MacTavish's
Source for Sports has been running for 56 years, but it was set on fire
recently, and police have charged someone with arson. (Hannah Rudderham/CBC)
Close
to 300 people crowded into a meeting room at Fredericton's Crowne Plaza
hotel on Tuesday to share what they say are growing concerns
about crime, drug use and homelessness in the city's downtown.
That's
more than twice the number of businesses owners and other
stakeholders who attended a similar meeting last year, according to the
City of Fredericton.
The meeting came on the heels of a recent fire that destroyed a long-standing sporting-goods store on Queen Street, MacTavish's Source for Sports, which police say was set deliberately.
While
Tuesday's event wasn't open to the media, many participants were eager
to speak to reporters afterwards to expression their frustrations.
Adrian Butts says he's had break-ins and theft at his downtown properties. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Adrian
Butts owns various commercial buildings in the downtown area and says
he has experienced problems such as break-ins and theft.
"Just on Friday, we had one of my commercial buildings [broken into], entered and burgled, with significant damage," he said.
"One
of my tenants went bankrupt because their clientele will no longer come
downtown or come into the building because of an unsavoury element
there. My truck was robbed two weeks ago," Butts said.
Matt Savage, owner of Savage's Bicycle Centre, says it's a daily struggle to deal with the issues in the downtown. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Matt Savage, owner of Savage's Bicycle Centre, said the recent fire at MacTavish's was the final straw.
"We're seeing issues of homelessness, mental health, addiction … it's a downstream issue. So there's larger issues at play here.
"But
day-to-day, it's difficult. Our staff are being assaulted ... thank
goodness our customers keep coming. But it's a struggle daily."
WATCH | Business owners describe challenges of working downtown:
More than 200 people showed up to talk about crime in downtown Fredericton
The
city and local police hosted a meeting Tuesday to talk about issues
relating to public safety in downtown Fredericton. Business owners and
other stakeholders got a chance to share their concerns about what’s
happening in their community.
Jenn Tuttle owns The Nest Yoga
and Sequoia, a natural goods store. Both are located downtown. Tuttle
said they're having issues when it comes to safety, which has forced
them to lock their doors on occasion.
"We're
experiencing people coming into the stores and harassing our staff and
making them feel quite uncomfortable. We're experiencing theft. We do
have a lot of security measures in place. However, that doesn't always
deter people from stealing."
Jen Tuttle owns two businesses downtown. She says she's concerned for the safety of her staff. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Police
Chief Gary Forward said the "sheer number of business owners, employees
that came out was indicative of some of the frustration that I think
the business community and residents are experiencing."
In
terms of policing, Forward said there's a recruitment issue that should
be addressed within the next year, through a satellite of the Atlantic
Police Academy.
Forward said the pilot project will allow them to train 10 to 12 new officers.
By
this time next year, he said they hope to have "the people that we need
in place to go after a number of the proactive programs that we have,
including the school resource officers or community liaison officers and
even get back to an increased area of visibility through a beat patrol
or full patrols or bike patrols."
Mayor
Kate Rogers talked about expanding the work of the community safety
services unit, made up of uniformed security officers who patrol trails
and other areas. (Shane Fowler / CBC)
Mayor
Kate Rogers said there was a lot of openness at the meeting and that
she could "feel the concern, the frustration and the exasperation" in
the room.
She said it was an opportunity for the city and police to share what they have been working on to address the problems.
This
includes expanding the work of the community safety services unit, made
up of uniformed security officers who patrol trails and other areas
and the use of public safety cameras, Rogers said after the meeting.
She
also said a new community safety task force will "bring community
stakeholders together, a small group to put together a list of action
items that we want movement on from other orders of government."
Recommendations are expected in the spring.
Meanwhile, business owners say they look forward to any improvements.
Tuttle "would
love to see Fredericton downtown in particular be a place that we feel
safe again. That's what I would like to see."
Clarifications
The City of Fredericton has clarified that the number of people at Tuesday's meeting was closer to 300.
james bolt What's stopping you all from hiring Mall cops?
