Ontario police watchdog to host public meeting in Thunder Bay, Ont., Monday

The head of Ontario's civilian police oversight body is scheduled to be in Thunder Bay, Ont., for a public meeting tonight, as part of the ongoing probe into allegations of systemic racism in the Thunder Bay Police Service.

GerryMcNeilly, the Ontario Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD), and his staff are holding the first public forum in the city as part of their investigation into the way the local police treat the deaths of Indigenous people.

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The meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m., on September 25 at the Da Vinci Centre, is to allow people in Thunder Bay the chance to inform the investigation and share their thoughts on interactions with police; the forum is also expected to cover topics like police-Indigenous community relations, how the community feels about the issue of racism or bias in policing and successes and recommendations to effective policing.

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When the meeting was announced, McNeilly told CBC News that he expects the forum will consist of participants breaking off into groups to discuss specific topics and then present the feedback. In addition, he said, there will be an open session where people can make comments.

He added that the goal of the meeting is to listen and record feedback but not allow things to get disruptive.

Even though Monday is the first public engagement since the director's review started in November, 2016, McNeilly said he and his staff have been to the Lakehead many times, speaking with individuals, First Nation leaders and community members, Indigenous organizations, community and service organizations, as well as members of the Thunder Bay Police Service and Thunder Bay Police Services Board.

The police services board is the subject of a separate investigation by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. Both the police service and the board have said they will cooperate with the respective investigations.

The OIPRD investigation is also probing nearly 40 death cases involving both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people that have been handled by city police, re-examining documents and interviewing officers.

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McNeilly said the public forum is a chance to hear from the "grassroots."

"I invite the residents of Thunder Bay to provide input that will add to our understanding and our ability to provide meaningful recommendations for improvement," McNeilly said when announcing the meeting.