Child psychiatrist recommended as city's next police board chair

A new report penned by the Ottawa Police Services Board's selection panel recommends that local child psychiatrist Dr. Gail Beck be appointed as its next citizen-appointee and chair.

Beck is the interim psychiatrist-in-chief and chief of staff at The Royal, Ottawa's mental health centre. Its website notes that Beck is presently chair of the board of governors at Algonquin College, and she has previously served as chair of the board of the Ontario Medical Association in 2016-2017. 

In a media availability on Monday, police chief Eric Stubbs said he was looking forward to working with Beck. 

"She has extensive experience in a number of different areas that are, I think, important...She's going to bring a lot of value to the board," Stubbs said. 

"Mental health is such a high priority issue for the community to manage...that having her perspectives on that particular topic ... I'm really looking forward to her contributions in that side of the house. " 

'A strong, independent community member'

According to the report prepared for Wednesday's city council meeting, the recommendation to appoint Beck as the police board's next chair came from a selection panel comprised by mayor Mark Sutcliffe along with city councillors Cathy Curry and Rawlson King. 

The report notes that the panel received 113 applications for the role, and it conducted four interviews before recommending Beck.

This comes after Sutcliffe made a promise in his election platform last year, to "recruit a strong, independent community member" to not only serve on the board, but also as its chair. 

If Beck is appointed to the role, she will replace Suzanne Valiquet, who has been serving as the board's chair in an interim role since the start of this term of council. Previously, the role was held by now-former councillors Eli El-Chantiry and Diane Deans, who was ousted in a dramatic overhaul of the board during the convoy protests. 

City council will be asked to approve Beck as a citizen appointee to the board at Wednesday's council meeting. The board's members will then decide whether to elect her as the board's chair. 

According to the selection panel's report, if Beck's appointment is approved and she is elected by the board, she will be paid $54,000 a year for her role as chair.