Evidence of meeting #11 for Status of Women in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was seniors.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Patricia Fleischmann  Police Constable, Community Mobilization Unit, Toronto Police Service
Jared Buhler  Elder Abuse Intervention Team, Edmonton Police Service
Isobel Fitzpatrick  Detective Sergeant, Coordinator, Eastern Regional Abuse Issues, Ontario Provincial Police
Isabelle Coady  Detective, Elder Abuse Unit, Ottawa Police Service
Leslie Craig  Inspector, Manager, Crime Prevention Section, Ontario Provincial Police

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

I'm going to stop you there so that I can keep pressing.

You mentioned training. What kind of training could we be doing?

4:15 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

Many police services provide internal training. Certainly in Toronto I have spoken to our police recruit classes. I speak to our diversity class. I speak to our crime prevention class. At the Ontario Police College, over the last several years, there have been regular elder abuse conferences. The hope is that through these continued elder abuse conferences, there will one day be an elder abuse investigator course at the Ontario Police College. For the time being, elder abuse examples are given in some of the other courses at the college.

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

So this would be something that you think would be useful.

4:15 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

Absolutely.

4:15 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

In your article, “Abuse of Older Adults: an Ontario Criminal Justice Perspective”, you say that subtle and generally unrealized ageist behaviour can be detected in police personnel, prosecutors, defence counsel, and even the judiciary. You say that it surfaces in the manner in which older adults are described, communicated with, and perceived by others.

What strategies does the Toronto Police Service employ to eliminate ageism? What are the actual strategies?

4:20 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

I present at our internal courses and I talk about ageism. I share with them examples and I stress the importance of maintaining professionalism in their investigations. It is my hope that through sharing these examples, officers will realize that we cannot engage in these types of behaviours. In fact, I often say, “Check your biases at the door”.

4:20 p.m.

NDP

Mylène Freeman NDP Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC

I'm going to pass on the rest of my time to my colleagues.

4:20 p.m.

NDP

Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Thank you.

You said that in Ontario you don't have to report cases of elder abuse. Do you know if that's common across Canada? Or is it just something in Ontario?

4:20 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

Every province has different provincial statutes. I believe in British Columbia, for example, there is a mandated response. I certainly can't speak to that because I'm not from British Columbia. I believe it relates to service providers and it may be for health care practitioners, if I remember correctly.

4:20 p.m.

NDP

Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

So if there were a national elder abuse strategy and we got together and had a plan to address abuses that occur in long-term care facilities and hospitals, where a lot of our most vulnerable seniors are, do you think that would help prevent elder abuse?

4:20 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

It certainly would be helpful. But I should mention that in Ontario in July 2010, the Long-Term Care Homes Act was an amalgamation of three different provincial statutes. There is now mandated elder abuse reporting within long-term care. There is a section in that legislation that directs that allegations be in fact reported. It's not necessarily that actual criminal offences have to be reported, but even allegations or suspicions of criminal activity relating to elder abuse.

In the new Retirement Homes Act—which is not yet in force—there is also a section that relates to reporting elder abuse to police.

4:20 p.m.

NDP

Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Thank you.

And now, the floor is yours, Marjolaine.

November 22nd, 2011 / 4:20 p.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC

Thank you.

My question will be in French.

4:20 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Irene Mathyssen

Constable Fleischmann, it's channel one for English. Is your device working?

4:20 p.m.

NDP

Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC

A minute ago, you mentioned a shared services model. You were speaking rather rapidly, but I understood that this was about shared services. Could you give us a bit more information about this? Can you tell us if these services include crime prevention rather than punitive measures?

4:20 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

That's a question!

The shared service model in regard to the family justice centres is available in some cities across the country. Currently in Toronto we do not have such a family justice centre. However, I can tell you that we are in talks with a local hospital, as well as with the Victim Services Toronto program, and we are hoping to put this model together. Since Toronto is such a large city, we cannot have one for the entire city. We must of course start with a pilot project.

The pilot project would be located in Scarborough, where there is a lack of services. We currently have a potential location, which the hospital is currently using, where there are a couple of free rooms available. The hope is that at some point in the near future--I'm not sure whether we're talking about 2012 or 2013--we can bring the Toronto Police Service in there, along with the Victim Services Toronto program, to start the pilot project, and then over time to expand the services available, including across the city. Although it currently deals with domestic violence, the idea is that we would bring in child abuse as well as elder abuse.

4:25 p.m.

NDP

The Chair NDP Irene Mathyssen

Thank you.

We'll go over to Ms. James for seven minutes.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON

Thank you, Madam Chair.

And thank you, Constable, for being here today.

I'm actually from Toronto. My father was a police officer for Metro a number of years ago but has long since retired.

As the vulnerable persons issues coordinator for the Toronto Police Service, what is your definition of vulnerable?

4:25 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

Many years ago, I was strictly the elder abuse coordinator for the service, and after one of the reorganizations of the service and our particular unit, my responsibilities were expanded to include vulnerable persons issues, which I now have administrative responsibility for, specifically older adult abuse and neglect.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON

So “vulnerable” to you means older people who are not capable of defending themselves or protecting themselves?

4:25 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

Well, it's much more than that. It also includes abuse and neglect of persons with disabilities, and it includes mental health issues. So it's quite wide ranging.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON

In your opinion, are vulnerable people less likely to be able to protect or defend themselves compared to those who are not deemed to be vulnerable?

4:25 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

Generally speaking, that's correct.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Roxanne James Conservative Scarborough Centre, ON

Thank you.

How long have you been with the vulnerable persons community mobilization unit?

4:25 p.m.

Cst Patricia Fleischmann

Approximately 10 years.