Did you know that the City of Edmonton pays any penalties, costs, and legal defence for Edmonton Police Officers-- even if they are found guilty or at fault of misconduct, assault, or worse?
As part of building a police service we can all be proud of, we need to receive regular updates as to costs incurred, plans to eliminate them, and lobby the provincial government for changes to the Police Act to make it easer to remove problem officers.
The taxpayer picks up the tab for officer misconduct
Prior to approving any future EPS Budget, questions that come to mind are:
- How much was paid for in-house EPS legal counsel?
- How much was paid to external law firms?
- How much was paid out in damages and costs for lawsuits against EPS members?
-
How do we compare to other jurisdictions when it comes to settlements?
As reported by the CBC, Mario Dube was assaulted by a police after speaking French and taking photos of the officers and was a victim of ‘malicious’ misconduct for speaking French". Forester got out of the police vehicle and immediately pepper-sprayed him, then reached in and grabbed Dube by the neck as he tried to pull him out through the broken window. Dube was still wearing his seatbelt.” Justice Fagnan wrote. "Courts are not oblivious to the fact that police officers have very challenging jobs. However, use of excessive force chips away at their moral authority, ultimately rendering the challenges of policing more difficult." The Court awarded Franco-Albertan Mario Dube $22,250 in August 2021.
In 2014, Forester was found guilty of serious misconduct and demoted, the second most severe penalty, next to firing for what he did while on duty. "The “consensual sexual interactions” took place in public, including a park, and in private while Forester was on duty between August 2013 and May 2014.” Ask yourself what your employer would do to you if you were found guilty of "inappropriate sexual conduct" at work?
Next Steps:
There are many good EPS members working hard to keep Edmonton safe. The sooner we can remove officers who are tarnishing the ranks, the better.
It is past-time for a review of the Police Act to ensure a rigorous code that we can all be proud of. If reading this post is concerning, please contact the Solicitor General Tyler Shandro and urge them to change the Police Act to make it easier to remove problem officers.
Email the Edmonton Police Commission and share your feedback.
References:
Phone: 780 427-2339 E-mail: [email protected]
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/franco-albertan-awarded-22-250-in-damages-after-2006-police-assaults-1.6131420
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