Oversight body announces inspection of Thunder Bay Police and Thunder Bay Police Services Board

A new provincial oversight body has announced it will conduct an inspection of the Thunder Bay Police Service and Thunder Bay Police Services Board following several public complaints.

Inspector General of Policing of Ontario Ryan Teschner, who heads up the provincial Inspectorate of Policing, announced the review on Thursday.

"My office received several complaints regarding the Thunder Bay Police Service and in particular, how death investigations are conducted," Teschner said in an interview with CBC News on Friday. "Those complaints are within my jurisdiction, and so I made the decision that we would conduct an inspection of the Thunder Bay Police Service under the Community Safety and Policing Act."

"This inspection will be objective," he said. "We will follow the facts, we will gather the information, and it will evaluate how well the Thunder Bay Police Service conducts both death and missing person investigations, ultimately focusing on their compliance with Ontario's policing legislation and leading practices."

The inspection will also assess how the service, and the board, are addressing recommendations made by other oversight bodies that have conducted reviews, and monitor the board to ensure the members are complying with the act, the inspectorate stated in a media release.

Teschner said there is no set timeline for the inspection, but anticipates it will conclude sometime in 2025. Any findings will be publicly released on the inspectorate's website.

In a statement issued Friday, Thunder Bay Police Services Board chair Karen Machado said the board "is fully committed to working collaboratively and transparently with the Inspectorate of Policing during the investigation and welcomes any further advice that will strengthen Thunder Bay's police oversight system."