MINISTRY OF APR - 61994 ATTORNEY GENERAL LIBRARY ONTARIO ATTORNEY GENERAL LAW LIBRARY HV 8159 06 057 1994 STK 00006355 AUDIT OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT, MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FINAL REPORT Operational Review, Audit and Investigations Branch Ministry of the Solicitor General & Correctional Services March 1994 HV 8159 06 057 1994 c.l HV Final report of the audit of the 8159 Special Investigations Unit, 06 Ministry of the Attorney General 057 1994 c.l HV Final report of the audit of the 8159 Special Investigations Unit, 06 Ministry of the Attorney General 057 1994 c.l MINISTRY OF ATTORNEY GENERAL LIBRARY ministry of the attorney general law library Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General Ministere du Procureur general March 8, 1994 Dear Colleague: I am pleased to be able to provide you with the results of a recently completed independent review of the operations of Ontario's Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The review makes 29 constructive recommendations for improvements to the SIU. Many of the key recommendations have already been implemented and a number of others outline areas in which improvements must be made. The review was commissioned in January, 1993, by the Ministry of the Solicitor General at the request of SIU Director Howard Morton, to assess the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the unit. The review was conducted by Inspector John Van der Lelie, a senior officer with Halton Regional Police, and by Inspector Jack Hanna, a senior Ontario Provincial Police officer on secondment with the Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services. Some of the steps already taken to improve the unit’s overall operations include: • the recent creation of the position of Head of Investigative Operations. The responsibilities of this position include: coordination and supervision of investigations; preparation of an operational manual; professional development and continuing education and maintenance of communications links with key constituencies • the establishment of a committee to examine the current Standard Operating Procedures • the appointment of a senior administrator to review all SIU administrative policies and implement new policies • a reduction in the length of time taken to complete investigations due to a streamlining of the unit’s investigative process by two recently appointed former senior criminal investigators • the establishment of a new policy which has substantially reduced the time taken to notify the necessary parties of the Director's determination with respect to criminal charges I have also asked the Director of the SIU to provide a response in six months to the report's remaining recommendations. This review provides clear direction with which to move forward. It will strengthen the SIU's ability to investigate independently serious injuries and deaths involving police officers, and enhance the confidence and trust of the police and the community. Minister responsible for Women's Issues vesti^atlo n s Ito 320 FRONT ST W • 1 OTH FLOOR • PO BOX 3213 • TORONTO • ONTARIO • M5V 3Bo 320 RUE FRONT QUEST • 10 ETACE • C P 3213 ♦ TORONTO • ONTARIO * N15V 3B6 1_Jii I te U> 'enq ue tes S e s FILE REF March 7, 1994 Shortly after becoming the Director of SIU in September of 1992,1 recognized that there were a number of structural and operational difficulties within the unit which needed to be identified and rectified. Accordingly, I requested in January 1993 that an independent review of SIU operations be carried by two senior police officers, one of whom is with the Evaluation and Audit Branch of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, the other a senior member of the Halton Regional Police Service. I am pleased to receive their report and recommendations. I am in agreement with virtually all of the recommendations set out in the report. Many of the suggested improvements to SIU operations which are targeted in the recommendations are in the process of being implemented. The balance of the operational and administrative recommendations that are within my purview will be implemented in the near future. Along with the Head of Investigative Operations and the two Acting Heads of Investigative Operations, I look forward to the positive operational improvements which will result at SIU as a result of the report. I invite and welcome comments with respect to the report from members of the public. Howard F. Morton Director Special Investigations Unit TELEPHONE : 416 • 314 • 2915 / FACSIMILE : 416 • 314 • 2923 TELEPHONE : 416 • 314 • 2915 / TELECOPIEUR : 416 • 314 • 2925 MAR 8 ’94 8:24 FROM 0 R-A TO DM PAGE.002 ® Ontario Ministry of the Minister© du PO Box 4100 CP 4100 Solicitor General and Sollicrteur general et 200 First Av® W 200 1 ire av o Correctional Services des Services correctionnels North Boy ON P1B9M3 North Bay ON PI B 9M3 Tel«phono:/T4J*phone: ¥ ee fiimtla :/T ilicopieur: MEMORANDUM TO: George Thomson Deputy Minister t Ministry of the Attorney Genera! i • Howard Morton Director, Special Investigations Unit Ministry of the Attorney General FROM: Jack Hanna, Inspector Manager Program Review & Investigations John Van der Lelie Inspector Haiton Regional Police Service DATE: March 8, 1994 We are pleased to submit the final report of the Audit of the Special Investigations Unit, Ministry of the Attorney General. The final report has been reviewed by the Legal Services Branch and the Freedom of Information Unit of the Ministry of the Solicitor General & Correctional Services. The final report reflects their advice, direction and requirements for public release. cc Michele Noble, Deputy Minister Ministry of the Solicitor General & Correctional Services 71.8430 069-0S3A (07/93) ** TOTAL PAGE.002 ** MINISTRY OF THE attorney general LAW LIBRARY AUDIT OF THE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT, MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FINAL REPORT Operational Review, Audit and Investigations Branch Ministry of the Solicitor General & Correctional Services March 1994 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Ontario Council of University Libraries https://archive.org/details/mag_00006355