, to ensure efficient and effective deployment when shared tactical support is required.
  • Promote, support and encourage joint training between agencies who deploy tactical teams, to ensure understanding of capabilities along with differences and similarities between systems and tactics.
  • Provide recommendations on possible MACP directed initiatives to the MACP Executive

Chair:  Inspector Sean Pollock – Winnipeg Police Service

Mandate: Work with police services in Manitoba to encourage Restorative Justice as a first line response

Objectives:

  1. Establish an RJ resource person in each police service in order to establish a simplified communication
  2. Monitor and report on the effectiveness and efficiency of the provincial email system set up by the Restorative Justice Branch (RJB)
  3. Engage with RJB to increase the use of RJ referrals
  4. Identify significant contributions by individual police officers so that recognition can be given by MACP
  5. Arrange for knowledgeable and experienced guest speakers for MACP meetings
  6. Provide recommendations to the MACP executive

 

Chair: Insp. Catherine Light – RCMP

Mandate:

Consider matters relating to sustainable policing services and enhanced public safety for Indigenous peoples and their communities in Manitoba.

Objectives:

  1. Support a measured and consistent approach to large-scale protest management;
  2. Support the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Inquiry;
  3. Support the First Nations Policing Program (FNPP);
  4. Provide recommendations on possible MACP directed initiatives to the MACP executive.

Chair:  Inspector Bonnie Emerson – Winnipeg Police Service

Mandate:

To provide a coordinating role in addressing the needs of the MACP by exploring current trends and important issues impacting the Manitoba law enforcement community and to provide strategic direction to address those needs.

Objectives:

1.       To work together to improve policies and procedures affecting law enforcement in the Province of Manitoba 

2.       To stay informed on Federal and Provincial Legislative changes affecting law enforcement in Manitoba

3.       Provide recommendations on possible MACP directed initiatives to the MACP Executive

Chair:  Supt. Brian Miln – Winnipeg Police Service

Mandate:

Address the needs of the Manitoba law enforcement community by identifying and facilitating the best practices in professional standards.

Objectives:

  1. Encourage and facilitate the exchange of ideas regarding professional standards best practices, investigative strategies, trends and models within police organizations
  2. Promote the highest standard of Professional Standards investigations,
  3. Promote the development of Professional Standards investigators, and
  4. Support the work of, and maintain a direct relationship with the CACP PSU Sub-Committee.
  5. Provide recommendations on possible MACP-directed initiatives to the MACP executive.

Chair: Vacant

Mandate:

The Committee strives to address the needs of the Manitoba law enforcement community in combating organized crime. Governed by the importance of public safety, security, and quality of life-impacting all citizens of Manitoba and their communities, the Organized Crime Committee (OCC) promotes innovative law enforcement strategies, community safety initiatives and contributes to public policy and legislative change as a way to enhance the safety and security of all Manitobans.

Strategic Priorities/Objectives:

  1. To explore, evaluate and promote innovative law enforcement initiatives against organized crime through leadership at the Provincial  level, through:
    1. research,
    2. best practice/training,
    3. Provincial legislative/police reform,
    4. ensuring public awareness/education, and
    5. addressing gaps and barriers.
  2. Enhance public communications, awareness and education through advocacy with regard to policy and legislation.
  3. Promote policy development and action against organized crime.
  4. Forge partnerships and model action plans to guide a unified law enforcement response to the threat of organized crime in Manitoba.
  5. Reduce the threat and impact of organized crime.

Chairs:   Inspector Elton Hall – Winnipeg Police Service

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MACP Positions

The Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police understands that there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that decriminalization is an effective way to mitigate the harms of substance use and the policies and practices used to deal with it, especially those harms associated with criminal justice prosecution for simple possession. Decriminalization is not a single approach, but a spectrum of principles, policies, and practices that can be implemented in various ways and includes the decriminalization for simple possession of illicit drugs as well as diversion programs and treatment.

