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| York Regional Police |
Environmental Scan
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York Regional Police proudly serves its communities through the efforts of its 1364 officers and 496 civilian members. We maintain headquarters in Newmarket and support facilities in Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, Newmarket, Georgina and Aurora, delivering community-based policing, investigative and specialized services to both urban and rural communities. The organizational structure includes Operation and Administrative Branches which oversee District Patrol Operations, Investigative and Support Services, Information Services, Financial and Staff Services, Community Services and Court Services.
People with disabilities are an increasing proportion of the population we serve. According to the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey from Statistics Canada, approximately 4.4 million Canadians reported having a disability. In 2006, there was an estimated 1.9 million Ontario residents with a disability. Using the Ontario figure, we can estimate that 140,000 York Region residents have a disability. As the region's population continues to grow, there will be pressure on infrastructure and service providers resulting from the expectations of all our citizens. Police officers will increasingly have interaction with people with disabilities and as such, require increasing awareness of the diverse needs within the communities they serve.
York Regional Police continues to consider accessibility planning to be a significant component when reviewing and developing new programs and services. In 2009, individual Bureaus and Units will be requested to work together in identifying, removing and preventing barriers to accessibility. There will be a focus on the implementation of the Customer Service Regulation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). We will ensure that we continue to address a number of key areas including training and awareness, policy review, facilities design and modification, and technology enhancements to increase access to our services by people with disabilities. |
Our Customers
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| The customers of York Regional Police include all citizens, businesses and visitors to York Region; victims, suspects, witnesses and perpetrators of crime. Our partnerships include regional and municipal Councils, other regional departments, the judiciary and corrections, policing partners (such as other police services, by-law enforcement, CISO, Interpol, etc.), public agencies and human service providers (such as school boards, fire services, emergency medical services, etc.), and many community agencies and groups, among others. Providing quality policing services requires a concerted effort to ensure the protection of all citizens of all ages with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds and diverse service needs. |
Accessibility Statement
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| York Regional Police will evaluate accessibility as it relates to people with disabilities needing policing services, regardless of the event(s) causing the need for interaction. Education, outreach programs, communication strategies, human resource practices and criminal investigations will all be reviewed as a precursor to implementing necessary changes that reflect our desire to better serve the public. In previous years we have worked in partnership with various groups to raise awareness of different types of disabilities among our officers and members. We will continue to move toward enhancing the accessibility of our programs and services through building strategic community and regional partnerships and by increasing our awareness of the needs of persons with disabilities, so that we can better respond to those needs and promote safe, secure and healthy communities. |
York Regional Police
Progress Report on Accessibility Achievements - 2008
Barrier Identified
(Gives a description of the barrier and indicates where the barrier was found. For example, was the barrier in a program, service, by-law, policy, practice or facility?) |
Barrier Type
(Indicates the type(s) of barrier (physical, architectural, informational, communicational, attitudinal, technological, policy/practice) |
Disability Type
(Indicates the type(s) of disability affected by the barrier (physical, sensory, cognitive, mental illness or other) |
How the barrier was addressed
(Describes the action taken to identify, remove or prevent the barrier) |
| Making Regional Services More Accessible |
| Communication devices for use by people who are deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing. |
Technological, Communicational |
Sensory |
An internal technological review of communication devices was conducted to determine their effectiveness. |
| Communication system (TTY) used by people who are deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing. |
Technological, Communicational |
Sensory |
Research determined that software to interface directly with Computer Automated Dispatch is not available. |
| Parking lot at 2 District. |
Architectural |
Physical |
Three accessible parking spots were relocated to the front entrance of 2 District. |
| Aids for officers to use with citizens who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. |
Communicational |
Sensory |
Communication tip cards to be used by police officers when communicating with people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing have been received through the Canadian Hearing Society. |
| Making it Easier to Participate In Regional Government |
| Canadian Hearing Society membership on the York Regional Police Recruit Community Insights Program. |
Attitudinal |
Sensory |
Each year members of the Canadian Hearing Society are invited to become members of the YRP Recruit Community Insights Program. |
| Representation of people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing on the York Regional Equity Advisory Board Committee. |
Attitudinal |
Sensory |
The Accessibility Advisory Committee has been amalgamated with the York Regional Police Equity Advisory Committee. |
| Canadian Hearing Society Sign Language Interpreter Services Protocol. |
Policy/Practice |
Sensory |
Protocol is in place allowing for appropriate and timely access to Sign Language Interpreter Services. |
| Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness |
| Awareness of officers and dispatchers to the needs of citizens who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing. |
Attitudinal |
Sensory |
Plans are in place to invite the Canadian Hearing Society to participate in the Diversity Speakers component of requalification training.