Terri-Lynn Bee Very sorry this has happened to your business. This has got to stop. Intimidation by bottom feeders. I know there isn't a "one size fits all" solution, however, something has got to give. Far too much criminal activity taking place today. Here in Fredericton and well beyond. There is no deterrent to commit crime in Canada, as our laws lean toward to the offenders, not the victims affected. Slaps on the wrist isn't a thing any longer. JMHO
Lou Bell Somewhere along the line , and if the staus quo continues or gets worse ( Liberals and Greens push for more safe injection sites ) , then there'll no longer be a downtown where legit businesses can operate . Illegal pot stores and safe injection sites will be the order of the day. And we taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill for all the collateral damage .
Lorelei Stott those poppies I don't think I like them, I'm more old school I think, some things should perhaps just stay humble not fluffy IMO anyway
stephen magee People will need to stand and defend what they own because if you think the cops or want to be politicians will help good luck with that Deer Island had it under control after the burned beat and put the lowlife off the island.
Lou Bell From what the Mayor is saying , status quo . And you know what the definition is of one who keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over without making any changes .
Terri-Lynn Bee Reply to Lou Bell That's sounds close to the definition of insanity. "Doing the same thing over & over, expecting a different result." Laws & penalties need an overhaul. Gotta start somewhere.
SarahRose Werner Reply to Terri-Lynn Bee Who's going to enforce these laws and penalties if there aren't enough police officers?
Lou Bell The Liberals and Greens want more safe injection sites , much like what happened in Vancouver . Continued until businesses put the pressure on the city to smarten up and do the job they were elected to do .
Lou Bell When is this mayor going to step up , take responsibility for what's happening in her city , and do something about it . Blaming anything and everything on others , and especially the provincial government is ridiculous . She complained because other places in NB were getting all the Doctors and her city wasn't . Total incompetence in doing the job she was elected for .
Lorelei Stott our future got a little brighter last night in north america, hoping for a trickle effect of tough on crime
hs fisher Reply to Lorelei Stott nothing has changed here
Tom Gordon I think the city should have police officers walking the beat downtown daily.
SarahRose Werner Reply to Tom Gordon What police officers? According to the article, the city is still waiting for the officers to be trained.
Tom Gordon Reply to SarahRose Werner The City of Fredericton does already have a police force and are trained. The 10-12 new officers to be hired are not the issue.
Ronald Miller Once Poilievre is elected the homeless and drug problems will be gone.
hs fisher Reply to Ronald Miller not even close
Ronald Miller This is an issue from coast to coast and the only way to fix it is to remove who is running our country, that election can't come soon enough.
Ronald Miller This is not new news. Charles Leblanc (a close friend of mine) has been raising the alarms on this issue for a while now.
Ronald Miller Reply to Ronald Miller Bobby, didn't enough people make fun of you yesterday, you are back for more today. You keep on shining.
Tom Businesses should just say screw the downtown, move to other locations as shop owners will never be afforded safety and security for themselves or their customers. The Police are just a few blocks away from ALL downtown locations so what are they doing? There are too many bleeding hearts that say garbage like "the punishment suits the crime". There is no punishment and that is the crime!
Terri-Lynn Bee Reply to Tom Exactly 💯 no one is deterred from doing the unthinkable as a matter of fact. Scary. What a train wreck Canada's become.
Dave Kliveland Shut down the river stone enablers.
Dennis Atchison The Great Gatherings of 2012, 2014 and 2016 all offered integrated systemic solutions to this challenge ... and yet no one in position of authority and action (municipal government, business community) participated in the process, or integrated the solutions created. So ... nice to see the community coming together ... but it is over ten years later and so much could have happened in the interim to have avoided this moment in time. So it goes ... though it makes me (and others) sad. And even before the Great Gatherings, the Community Group on Homelessness in around 2008 or so offered their solutions, with a spokesperson from Calgary invited to share how their City solved much of their homeless problem (called the Inverted Model ... spend 60 to 80K on housing and supports saves 180 to 220K in municipal expenses). Again, solutions not integrated into the Municipal Plan or Council policy/actions. So it goes ... but there should be no surprises by this point in time.