 

The Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police endorse and support the following recommendations:

  • that Canada proceed with the decriminalization for simple possession of illicit drugs. This means that drug possession remains illegal, but the nature of the penalty for possessing a small or predetermined amount of drugs for personal consumption is either reduced/changed from a criminal conviction to a fine or other type of sanction. Decriminalization does not mean legalization. This approach recognizes that addiction is not a crime, it is a public health issue.
  • that enforcement resources and strategies continue to be targeted at organized crime groups and individuals who import, produce, or distribute illegal drugs throughout our communities. These activities continue to be criminal offences and police services should remain committed to combatting organized crime and disrupting the supply of harmful substances.
  • that the adoption of a health-based diversionary approach should be considered. This means removing mandatory criminal sanctions and replacing them with alternatives that promote access to harm reduction and treatment services. A substance use disorder is not a crime but a public health issue.

There is a large body of evidence illustrating the effectiveness of Supervised Consumption Sites in achieving a number of health and social objectives, especially when impacted people are offered access to integrated health and social services.  While the MACP recognizes the value of this harm reduction approach, there remains multiple issues of concern such as the need for safe supply, and lack of community consultation/dispute resolution processes; there is also some evidence that an identified risk of neighbourhood degradation and other social challenges are possible in areas containing, or close to, Supervised Consumption Sites.

Therefore, at this point, subject to further study specific to requirements in Manitoba, The MACP  does not support supervised consumption sites. However, if mandated, the MACP maintains that supervised consumption sites should be a local community decision that involves the police of jurisdiction and health services  as part of the site approval process.

“The Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police supports all government initiatives that help make Manitobans safe.  That said, the recent announcement from the federal government in relation to supporting municipalities that want to pass handgun restrictions may be of limited value.  Canada currently has significant restrictions and prohibitions on handguns and it is uncertain at this point how municipal bylaws would make the current laws more effective.  We will keep an open mind however and will participate in any municipal or Provincial initiatives if asked.”

Read CACP’s Position Here

The Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police supports the use of body-worn cameras/computers as a viable solution to address transparency, quality of evidence, the disclosure process, and safety issues related to front-line police officers. While there does not appear to be conclusive evidence to date to show that body cameras decrease violent incidents with police, there are substantive other benefits associated with increased public trust and confidence that significantly support the use of this technology.  Cost and privacy issues continue to evolve but must be given due deliberation when considering the use of, and policy development for body-worn cameras/computers.

Today, the Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) is making a public plea to the provincial government to immediately include police officers as a priority group within the vaccination roll-out plan.

Throughout this pandemic, police officers across the province have worked to ensure the safety and security of all Manitobans. For police officers, much like other first-responders, their front-line work never stopped.

In the early days of the pandemic, when little was known about the virus and personal protective equipment was in short supply, these officers continued to carry-out their critical duties. They did so, not only because of their sworn duty to protect but also because they care deeply about the communities they serve and the wellbeing of the people of Manitoba.

The fear of contracting COVID-19 is real for police officers as their work regularly brings them into confined spaces and close contact with a number of people. This concern remains ever-present. On a daily basis, our members attend private residences, vehicle collisions, and crime scenes. They respond to individuals in medical distress, transport patients to medical help, make life-saving efforts including the performance of CPR, trauma first aid, delivery of Naloxone, and the like. They intervene in situations where individuals may be severely intoxicated, badly injured, or violent. They do not have the opportunity to socially distance during these interactions. On every shift, our frontline officers face a significant risk of exposure to COVID-19.

And our concern is not solely about our officers contracting the virus, but also unknowingly becoming carriers, and potentially spreading it to the most vulnerable segments of our society. On a daily basis, officers work closely with the elderly, people experiencing homelessness and those suffering from drug or alcohol dependencies. The MACP is aware of multiple instances where officers provided CPR to persons who were later confirmed to be COVID-19 positive.

