Our People 2022

The Wellness Check-In Program

In 2022, our Safeguarding Program was replaced by the new Wellness Check-In Program. This program supports the mental health and well-being of our members by focusing on those assigned to ‘at risk’ bureaux as well as all frontline officers. Members are required to speak with one of the three participating psychologists who are governed by the Ontario College of Psychologists. With the roll out of this new program, members are now able to discuss the matters which are important to them without the use of psychological tests and profiles. This gives members more freedom to address anything they feel will support their mental health and well-being in a confidential setting.

It was identified that the Wellness Check-In Program can have a great impact on an officer’s well-being, especially in their first five years of duty. As a result, resources were made available to ensure frontline officers were integrated into the program.

Respectful Workplace Program

In 2022, Human Resources expanded their Respectful Workplace training program by adding an in-house designed interactive eLearning course called Expect Respect. The course included a number of videos featuring employees and leaders at all levels in addition to Chief Duraiappah, the Human Resources Employee Relations team, and representatives of the Peel Regional Police Association to demonstrate our commitment to work together to ensure everyone knows that they are physically and psychologically safe in the workplace and can ‘expect respect’ when they come to work each day. In addition to completing the Expect Respect course, all supervisors and members of senior management also attended a two-part discussion-based Harassment Prevention for Supervisors course facilitated by external experts. The addition of these two new courses to our existing Respectful Workplace training curriculum puts more emphasis on the importance of addressing disrespectful workplace behaviour, deepens employees’ understanding of sexual and gender-based harassment, and provides employees with bystander intervention strategies.

The goal of the Respectful Workplace Program is to ensure that organizational leaders and members adopt and model an inclusive and equitable work environment. Employees are provided with training and expert guidance so they can feel empowered to foster a respectful workplace. Internal and external supports include:

• Multiple ways to report workplace discrimination and/or harassment.
• Optional training material available beyond the mandatory training.
• Resources for supervisors to help those dealing with common sources of conflict.
• Tools to restore the work environment following an investigation.

Human Rights Centered Approach

Peel Regional Police has an organizational commitment to providing the most effective and respectful service to our community. Proactive steps have been taken to implement a human rights-centered approach across the organization that includes mandatory training for all members. The training was developed collaboratively with leading subject matter experts to include: unconscious bias awareness, racial profiling, procedural justice and interacting with children under 12 years of age. Training programs currently in development include: trauma informed approach and implicit bias, understanding the realities of racism (from a historical context) as well as an Indigenous awareness program.

Additionally, and as a part of our organizational Human Rights Project, Peel Regional Police is working to enhance our Race and Identity Based Data (RIBD) Strategy to establish evidence-based processes for collecting and sharing race and identity-based data. The synergy of these training pieces, coupled with our RIBD Strategy, gives our officers a holistic view of biases in policing, and the awareness, recognition and strategies to respond and engage more effectively with our community members.

Learn more about our Human Rights Project.

Employee Engagement Survey

In an effort to continuously improve employee experiences and to ensure the voices of all members are heard, an Employee Engagement Survey was sent out service-wide in 2022. This survey was one step in the strategy for Peel Regional Police to improve the employee experience in the organization. The feedback that was provided was important to determine where we need to focus to make meaningful and effective change.

Anonymity was an important consideration for the participants to feel that they could provide honest feedback. The feedback from this survey guides better decision making to improve everyone’s work experience. A number of insights and themes emerged through the open-ended responses:

• Loyalty: 80 per cent of respondents indicated they are likely to remain with the organization in a year’s time, and 80 per cent indicate they’re likely to continue working at Peel Regional Police in five years.
• Trust and Safety along with Career Growth were noted as areas, that if improved, could have the greatest impact on overall engagement.
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Direct Manager: The overall DEI score and Direct Manager score suggest members feel included and supported by their teams and direct Supervisors. 
• Action and Change: Results identified room for improvement with respect to change readiness, support of Senior Leadership and taking action on feedback. Concern was also raised about the promotion and transfer process.
• Important Competencies for Leaders identified by the membership include:
  • Strong communication and decision making via strong emotional intelligence
  • Empathy and ability to cultivate trust
  • Open to new perspectives and feedback
  • Knowledgeable

The results of the survey have been shared with the entire organization. The Chief’s Management Group and Senior Leadership Team will lead the development of action plans to address identified areas for improvement and these action plans will be communicated to the organization.

