Policing Policy Consultant: Analysis & Advice from a Former OPP Commissioner
Lighthouse Leadership Services is a policing consultant in Canada that provides expert analysis and strategic advice on policing and law enforcement issues, including First Nations Policing Policy. Our work supports informed decision-making, effective governance and operational excellence for police services, boards, governments and agencies. It is led by Chris D. Lewis, former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and the Public Safety Analyst for CTV.
Policing & Law Enforcement Analysis
Policing decisions are often made under pressure, in public and with little time to weigh the options. We provide expert analysis of policing and law enforcement issues and strategic advice on what to do about them. Our law enforcement policy analysis helps decision-makers understand the issue, the options and the likely consequences before they commit.
Chris Lewis brings nearly 36 years of policing experience and a national platform as CTV’s Public Safety Analyst, where he comments regularly on policing and public safety issues.
First Nations Policing Policy
First Nations policing is shaped by federal, provincial and First Nations arrangements that decide how policing is funded and delivered in First Nations communities. A central piece is the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, whose policing agreements are cost-shared between the federal government (52%) and the province or territory (48%), according to Public Safety Canada.
First Nations have long called for reform to how their police services are funded, and for legislation that recognizes those services as an essential service backed by adequate and stable funding. The federal government has committed to co-developing that legislation.
[Update the status of that legislation on the publishing date. As of October 2025 the Assembly of First Nations said it had not yet been introduced.]
We give governments, First Nations leaders and police services boards a clear, experienced view of the policy questions behind these decisions, so they can act with confidence.
Governance Advice for Police Boards and Agencies
Effective governance depends on clear roles, good information and sound judgment at the top. We give police boards, councils and agency leaders an experienced outside view on governance questions, so their decisions are informed and well grounded. Our police governance advice is shaped by experience leading a large police service as its senior executive.
The rules have changed recently. In Ontario, the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 came into force on April 1, 2024 and replaced the Police Services Act, 1990. It requires an OPP detachment board for each detachment that provides policing in a municipality, and it created an Inspector General of Policing whose duties include oversight of police service boards.
Operational Excellence
Operational excellence means doing an organization’s core work well, consistently and at a reasonable cost. As Commissioner, Chris Lewis oversaw front-line policing, traffic and marine operations, emergency response and specialized, multi-jurisdictional investigations across Ontario, delivered through more than 9,000 OPP personnel.
Our police operations consulting applies that experience to your questions: how services are delivered, where operational risks sit and how results can improve. For a full review of how an organization performs, see our Organizational Consulting page.
Who We Work With
We consult to police services, government agencies and private-sector companies. Analysis and advice is most often sought by:
- Police services boards and chiefs of police
- Municipal, provincial and federal officials
- First Nations governments and First Nations police services
- Associations and organizations that shape policing policy
Led by Former OPP Commissioner Chris D. Lewis
Chris D. Lewis is a former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, a post he held from August 1, 2010 until he retired on March 31, 2014. He spent almost 36 years as a police officer and leader, and was a supervisor, senior officer and executive for 28 of them.
He is the Public Safety Analyst for the CTV Television Network, and Canadians hear him regularly on television and talk radio on policing and public safety issues. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Program and the FBI National Executive Institute, and a Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about our Analysis & Advice and how they support your organization.
A policing policy consultant analyzes policing and law enforcement issues and gives strategic advice so boards, governments and agencies can make informed decisions, govern well and run operations effectively. Chris Lewis does this with the perspective of a former OPP Commissioner.
We analyze policing and law enforcement issues, including First Nations Policing Policy, and advise on the decisions that follow. Contact us with the question you are facing and we will tell you whether and how we can help.
It is the set of federal, provincial and First Nations arrangements that decide how policing is funded and delivered in First Nations communities. A central piece is the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, whose agreements are cost-shared 52% federal and 48% provincial or territorial.
The federal government has committed to co-developing legislation that would recognize First Nations police services as an essential service. As of October 2025, the Assembly of First Nations said that law had not yet been introduced.
In Ontario, a civilian board governs a municipal police service. Its duties under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 include employing members of the police service, appointing police officers and monitoring how the chief of police handles discipline.
The Act came into force on April 1, 2024 and replaced the Police Services Act, 1990. It requires an OPP detachment board for each detachment that provides policing in a municipality, and it created an Inspector General of Policing whose duties include oversight of police service boards.
We consult to police services, government agencies and private-sector companies. Boards, executives and policy teams call us when they need an experienced, independent view before a decision.
Use the Contact page to book a consultation. Tell us the issue and the decision you face, and we will outline how we can help.