By Katie Gauthier
As the Ottawa-Carleton Police Services Board consults the public on what criteria a new chief should be hired, a decision to require candidates to be bilingual has left some feeling ignored.
“At this point, we are interested in going on a nationwide search, looking for the best candidates,” says board chairman and regional Coun. Herb Kreling. “And the best candidates for the job will be competent in the two official languages among other skills.”
But while he and regional Coun. Jacques Legendre say a police chief must effectively communicate with a community consisting of French- and English-speaking citizens, others are not convinced.
Concerned citizen Nicho-las Patterson says the board has “dropped the ball” by including language in the hiring criteria.
“We urgently need a new chief based exclusively on his skills and experience as a policeman regardless of linguistics,” he said at a public consultation meeting held Feb. 10.
Patterson says the French-language requirement narrows the selection pool because most Canadians speak English.
He says the board should look “high and low” across North America to find the most qualified person for the position, whether or not they’re bilingual.
But regional Coun. Richard Cantin says a police chief should be sensitive to all community issues.
“Being a francophone, a member of the minority in this region, has given me an appreciation for the other minorities,” says Cantin. “I feel that a unilingual anglophone may not have this sensitivity.”
At the forum, community groups expressed gratitude for the opportunity to present their views on what should comprise the necessary qualifications for the next police chief.
Carroll Holland, member of the Police Services Liaison Committee with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities, says noticeable progress in taking the public’s views into consideration was made under the leadership of previous police chiefs, including Brian Ford.
“It is definitely a worthwhile and important process,” says Holland referring to the public forum approach.
But not everyone is convinced it will make a difference.
Centretown resident Shane Moreau says he was not optimistic after attending the consultation meeting.
“The meeting was simply a formality,” says Moreau. “The board has already decided what type of person they are looking for.”
Patterson says the board has made a “potentially disastrous error.”
He says he hopes regional council will overturn its decision to include bilingualism as a job requirement and take all the public’s views into consideration when it develops the chief’s final job profile.
Kreling admits the profile will not be changed but the candidates will be questioned on issues raised by the public.
“We received some input that gives the board members a sense of the traits and sensitivities that people are looking for in the police chief,” he says.
The board says it hopes to announce its new chief of police in April.