Women in Leadership Symposium

Peel Regional Police’s Women in Leadership Committee, in partnership with Corporate Learning and Development, hosted the 2022 Women’s Leadership Symposium as part of the internal Leadership Development Program to support women.

This event took place in the spring of 2022 and was comprised of both civilian and sworn members, who are formal and informal leaders in the service, to ‘Inspire, Empower and Lead’. The event focused on building the foundation for a coaching culture where everyone is treated with equal care and respect.

Over 90 per cent of attendees indicated the symposium was a success, noting the speakers were entertaining, engaging, inspiring, motivating and empowering. This was the second Women in Leadership Symposium and was followed by the launch of a Women in Leadership Program.

Peel Regional Police’s Internal Support Networks

Internal Support Networks (ISNs) continue to exist and expand for members to join. These networks support the unique needs of members relating to personally identified characteristics. These networks provide inclusivity and promote diversity so that members feel heard and valued while having a community space that can positively impact all of those within the service. The following seven ISNs were active in 2022; Asia, Black, Christian, Military, Pride, South Asian Collective and Women’s. The following are some of the ISN highlights from this year:

• South Asian Collective ISN officially launched in March with a mandate to provide our South Asian membership with a community space to positively impact, develop and mentor all those within our organization as well as to build bridges between our community, our people and our work. 
• Military ISN had its official in-person launch in May with a mission to support current and former military members and their families through advocacy, engagement and networking. It is inclusive of members that have served in other Foreign Militaries and those currently on the International Peace Operations eligible to deploy to an International Mission. In November, the Military ISN introduced CADPAT® (Canada Disruptive Patterns) epaulettes for wear for the month to coincide with Remembrance Day.
• Christian ISN launched in October and looks forward to encouraging and serving Peel Regional Police members who request spiritual support and want to grow within their Christian faith.
  

Updates to the NCO 2022 Promotional Process

In response to feedback from the Culture Survey, the Employee Satisfaction Survey, our internal Coffee with the Chief Initiative, the Every Voice Counts Initiative, an internal stakeholder working group, and other formal and informal feedback channels, Corporate Development started to make changes to the promotional process for the ranks of Sergeant/Detective and Staff Sergeant/Detective Sergeant.

The changes were approved by the Chief’s Management Group to create a fairer, more balanced and equitable process to reduce the demands on applicants and promote a better work-life balance. The changes include adjustments in the promotional process so that officer skills are promoted as opposed to a previous heavy focus on a point system. This provides more alignment with organizational goals, equality in the value of work experience and more credit for the number of hours accumulated during volunteer activities. These are the first in a series of future incremental changes led by membership feedback and input.

Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police

Chief Duraiappah was appointed the President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) for a one year period. The OACP is a not-for-profit association established in 1951 to be the voice of Ontario's police leaders, serving federal, provincial, municipal and Indigenous police services across the province, as well as affiliated organizations in the public and private sectors.

Since Chief Duraiappah joined Peel Regional Police he has led the organization as it entered into an agreement with the Ontario Human Rights Commission to address systematic racism, transformed the way the organization handles mental health response by partnering with non-police health and social workers, established a dedicated Intimate Partner Violence Unit and helped build a road map for innovation and technological improvement to better equip officers to serve their community. His leadership and contributions will help other OACP member services to prioritize the safety and well-being of sworn and civilian police professionals and community members.