All new communicators receive instructions on the use of TTY during initial and requalification training. |
| Training curriculum for specialized police units where hearing loss may be an issue. |
Informational |
Sensory |
A presentation was developed regarding hearing conservation that is available to staff online. Also researching potential for hearing loss for motorcycle officers. |
| Increase awareness of staff to the needs of people with disabilities through continued staff participation in inclusivity training. |
Attitudinal |
All |
10 staff from YRP have completed the 'Just Ask' Inclusivity Training. |
York Regional Police
Barrier Identification for 2009
| By-laws, policies and practices to be reviewed |
Methods to be used to identify the barrier |
Timing
(When will this be completed?
The timing for addressing a barrier does not necessarily have to be set within 2009. The nature of the action may be phased in over a number of months or years depending on the resources and priorities of the Department) |
| Making Regional Services More Accessible |
| Accessibility of facilities being modified and constructed. |
Contract accessibility consultant to conduct review of accessibility designs and best practices to ensure accessibility measures are included. |
Q4 2009 |
| Review of existing communication channels and technology. |
Conduct accessibility review of web, telecommunications and other technologies to identify barriers. |
Q3 2009 |
| Review of YRP emergency planning procedures. |
Consult with people with disabilities to identify their needs within this process. |
Q4 2009 |
| Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness |
| Hiring and volunteer selection practices. |
Review hiring and volunteer selection practices to identify any barriers to inclusion of people with cognitive and/or other disabilities |
Q4 2009 |
| Composition of Equity Advisory Committee to ensure adequate representation of people with disabilities. |
Review current composition of the Equity Advisory Committee to identify additional opportunities for inclusion. |
Q1 2009 |
| Review department's internal policies, practices & procedures to ensure incorporation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) Customer Service Regulation's core principles of independence, integration, and equal opportunity. |
A comprehensive review of all internal departmental policies, practices & procedures to identify gaps in the core principles of independence, integration, and equal opportunity. |
Q4 2009 |
York Regional Police
Barriers That Will Be Addressed for 2009
Barrier Identified
(Indicate where the barrier was found) |
Barrier Type
(Indicate the type of barrier - physical, architectural, informational, communicational, attitudinal, technological, policy/practice) |
Disability Type
(Indicate the type of disability affected by the barrier - physical, sensory, cognitive, mental illness or other) |
What will be gained by removing or preventing the barrier
(Indicate how accessibility will be enhanced by removing or preventing this barrier) |
Means to prevent/remove the barrier
(Describe what action will be taken to remove and/or prevent the barrier) |
Indicators of success
(Indicate how customer service will be improved by removing or preventing this barrier. Also indicate any other measure(s) that will be used to determine whether or not the Department was successful in removing and/or preventing this barrier) |
Timing
(The timing for addressing a barrier does not necessarily have to be set in 2009; the nature of the action may be phased in over a number of months or years depending on the resources and priorities of the Department) |
| Making Regional Services More Accessible |
| Expand the role of the Mental Health Support Team specifically to respond to the needs of children. |
Policy/Practice |
Mental Illness |
Children who have been victimized gain better access to required services. |
Partnership with York Support Services Network (YSSN) to investigate potential funding sources. |
Children who have been victimized receive enhanced services through YRP and YSSN. |
2009-2010 |
| AODA Staff Resource. |
Policy/Practice |
All |
Accessibility will be enhanced for people with disabilities to access York Regional Police services. |
Seek approval for inclusion of a staff position in 2009 staffing and deployment plan. |
Improve lives of people with disabilities by focusing on improving our work environment with a goal of barrier-free facilities and services for our citizens, customers and staff. |
Q2 2009 |
| Making it Easier to Participate in Regional Government |
| Need to promote existing alternative method of reporting minor incidents on-line via the YRP website (CopLogic). |
Policy/Practice |
Sensory, Cognitive |
Improved access to reporting minor incidents for people with disabilities. |
Promotion to people with disabilities of email/web-based option of reporting minor incidents. |
People with disabilities will have alternative methods (i.e., CopLogic) to report minor incidents. |
Q3 2009 |
| Changing Attitudes and Raising Awareness |
| To meet the training requirements of the Customer Service Regulation (AODA), YRP civilian staff and officers will attend training. |
All |
All |
Enhance officer and staff knowledge of the Customer Service Regulation (AODA) and of serving people with disabilities. |
All employees in York Regional Police Services will receive Customer Service Regulation training about the provision of its goods and services to people with disabilities. |
All YRP Services staff will be trained about the provision of goods and services to people with disabilities, meeting the requirements of the Customer Service Regulation (AODA). |
2009-2010 |
| More diverse participation of community agencies that serve people with disabilities in the Recruit Community Insight Program. |
Attitudinal |
All |
Enhance officer and staff knowledge of serving people with various types of disabilities. |
Invite agencies serving people with various types of disabilities to participate in the Recruit Community Insight Program. |
Enhanced officer and staff knowledge of community agencies that serve people with various types of disabilities. |
Q3 2009 | |
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