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CSC At the Police Chiefs' Conference in Vancouver

By Nathalie Gervais, Senior Communications Officer, Information Management Services and Offender Management System Branch

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) held its 99^th annual conference, bringing together a number of criminal justice and public safety organizations, including the RCMP, provincial and municipal associations of police chiefs and several government departments. The event was held in the spectacular city of Vancouver and organized by the Vancouver City Police, who were superb hosts.

A Reception True to Tradition
Every year, the CACP brings its members together with a number of non-members from a variety of backgrounds to find solutions that will strengthen ties and communications. In this way, CSC can work together to build a safer Canada while meeting citizens' expectations concerning public safety.

Over 350 chiefs of police from all across Canada and the western United States attended the conference, the theme of which was: To promote excellence - strategic concepts for police executives. The agenda focused on strategic communications, police executives under pressure, collaboration with police councils, executive well-being, system interoperability and executive coaching.

The opening ceremonies were held at the Pan Pacific Convention and Exhibition Centre, adjacent to the Port of Vancouver. Guests could feast their eyes on the huge luxury passenger liners as well as the magnificent view of the city of North Vancouver across the narrows.

Ceremonies began with colourful speeches by various influential police figures who were clearly delighted to take part in the conference. The hosts paid tribute to the late CACP members and members of police services all over Canada.

Strategic Discussions: the CSC Commissioner and Our Partners

Despite his busy schedule, Don Head, the acting Commissioner of the Correctional Service, was eager to attend the conference and establish contacts with our Canadian counterparts in justice matters. He wanted to discuss correctional issues of current concern to Canadian police forces and the conference was an ideal forum for this.

"Our partners are indispensable to us," the Acting Commissioner commented, "and we have to use these forums, which promote exchanges of ideas, knowledge and public safety concerns, to strengthen our collective protection measures."

Mr. Head talked with numerous chiefs of police, promoting CSC initiatives that improve public safety by sharing our information on offenders with them and other partners. "I want the Service to get the credit it deserves and I want people, those working in the public safety sector and elsewhere, to be informed about our activities, our initiatives, our openness and our willingness to improve our practices so as to communicate better with everyone and protect our societies."

The Service intends to be forward thinking in solving the problems and current challenges facing public safety. That is why Mr. Head wished to communicate CSC's involvement and dedication to implementing our mandate, demonstrate our interest in correctional issues and promote efforts that have already been made in this direction.

System Interoperability
Since the beginning of the decade, the Service has made major technological innovations to better accomplish its mission and assume the mantle of leader at the heart of the Canadian public safety information network. The proof is the renewal of the Offender Management System that, since its launching, has succeeded in connecting many partners. Among these initiatives, the InfoPol application, introduced in March 2003, has been highly successful with our police service counterparts, offering police a timely and effective computerized tool, providing information about parolees in their jurisdictions and, thus, ensuring enhanced controls over community safety.

Furthermore, in our unceasing efforts to meet public safety needs, the Service has worked closely with the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services in renewing its InfoPol software to enable the police to obtain information on paroled sex offenders in their jurisdictions - information they did not possess until recently.