“As we look to the future, there is an opportunity to make seismic shifts in incident response and how police services in our province can better serve their communities. By establishing multi-sectoral partnerships to find upstream solutions, together with our communities, we can better address systemic and societal issues rather than continuing to apply traditional police and justice system response."

-Chief Duraiappah

Learn more about Chief Nishan Duraiappah.

New Deputy Chief

After a thorough and competitive internal process, Peel Regional Police member Mark Dapat was appointed as the newest Deputy Chief of Police. After beginning his career with Peel Regional Police in 1997, he has held positions throughout the service, including Uniform Patrol, Special Enforcement Bureau, Intelligence Services, Internal Affairs and Criminal Investigation Bureau. He is a certified Critical Incident Commander, and was a Crisis Negotiator Team leader before joining Community Safety and Well-Being Services. Deputy Dapat led the Peel Regional Police Community Safety and Well-Being Strategy which established a foundation for action as a critical step in the commitment to operate as a progressive, innovative and inclusive public safety organization. Deputy Dapat participates on several advisory tables and committees that relate to mental health and addiction programming, as well as represents Peel Regional Police on several Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police committees including the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee.

“I am pleased to welcome Mark Dapat as Deputy Chief of Police at Peel Regional Police. He has worked in a variety of policing roles and is recognized as a leader provincially in areas of community safety and well-being. Deputy Dapat is a strong police leader with the experience to integrate well with members of the Service, Peel’s dynamic communities and our Police Services Board”.

-Chief Duraiappah

Learn more about Deputy Chief Mark Dapat.

2.1 Cultural, Physical and Psychological Well-Being and Safety of Our Employees

Develop and promote initiatives to support the well-being and safety of our employees.

2.1.1
The Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee (JOHSC) conducted 205 workplace inspections. The JOHSC members liaised with the respective stakeholders across the organization to ensure all hazards were addressed in a timely manner.

2.1.2
Continued to follow the Mental Health Strategy under the Excellence Canada Healthy Workplace initiative and focused on the mental health of all members to create a healthy and safe police service. The Psychological Safeguarding Program has been updated to the Wellness Check-In Program. There are three Wellness Psychologists who are governed by the Ontario College of Psychologists and 900 civilian and sworn members from identified bureaux as well as over 900 frontline uniform members participating in the program. A total of 1,671 appointments occurred over the year.

2.1.3
Some initiatives to support cultural, physical and psychological well-being and safety were:

• The Designated Worker Training Program resumed to support workplace inspection activities across the organization. 91 new designated workers were provided training.
• Laser Safety Training developed to comply with ANSI Standard Z136.1 for the safe use of laser equipment in the workplace.
• The Safe Drug Handling Procedure expanded to include safe work procedures for Forensic Identification Services personnel who handle contaminated exhibits.
• In-service training provided on suicide intervention and resilience.
• Included Boots on the Ground therapy service for critical incidents along with clinical support.
• Organizational Wellness Bureau implemented a series of wellness WebEx sessions and offered a list of industry trained clinical supports specific to members' needs and their families that is accessible on-line.

2.2 Employee Collaboration and Engagement

Focus on improving employee collaboration and engagement.

2.2.1
Project Management (PM) staff were provided to various bureaux service-wide. All PMs meet regularly to identify efficiencies and eliminate duplication of work to effectively align strategy across corporate priorities. The Enterprise Governance Committee was also established to tie common goal initiatives together to avoid duplication and focus work towards corporate priorities. 

2.2.2
61 organizational messages from the Chief and Senior Leadership were complimented by 204 emails from Corporate Communications to increase employee awareness of organizational and community initiatives. Newsletters were identified as the most effective mode of communication and were increased by 12% in 2022. Continued to use a number of channels including our intranet portal and television system and email bulletins. Produced 111 internal videos and increased employee accessible live stream events by 55% to improve communication with members.

