Belleville Police Board refuses to livestream meetings due to receiving “only one request in two years”

Belleville Police Services Board doesn’t make meeting recordings public, unlike other services. They have the capability of publishing meeting recordings online from the police station and did so during the COVID-19 pandemic, posting 6 meetings from 2021 to YouTube, including the 2022 Capital Budget approval.

Councillor Carr asks police board if they’d considered broadcasting meetings or holding them at City Hall

During the presentation of the BPS Strategic Plan at the December 8, 2025 council meeting:

There was mention about the community feedback was transparency and improved communication.

Has the police board ever thought of having the board meetings broadcasted for availability to the public or to be conducted in a place that’s more accessible to the public?

I hear from residents who said, “Look, I’m not going to show up to the police service to maybe attend a meeting the same way as I would in a public forum”. And I know the police service board used to conduct meetings [at City Hall]. This is equipped with broadcasting capabilities. Just in terms of communications and transparency, has that been considered by the board?

Councillor Carr to Police Board Chair

Great question. So Councillor Carr, we moved the meetings back to the police service because we found that police staff were waiting around and in the building for two or three hours while we had the in-camera and then the open session and so we thought it would be easy to access them if we needed them at the station. If you’re hearing feedback with regards to that, it’s certainly something we would reconsider.

Police Board Chair Heather Smith

On January 22, 2026 the BPS Board passed the following motion:

BPS Board Meeting Location

THAT the 2026 Belleville Police Service Board meetings be held at the Belleville Police Station.

Chair Smith identified a question from a Councillor of the City of Belleville related to access and location choice. After discussion it was agreed by all members that the meetings continue to be hosted at 459 Sidney, the Belleville Police Station.

Belleville Police Board refuses to broadcast meetings due to “only one request in two years” and commits to “enhancing exterior signage”

To: Members of Belleville’s Municipal Council

Good day,

You will recall that at the conclusion of the Belleville Police Service’s Strategic Plan presentation to Council on December 8, Councillor Carr asked the Chair of the Belleville Police Services Board (BPSB) to reconsider the current location of Board meetings, which are held at the Belleville Police Station at 459 Sidney Street.

The matter was placed on the agenda for the Board’s meeting of January 22, 2026. Rather than waiting for the minutes of that meeting to be posted on February 26, we felt it would be helpful to provide Council with a written update to confirm that the issue received full and thoughtful consideration by Board members.

While the Board identified several operational efficiencies associated with continuing to meet at the station and only one request in two years regarding live-streaming of meetings, members also acknowledged that the meeting room is not immediately visible to members of the public entering from the parking lot. In response, the Board has committed to enhancing exterior signage to clearly direct visitors to the meeting location.

We appreciate the question being raised, as it provided an opportunity for meaningful discussion and reaffirmed that holding meetings within the station supports effective and timely access to Directors, Inspectors, Sworn and Civilian Members and confirms the arms-length and autonomous relationship of the Police Service with Council.

Respectfully,
Heather Smith Barb Enright Miller
Board Chair Vice Chair

Police board meetings are held in the middle of the work day at 10:00AM on the 3rd Thursday of the Month in the Joint Forces Room at Belleville Police Service. Committee meetings are also held in the middle of the work day between 9:00AM and 1:00PM. This greatly limits the proportion and demographic diversity of residents who would be capable of attending meetings without taking time off work to do so.

Belleville Police Service states its commitment to transparency and accountability in its 2024 Annual Report:

Focused on supporting and assisting victims of crime, managing and deploying resources in a sustainable manner and maintaining public trust and ensuring transparency and accountability

And its 2026-2029 Strategic Plan:

From those [Strategic Plan] consultations, several clear themes stood out. Communication within the service and with the public must improve. Residents want police to be more visible and approachable. And the most pressing issues are homelessness, mental health, addictions, and traffic control. As you all well know, the community has asked for a police service that is approachable, connected, and engaged. One that shows up and listens.

Police Board Chair Heather Smith

This plan sets clear goals and priorities to meet the needs of our community. It is about enabling and supporting the people on the frontlines, strengthening trust through collaboration and transparency, and providing the tools and resources needed to meet evolving demands.

When police service board and committee meetings are not made accessible to the public, it undermines that commitment.

This practice is actively detrimental to transparency. When meetings are held while residents are at work and the substance of the discussions surrounding police board decisions are hidden, residents are blocked from understanding how the police service is governed by the board, leading to surprise, confusion and frustration. It also makes it more difficult for them to hold the service accountable for its actions, statements and decisions and for residents, journalists, and researchers to track local issues.

Take action

Ask the Belleville Police Service Board to publish meetings on YouTube:

And email it to: [email protected]