Two Members Added to Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners
he Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners has expanded to a seven-Member Board after Saskatoon City Council ratified two new Commission appointments on Monday, December 18.
Commission Chair Darlene Brander said, “Being a conduit between the community and the Police Service is a fundamental purpose of the Police Commission. The addition of two new Police Commissioners enables our Commission to execute on that strategy even more fully. Additionally, this aligns Saskatoon with the practice of most jurisdictions in Canada where civilian Board Members constitute the majority of Board membership.”
Leading up to the expansion of the Police Commission, the existing Commissioners developed a comprehensive criteria list for the consideration of Saskatoon City Council in its review of applicants. Atop that list were: strong connections with the community, a thorough understanding of the policy role of a Police Commission, and demonstrated commitment to the betterment of the Saskatoon community.
“We certainly found those traits in the two people whose appointments to the Commission were ratified by Council yesterday. Jo Custead has been a tireless volunteer in Saskatoon, providing her time and expertise to dozens of organizations, including some whose mandate focused on the interests of the multi-cultural community. She is highly connected throughout all parts of the community and will be very valuable to the Commission in its conduit role. Kearney Healy’s background in developing innovative approaches to deal with marginalized youth is just one example of the expertise he brings to the Commission. His understanding of these types of issues, combined with a demonstrated desire to forge new strategies to address them, means that he will also provide valuable guidance to the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners.”
Additional bio information on Commissioners Custead and Healy is available on the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners’ website at saskatoonpolicecommission.com.
Commission Chair Brander concluded, “The expansion of the Saskatoon Police Commission means that we are now even better positioned to be an effective conduit with the community, to gather input from people in the city, and engage the Saskatoon Police Service in discussions on approaches and strategies that ensure Saskatoon is a vibrant and safe community.”
Contact: Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Chair Darlene Brander through the City Clerk’s Office at 306- 975-3240.
Saskatoon Board of Police Commissioners Vice-Chair Carolanne Inglis-McQuay through the City Clerk’s Office at 306-975-3240.
The new Commission Members will be available for in-person interviews immediately following the Public portion of the next Police Commission meeting.