For the RCMP and the Manitoba First Nations Police Service, their officers work and live in many remote and isolated First Nation communities. Often, these officers are required to attend calls and provide essential policing services to multiple remote communities. While every precaution is taken, there is always a potential for an officer to spread the virus. The emergence of virus variants makes this risk doubly concerning.

While Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization statement (NACIs guidance) on the COVID-19 vaccine, states that “Many essential services (e.g. police, firefighters, food production) cannot be provided virtually, potentially leading to an increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Immunizing essential workers minimizes the disproportionate burden of those taking on additional risks to maintain services essential for the functioning of society.” Regretfully, not all provinces (including Manitoba) have opted to follow the NACI guidelines.

The MACP has been a strong supporter of every action taken by MB Public Health to protect lives during the pandemic, including the roll-out of the vaccination plan. There is no doubt that we need to make sure that the most vulnerable are taken care of first. But then we also need to make sure that those who protect them are protected from the virus as well.

We strongly believe the time has come for the provincial vaccination plan to prioritize police officers. This has been done in other provinces and it must be done here. With the new variants now spreading, officers must be vaccinated so that they can continue to provide their critical service to the people of Manitoba, and so that the people they serve can stay safe.

We are urging the provincial government to help our police officers and to help keep our communities and our most vulnerable safe.

MACP President Marc Robichaud and Executive Board

For further information please contact:

Gord Schumacher

GschumacherMACP@winnipeg.ca

204-330-3899

https://macp.mb.ca/macp-positions/

September 14, 2021

MACP statement – Mandatory vaccination of police officers and the enforcement of vaccination passports

Vaccination of police officers

The MACP supports the government and public health direction that vaccination is the most effective tool to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its variants, and that everyone who is medically able to do so be vaccinated, including police officers.

Enforcement of vaccination passports

Over the past year and a half, police services across the country have been steadfast in supporting logistical, public health, and public safety efforts to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

While the volume of some types of crime and calls for service may have decreased due to pandemic lockdown and related restrictions, there is a notable increase in other areas such as domestic violence, organized crime, drug overdoses, pandemic-related fraud, etc. Additionally, as businesses, services and public spaces began to reopen, crime began to rise again.

The focus of police agencies across Canada must center on addressing criminal activity. It is important for police leaders to dedicate police resources to the work that only the police can do.

Policing involves striking an appropriate balance between the individual and personal freedoms of Canadians with the concept of social order and the general public good. The MACP believes in policing in partnership with the community and building better relationships with the citizens we serve. [1]

That said, police agencies across Manitoba have committed and will continue to commit the resources required to eradicate the spread and negative effect of COVID-19 which includes providing education and awareness as well as through the enforcement of the Public Health Orders.

[1] Part of this statement was adopted from the CACP announcement issued on September 14, 2021

CACP Statement: Canada’s police leaders welcome and support Bill C-48 on bail reform

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) welcomes and supports Bill C-48 calling for legislative amendments to the Criminal Code related to Canada’s bail system. The proposed amendments align with the calls to action put forward by Canada’s police leaders.

We commend the federal government for acting on the urgency for legislative change and for recognizing that our proposed amendments were not calling for a complete overhaul of Canada’s bail system, but rather changes that are specifically aimed at keeping violent and repeat offenders who pose the greatest threat to public and officer safety from being released into the community while they await trial.

We are pleased to see that Bill C-48 gives far greater weight to a suspect’s criminal history when bail and sentencing matters are considered. While we would have recommended that a suspect’s full criminal history be contemplated, rather than just going back five years, the government has built in a review process in the next five years that will allow for an evidence-based and legislative review to address any remaining issues related to public safety.

We also applaud the initiative to not only implement reverse-onus bail conditions for serious violent offences involving a weapon, but for expanding these provisions to offences involving intimate partner violence.

We are convinced that the legislative changes put forth in Bill C-48 will go a long way to help eliminate the preventable harm and senseless tragedies attributable to violent and repeat offenders across Canada.

Click here to download the CACP statement.

