Recruitment methods for Ottawa’s new police chief under scrutiny

The Board’s Human Resources Committee recommended on Friday that the Board approve the acquisition of Hefid Solutions by Odgers Berndtson to assist in the design, implementation and reporting on the community engagement process for the recruitment of the Chief of Police [d’Ottawa].

Odgers Berndtson is an executive search firm with a mandate to recruit the next Chief and Deputy Chief of the National Capital Police Force. This is the fifth time that he has been entrusted with this responsibility. Three of the last four chiefs have ended their tenure as chieftaincy with a stormy resignation or dismissal. The most recent, Peter Sloly, tendered his resignation on February 15 amid criticism from all sides for his management of the convoy of truckers.

The main administrators of Hefid Solutions are Hector Addison and his wife Fidelia Addison. Friday, Mr. addison described to the committee its design and execution plan as well as its community consultation plan, which includes consultation with approximately 150 people. Consultations will take place through public meetings, interviews and an online survey.

The final report is expected to be delivered to the recruiting firm in July.

There is virtually no room for errorhe admitted.

Three equity council members at Hefid

The catch is that Hector Addison is a community member of the Ottawa Police Service Community Equity Committee. In his team of six people at Hefid, there are two other members of the committee, including the co-chairman.

CBC asked Mr. addison how three members of the committee could carry out this job of recruiting for the future chief of police. He replied that he did not think there was a conflict.

We only advise the OPSOttawa Police Service about some things internally and how to get involved in the community. We are not their spokesperson. We criticize them when necessary, but the main thing is to make sure that the police reflect the community we serve.

He went on to highlight results for which credit is given to the Community Equity Committee. It is thanks to our work that the Ottawa police have been able to recruit many people from diverse backgrounds into their ranks.he argued.

” It is a private company. I don’t see anything wrong. It has nothing to do with the police. The people who are part of my team and who sit on the committee also do a variety of work. »

A $54,000 contract

Mr. Addison also clarified that as part of the recruitment work, no member of his team will talk to the police, only community members and the recruitment company, Odgers Berndtson.

His team would ultimately have no say in the selection process and would not work with the police board, he added.

This job is to gather feedback from the community about what they want to see from the new Chief of Police. Some fear that the work upstream of Hefid Solutions end up shaping the outline of the recruitment ofOdgers Berndtson.

Hector Addison said the total value of the recruitment contract offered to Hefid is $54,000, including $7,500 in fees for potential consulting participants.

A rights group is concerned

A public rights group monitoring City Hall and the police, 613-819 BlackHubalso expressed concerns about being awarded another City contract by Hefid.

The city’s Crime Prevention Ottawa agency granted Hefid a contract for the renewal of Ottawa’s Street Violence and Gang Prevention Strategy. This contract, like the recruitment contract, includes similar work, such as compiling community feedback and designing consultations.

The contract is for $50,000, but it also includes a more modest contract with the African Canadian Association of Ottawa to distribute fees to participants in the consultations. Mr. Addison is the founder of the African Canadian Association of Ottawa.

These issues raise serious concerns about the legitimacy and credibility of Crime Prevention Ottawa as a municipal funder whose mission is to improve community safety through collaborative crime prevention based on proofsexplained 613-819 BlackHub by press release.

Today’s decision by the Human Resources Committee of the Ottawa Police Services Board to recommend the hiring of Hefid to help recruit the new Ottawa Police Chief raises similar concerns about the Committee’s competence and impartiality with respect to the Ottawa Police Service.

Ottawa Police Services Board Chair Eli El-Chantiry sits on the Human Resources Committee. He approved the recommendation to the committee on Friday. In an interview with CBC, he said he has had little interaction with the equity committee since returning to his post this winter after Diane Deans was let go during the trucking convoy.

Eli El-Chantiry added that he was happy to see a plan that engages racialized communities, but that in the interest of transparency, he would review the proposed contract.

On May 30, the commission will therefore have to approve or reject the said contract.

With the information Shaamini Yogaretnam, CBC