About Us

Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA) – formerly known as the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) – is responsible for receiving, managing and overseeing public complaints about misconduct of police officers. LECA accepts complaints about the conduct of the following:

  • All municipal, regional, and provincial (OPP) police officers;
  • Special Constables employed by the Niagara Parks Commission;
  • Peace Officers in the Legislative Protective Service; and
  • First Nations police officers if the police service opts into the CSPA.

As a civilian arm’s-length agency of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, our decisions are independent from the Ontario government, the police, and the community.

LECA no longer has jurisdiction over policing policy, service and complaints regarding members of police service boards. The Inspectorate of Policing will review matters involving the adequacy and effectiveness of police services.

In addition, LECA has the authority to initiate an investigation in the absence of a public complaint if it is in the public interest to do so. We can also retain the ability to conduct systemic reviews of matters that are related to police misconduct.

LECA is also no longer responsible for posting disciplinary hearing decisions on its website. This responsibility now lies with the Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission. Lastly, LECA cannot conduct a criminal investigation, direct or lay criminal charges.

We are committed to ensuring that complaints about misconduct of police officers are dealt with in a manner that is transparent, effective, and fair to both the public and the police. Our goal is to provide a fair, independent, transparent and accessible and effective oversight system that will foster confidence and trust in the public complaints process and, in turn, policing.

Our Purpose and Goals

LECA’s vision is to enhance confidence in the public complaints system through excellence in the independent and impartial oversight of police.

Our mission is to provide effective management and oversight of public complaints about the misconduct of police officers, promote accountability of police services across Ontario and increase confidence in the public complaints system.

We do this through:

  1. Overseeing public complaints about the misconduct of police officers through to their conclusion;
  2. Investigating complaints;
  3. Encouraging the resolution of complaints through alternative dispute resolutions;
  4. Providing education to both the public and police; and
  5. Reviewing and making recommendations regarding issues of a systemic nature.

In fulfilling our commitments, we are guided by these principles:

  • Accountability — improving the transparency and accountability of the public complaints system and maintaining accountability for our actions to our stakeholders
  • Integrity — providing professional, objective, timely services to all stakeholders, respecting the privacy and dignity of stakeholders and treating them fairly
  • Independence — overseeing investigations by police services in a fair, transparent and effective manner and conducting independent investigations thoroughly and fairly
  • Accessibility — building public awareness about the complaints system and being accessible to the public so that complaints about police can be made