CACP Statements

On Friday, April 26, British Columbia (BC) Premier David Eby announced plans to make illicit drug use
illegal in all public spaces (hospitals, restaurants, transit, parks, and beaches).
The CACP supports this decision as an essential solution to address inappropriate public consumption
that has generated significant public concern and led to public disturbances and disorder in BC.
We reaffirm our support for a health-centered approach to address the opioid crisis, including the
decriminalization of possession of illicit substances for personal use.

Preliminary results of BC’s pilot project to decriminalize drugs for personal use has proven what police
leaders have stated from the beginning: decriminalization of drugs for personal use is only one part of
an integrated health-focused approach to addressing the opioid crisis and toxic drug supply in Canada.
We believe in a multifaceted approach to substance use that includes prevention, harm reduction,
treatment, and supply reduction. Prevention is about minimizing the number of Canadians developing
substance use disorders. Harm reduction is about minimizing the number of Canadians dying from
overdose. Treatment is about minimizing the number of Canadians living with substance use disorders
on an ongoing basis. Supply reduction is about disrupting the illicit supply of harmful and toxic
substances coming into our communities by targeting organized crime groups and individuals who
import, produce, or distribute illegal drugs.

As police leaders, public safety is our primary concern. The public consumption of illicit drugs in public
spaces has unnecessarily exposed individuals, and especially youth, to products, practices and
behaviours that are considered to be undesirable by a strong proportion of the population in
communities across the country.

A comprehensive and multifaceted framework for responding to the overdose crisis is required to
ensure that public health outcomes are advanced while maintaining and maximizing public safety.
We remain committed to a compassionate and health-led approach that supports people living with
substance use disorders, while also addressing the very real concerns in our communities related to
problematic drug use. Police enforcement of the law will continue to involve officer discretion and will
be done in consideration of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada Guideline 5.13 which clearly sets out
the rare circumstances under which the Crown will approve charges for simple possession.

The right to possess and consume legal amounts of illicit drugs can never supersede the rights of other
Canadians to feel safe and comfortable in public spaces within their community.
Click here to access a copy of the CACP’s submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on
Health on April 15, 2024, as part of their study of the opioid epidemic and toxic drug crisis in Canada

CACP Statement – Consuming illicit drugs in public spaces – 2024-04-29

CACP Statement: Replica Firearms

On February 16, 2021, the federal government of Canada introduced Bill C-21, a comprehensive
package of proposed legislative measures to combat firearms crime and reduce firearms-related
deaths. One such measure is to update the Criminal Code to ensure that any device, including an
unregulated airgun that looks exactly like a conventional regulated firearm, is prohibited for the
purposes of import, export, sale, and transfer.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) has been advocating for this legislative
change since August 2000, when the membership adopted resolution 2000-01 on replica firearms,
urging the Minister of Justice to amend the Criminal Code to include replica firearms as prohibited
weapons.

One of the key reasons for advocating for this legislative change then and now is that replicas
resemble real firearms and many of them are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. They
are encountered in the hands of criminals for street-level extortion, robbery, personal protection
from other criminals, and to intimidate or terrorize victims when committing an offence. As a
result, there has been a regrettable need for police officers to resort to the use of deadly force in
situations where they believe replica firearms to be authentic.

Not only can they appear to be authentic but, in certain cases, some replicas can easily be
converted into deadly weapons. Contributing to police concerns for public safety are also the facts
that imitation firearms are largely unregulated and that users can acquire them easily without
proof of age, licence, or competency.

Those who use replica firearms for recreational purposes and who emphasize the importance of
the ‘likeness’ of replica firearms to real guns to enhance the gaming experience have never found
themselves in a real-life situation facing an individual engaged in criminal activity who is armed
with a gun.

