How do Ontario police forces operate and who commands them?

As protests stretch into their third week in the nation's capital, police response has drawn considerable criticism. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson have maintained that, as elected officials, they cannot direct police. So, if politicians don't have a hand in policing, who commands Ontario police forces?

But, as the occupation of Ottawa stretches into its third week, police are under intense scrutiny over how protesters were able to take over the downtown core and how they’ve maintained the demonstration for so long.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, along with Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and Toronto Mayor John Tory, have made clear they support the police and their approach to maintaining the peace, while also repeatedly saying they cannot direct police forces as elected officials.

While politicians are able to set in motion laws that police forces are tasked with upholding, such as the injuctions Ottawa and Windsor have seen put in place this week or the invocation of the Emergencies Act on Monday, elected officials cannot command police forces on a day-to-day basis.

Dr. Wayne Petrozzi, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University, says that the separation between police and politicians is the sign of a healthy democracy.