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As the London Police Service Board (the Board) begins the critical work of shaping our next Strategic Plan, we will ensure that this process is both thoughtful and inclusive. A strong plan cannot be created in isolation. It must be influenced by the voices, experiences, and priorities of the community we serve.
The Ontario Association of Police Service Boards (OAPSB) has recently launched a governance series serving as a timely reminder for boards across the province that community engagement is a core component of effective governance. Public trust is not built solely by posting a notice or holding a Board meeting to meet requirements. It is built through presence, listening, and a willingness to engage directly with community concerns.
Lessons from the OAPSB
The OAPSB series reminds boards that:
- Minimum notice is not enough. A website posting or a single newspaper ad may check a compliance box, but it does not invite dialogue. Genuine engagement means reaching people in different ways and asking better questions.
- Silence is not apathy; it is access. If the room is empty, the community may not be aware that you are listening, or there may be barriers that prevent participation. Boards must ask who is not in the room and why.
- Difficult conversations are necessary. When feedback is tense, uncomfortable, or critical, boards must not retreat behind operational boundaries. Legitimacy comes from showing up and acknowledging those concerns.
- Feedback must be validated. Communities lose trust when their input appears to be ignored. Boards must explain what was heard, how it shaped priorities, and what could not be acted upon, along with the reasons why.
How This Informs Our Strategic Planning
These lessons come at the right time for our Board as we prepare to launch the development of our new 2027–2030 Strategic Plan in the coming months. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA), boards are responsible for establishing strategic priorities, objectives, and policies to effectively manage policing in their communities. This responsibility cannot be fulfilled without genuine engagement and the voices of those most impacted by policing and community safety.
To fulfill this responsibility, we will collaborate with external resources to design and conduct comprehensive community engagement surveys and focus groups in the new year. Drawing on the OAPSB’s insights, we will approach this process with the following commitments:
- Questions will be focused and connect directly to planning. For example, what safety priorities matter most to your family? What partnerships beyond policing should be prioritized?
- We will reach out broadly, using multiple channels, so that people who may not usually participate still have an opportunity to be heard.
- We will provide clear summaries of community feedback, explain how it influenced our plan, and share what comes next.
Moving Forward Together
The OAPSB’s series reinforces that boards are not only oversight bodies. We are also connectors, bridge builders, and stewards of public trust.
By engaging openly and meaningfully, we can ensure that our Board’s direction reflects the values, priorities, and hopes of the community we serve.
Stay Involved: As this process takes shape, the Board invites community members to share feedback, ideas, and perspectives at www.lpsb.ca or by contacting the Board directly at lpsb@lpsb.ca
The London Police Service Board (LPSB) has adopted a Critical Points Policy as a significant step toward strengthening police governance and public accountability.
Inclusive governance goes beyond checking boxes on representation. In today’s policing landscape, it means building a workplace that reflects the whole community. Race, gender, lived experiences, age, ability, culture, socioeconomic background, and the many intersecting identities that shape how people experience safety and policing are included in what it means for the London Police Service (LPS) to be reflective of the community.
Attending a Board meeting is an excellent way to stay informed, and to better understand how policing is shaped at the governance level.
The London Police Service (LPS) has formally taken the 30 Forward pledge, joining a growing network of agencies committed to equity, fairness, and stronger public service. On May 5, 2025, the LPS launched its public campaign in support of 30 Forward continuing efforts to remove barriers for women in policing through improved data collection, enhanced community outreach, and increased internal engagement.