The CACP is not opposed to recreational activities involving the use of airsoft guns but
wholeheartedly supports the statement by Public Safety Canada that “these replica firearms should
look like ‘toy guns’.” One such way to achieve a noticeable difference and make imitation guns
easily distinguishable from real firearms would be to produce them in a bright colour such as red,
yellow, orange, etc. Furthermore, we agree that no recreational activity requires a replica firearm
with the capacity to shoot over 500 feet per second. If the activity is meant to be ‘a game’, then the
equipment should reflect that in their appearance, design, and velocity.

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and the Canadian Police Association (CPA)
applaud the federal government’s decision to prioritize the distribution and administration of the
first COVID-19 vaccines to Canada’s most vulnerable citizens. We also support the decision to
include police officers in “Stage 2” of the vaccine rollout, thereby acknowledging the role of police
officers as first responders responsible for ensuring public safety.

According to Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization statement (NACIs guidance)
on the COVID-19 vaccine, “Many essential services (e.g. police, firefighters, food production)
cannot be provided virtually, potentially leading to an increased risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Immunizing essential workers minimizes the disproportionate burden of those taking on additional
risks to maintain services essential for the functioning of society.”

Regretfully, not all provinces and territories have opted to follow the NACI guidelines. The CACP
and the CPA urge those that have excluded the police from the tier 2 vaccination stage to reconsider
and maintain the priority for front-line police officers, along with fellow first responders who
provide fire and paramedic services.

Our officers are called upon to enforce pandemic regulations and to respond to a multitude of calls
for service, involving various levels of risk, and requiring interactions with millions of Canadians.
Many policing functions cannot be completed from home and cannot comply with social distancing
rules. Therefore, police officers are at an increased risk of contracting and/or transmitting the virus
through interactions with the residents of the communities they serve.

While we are pleased that some provinces have included the police in round 2 of COVID -19
vaccinations, the CACP and CPA are asking for assurances that this will be the case for all front-line
police officers across the country. We are urging governments to include front-line police officers
on their priority list for vaccinations. We understand that our civilian employees may need to wait
for a later stage as we maintain rigorous COVID-19 protocols to help prevent the spread of the
virus.

Experience has shown that a COVID-19 outbreak in a police service can have significant
repercussions on the workforce, our operations, and lead to potential disruptions and delays in our
service delivery to the public.

Policing is an essential service. Public safety is our priority. Therefore, police officers should be a
priority on the vaccination list.

It is my pleasure to announce that Ms. Aviva Rotenberg will be joining the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police as the new Executive Director. She will assume the leadership of our national association on Monday, May 3, 2021.

Ms. Rotenberg comes to us from the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) where she has devoted 15 years of her career to supporting the goals and objectives of their professional association as the current Director of Strategic Initiatives and as a past Director of Professional Development.

Not only do Ms. Rotenberg’s training as a lawyer and her experience with the CBA confirm her knowledge and understanding of Canada’s justice system, but she also comes with a wealth of experience working and contributing to the leadership of a non-profit organization. To complement her acquired experience, she has also earned an Executive MBA specializing in Human Resource Leadership thereby emphasizing her ability to oversee the business functions of an organization. She is a strong leader with a proven track record for building teams and leading people, strategy and change.

The Special Purpose Committee responsible for the recruitment process is confident that Ms. Rotenberg will be a welcome addition to the national office team. We look forward to benefiting from her leadership, strategic planning, program development, innovation and business experience. We have no doubt that Ms. Rotenberg will be instrumental in helping the CACP to advance its mission and vision as well as achieve progress on the association’s organizational objectives as well as the national strategic policing priorities and monitored issues.

Please join me in welcoming Ms. Rotenberg to our organization.

Best regards,

Chief Bryan Larkin

President of the CACP

Katrina Swan and Chief Bourassa gave their feedback on the CACP position statement on the proposal for an Automated Sequestering of Criminal Records System. Attached, please find the version of the document redated to June 29, 2022 and submitted to Public Safety Canada June 30th.

Click to read report. 

CACP Statement – Passing of Bill C-48 – 2023-12-04

CACP Statement: Canada’s police leaders support the passing of Bill C-21 on firearms

Click Here for More CACP