2.2.3
Coffee with the Chief sessions provided opportunity for members to discuss ideas and concerns with the Chief and Deputies. Frontline focus groups were conducted to obtain patrol officer input and ideas for improvement and a World Café was conducted to obtain ideas related to career growth for civilian members. Focus groups were also conducted as part of our Organizational Excellence Standard journey. Training surveys continued to provide valuable feedback to improve courses, and focus groups and surveys provided insight to the Special Constable initiative.

2.3 Invest in Our People

Provide resources and development opportunities for continued growth of staff.

2.3.1
The Leadership Development Program continued to provide improvement for all members through opportunities for growth and providing the essential skills to lead.

• The Type Coach training continued with over 700 members completing the program. 
• The Influential Leadership Program expanded to members who continually act for Civilian Supervisors and Staff Sergeants. A follow-up program was created and offered to previous participants.
• A second Women in Leadership Symposium was held, followed by the launch of a Women in Leadership program.
• Leadership Coaching Circles embedded in training, where leaders are coached on real challenges faced on a regular basis.
• Brought in external programs such as the Ontario Police College’s Frontline Supervisor course (FLS) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s Leadership in Police Organizations (LPO) by having two new FLS facilitators and eight new LPO facilitators developed.

2.3.2
Training and education related to development and leadership included:

• Employees spent 257,419 hours in training, an increase of 17 per cent from 2021.
• Temporary opportunities resulted in over 442,440 acting hours.
• 233 employees enrolled in 811 continuing education courses.
• Posted 678 internal job vacancies.
• Promotion of 36 officers and the position advancement of 33 civilians.

2.3.3
Equipment and projects introduced to support safe and effective delivery of services included:

• Premier One (P1) CAD was implemented in October 2022 to enhance the Communications Bureau and frontline response through improved functionality and mapping capabilities.
• Continued to utilize officers in Communications assisting with call-taking, call redirecting and alternative response, and performing call-backs in the Non-Answered 911 queue.
• Division Channel Splitting has been fully implemented.  11 Division and 22 Division now have two talk groups (11 Division - North and South and 22 Division - North and South). Extra communicators result in more manageable call volumes to better support the efforts and safety of frontline and support officers and members.

2.3.4
In 2022, 461 desktop computers, 232 laptops computers, 370 monitors, 10 printers, 71 iPads and 254 iPhones were replaced. Concluded Mobile Data Unit (MDU) replacement in early 2022. Over 350 MDUs replaced.

2.3.5
Facilities projects in accordance with the Facilities Plan undertaken and completed in 2022 include:

• Headquarters Police monument relocated and building walkway replaced.
• Headquarters Corporate Strategy office completed.
• 11 Division staff entrance walkway replaced.
• 12 Division vehicle charging stations added. New windows installed and sally port ramp replaced.
• Emil V. Kolb Emergency Support Services Office expanded.
• Material Management Centre flooring replaced.
• New North Division design team established with land purchase to conclude and construction to start in 2024.

2.4 Professional and Skilled Employees that Represent Our Community

Attract and retain skilled employees who represent our community.

2.4.1
Continued to adjust outreach initiatives to a new online digital approach, including an Instagram account with our live and pre-recorded sessions, posts and stories, resulting in an increase of almost 5,000 more followers than the previous year. Used 235 outreach recruiting initiatives and recruiting forums to boost uniform applications, increasing our outreach initiatives by 60% from 2021 (147). Recruiting received 1,863 uniform applications. The Civilian Recruiting Team continued using online testing and remote interviewing to align with protocol.

2.4.2
Designated groups were represented in the organization: 36 per cent females, 32 per cent racialized and visible minorities, one per cent persons with disabilities and one per cent Indigenous.

2.4.3
Attrition rates were four per cent for officers and six per cent for civilians.

2.4.4
299 new hires (106 officers, 174 civilians and 19 cadets) which included: 191 (64 per cent) racialized 150 (50 per cent) female, nine (three per cent) Indigenous and five (two per cent) persons with disabilities.