| Description: |
Ontario is the first province to implement standardized investigative practices and supporting technology for major case investigations. In 1997, the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services created the Major Case Management (MCM) System in partnership with the Ontario policing community. Developed in response to the 1996 Campbell Report recommendations to address systemic issues that arose during the Paul Bernardo investigations, the MCM System takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigations of defined major offences. It includes a centralized coordinating body, a dedicated serial predator crime investigations coordinator and a hierarchy of governance committees. Investigators receive standardized training and use common case management software (PowerCase) to organize, manage, retrieve and analyze large volumes of investigative data collected during major case investigations. The system is continually refined to reflect current legislation, relevant case law, innovations in science and technology, recommendations from public inquiries, and policing best practices. In 2005, the use of the MCM System became mandatory in Ontario under the Police Services Act. |
| Objective: |
The MCM System was created as a strategic defence against serial predators. Its innovative provisions were designed to facilitate the coordination of Ontario law enforcement agencies involved in major cases (both single-jurisdiction and multi-jurisdictional cases) and ensure cooperation and information sharing between investigations. |
| Outcomes: |
The Ontario MCM System is regarded as a world leader in the management of criminal investigations. Since its inception, it has been used in various high-profile cases. It has proven to be a valuable mechanism for organizing major investigations and identifying serial predators. Investigators are expanding their use of the PowerCase software to deal with large and complex non-criteria offences such as organized crime projects and complicated frauds. |
| Resources: |
In 1997, the Government of Ontario allocated $25 million, over a five-year period, to implement key recommendations of the Campbell Report. During that period, the MCM manual was created, the centralized oversight body was set up and the PowerCase software licence was obtained. Under a master agreement with the vendor, the Province of Ontario provides the software to all Ontario police services free of charge. |
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| Province: |
Ontario |
| Keywords: |
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| Record Entry Date: |
2015-03-01 |