MR Cain A good start bringing the business community together to work on the safety task force.
Sarah Brown Reply to MR Cain A good start is to charge the culprits for the thefts, vandalism, property damage and illicit drug use
MR Cain Reply to Sarah Brown The punishment suits the crime. Not sure about illicit drug use.
Fred Dee Reply to MR Cain need to deal with the crime.... zero tolerance for drug usage!!
MR Cain Reply to Fred Dee Any ideas? Should we arrest them, put them in jail? How long should they stay? Then what? A little more thought please.
Dennis Atchison Reply to Fred Dee Does this include ALL drug usage ... like the cocaine problem which never makes the news??? Other drugs which do not make the news?
Tom Reply to MR Cain Of course they should be arrested and put in jail. To the best of my knowledge vagrancy is still a crime, along with theft and arson and the list goes on.
Ronald Miller Reply to Dennis Atchison Lock'em up. That Minto jail can't be built fast enough in my opinion
MR Cain Reply to Tom Vagrancy is no longer a crime in Canada, as it was removed from the Criminal Code in 2019. The Supreme Court of Canada struck down the legislation in 1994, finding it to be too broad and a violation of personal liberties.
So, how long should they be incarcerated on the taxpayer's dime? When they have served their time, what then?
Adam Peabody, of Downtown Fredericton, Inc., says problems for shop owners downtown include thefts, vandalism and harassment. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Business
owners in downtown Fredericton say they are increasingly frustrated
with a rise in break-ins, theft, vandalism, open drug use, litter and
damage to their properties.
Those concerns will be the focus of an upcoming invitation-only meeting with the Fredericton Police Force on Nov. 5.
Adam
Peabody, executive director of Downtown Fredericton Inc, which
represents the business community, said the instances of theft,
vandalism and harassment have trended "from an irritant to an area of
significant concern."
And, he said, "We can say anecdotally … that it seems to be fuelled in large part by drug use and addictions."
Gary
Forward, who took over as police chief in September, said police have
seen a 30 to 40 per cent increase in socio-economic-related calls in the
past year, related to living rough, drug addiction and wellness checks
Fredericton
Police Chief, Gary Forward says police often get calls about unwanted
individuals, property damage, theft and drug use, and he understands the
frustration businesses feel. (Submitted by Sonya Gilks)
Drugs
such as fentanyl and crystal meth are having a "significant impact" on
the community because of "their highly addictive nature," along with the
low cost and increased availability, he said.
"Those
three things are catastrophic when it comes to invading and impacting
the community, especially with something like a drug addiction."
Businesses compassionate, but also frustrated
Mike
Babineau owns and operates several Fredericton restaurants, including
three in the downtown. He said his staff have found people stealing from
the restaurant, hiding in the washrooms and causing damage to the
interior and exterior of the properties.
Mike
Babineau says he cares about people but he also has an investment to
worry about, as well as the health and safety of his employees. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
He
has increased security, lighting and staffing levels to deal with
increased crime and said that there is a monetary cost, as well as an
emotional one.
And while no one has been physically assaulted, staff members have been verbally assaulted "on multiple occasions."
Babineau
said he always leads with compassion and he cares about people, but he
also has an investment to worry about and the health and safety of his
employees, who include teenagers.
According to Peabody,
most downtown businesses have fewer than 10 employees, which makes it
hard for them to handle what he calls the "pervasive and repetitive
level of criminal activity."
"There's also a
psychological impact of being concerned of how they can maintain a safe
and secure environment for their customers, for their employees and
operating in our community at large."
Chad
McGarity, owner of The Warehouse Barbershop, says he deals with a lot
of theft, open drug use and overdoses at his new Smythe Street location.
(Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Chad
McGarity, owner of The Warehouse Barbershop, recently relocated to the
bottom of Smythe Street. He said he's struggling with daytime thefts,
open drug use and overdoses outside his business.
He
keeps a sharps disposal container on hand and collects the waste
himself. In the three months at this new location, he estimates he's
picked up roughly 100 needles from his property.
McGarity
said he empathizes with the people he sees on the streets. He said he
often gives out money and meals and gets to know them on a personal
level. But he's struggling.
The
City of Fredericton's Community Safety Services unit responds to people
loitering outside a Brunswick Street business on a recent day. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Asking people to move along when they're blocking the barbershop entrance can be nerve-racking.
"Of
course we're very friendly because we don't want to make anybody angry,
but it's our investment, our livelihood," McGarity said.
'You can't hang out anywhere'
Forward
said police often get calls about unwanted individuals, property
damage, theft and drug use, and he understands the frustration
businesses feel.
Police responded to 64 overdoses last
year, he said, and as of Oct. 1 this year, they had already responded to
76. They've also responded to more than 90 calls for syringe recovery
and disposal.
But Forward said there are limitations to what his officers can do.
"I
think, also, the community needs to understand that police can't arrest
someone for simply being homeless or living rough, and we certainly
can't arrest somebody for being addicted to drugs or possessing
prescribed drugs."
Needle
covers and other garbage from drug use are a common site just a few
steps away from the sidewalk in Fredericton's downtown. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Chris
Nason has been living rough in Fredericton for the past decade. He
understands there are "a lot of bad apples in the homeless crew," but
wants business owners to know there are a lot of good people who are
also struggling.
Nason has always lived in Fredericton.
In a former life, he had a home of his own, a wife, a son and a
daughter. But for a myriad of reasons, he is now unhoused.
"I had a couple of low-rental places but they were taken away as quick and as easily as I got them."
Nason
has used the men's shelter from time to time, but prefers the
independence of living in the woods, where he said no one bothers him —
unlike when he spends time downtown.
"You can't hang
out anywhere. You stop somewhere on the street and there's about three
different security companies that come around and tell you to move
along. Like I say, well, 'Where do you suggest I move along to, so that
you're not going to follow me down the road 5 minutes later?'"
Chris Nason says he sees new faces in the homeless community every day and wonders where they're all coming from. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Nason said he has seen an unbelievable increase in the number of people living on the streets.
"Every
day I see new faces in town, and you wonder where they're all coming
from," he said. "It seems like at least by the week, there's at least a
half a dozen or dozen new people that you haven't seen before."
All
of these concerns will be part of the conversation at the annual
Business Community Engagement Session on Nov. 5. The meeting is in
partnership with the city and Fredericton Police Force, and will include
members of the Chamber of Commerce, Business Fredericton North and
Downtown Fredericton Inc.
Dee MacDonald Something is bringing them here, as noted by Chris Nason, could it be one of the 4 programs set up, one being Fredericton in all of Canada giving away free drugs causing the influx of people?
Inger Nielsen more unhoused to come unless our new housing MLA pulls a trick out of their hat like victory houses
Rich Hatfield This can all be fixed with a $40 million pool.
Jack Bell I'm surprised the feelings police didn't change the title from:
"Drug-related problems cost of doing business in downtown Fredericton, store owners say"
to:
"Diversity is our strength and businesses look forward to the opportunity to expand their clientele to include nomadic persons experiencing altered perception."
Mark O'Brien Reply to Jack Bell Perhaps you might like to ask thoe business leaders why they dont utter a statement that has nothing to do with social problems?!
Societies have many diverse social problems and needs like good child care for example. Your objection to diversity would have you sweep society's needs undeer the carpet? You only take care of one of your needs despite the diverse needs you and everyone has because of some objection to a noun? Now that you've banned pronouns and nouns will you go after verbs to reflect your own unactivity? Bad verbs! Next we'll get their accompices the adverbs!
MR Cain Reply to Mark O'Brien The business leaders should be collaborating on solutions and work with the cops.
Tom Gordon Higgs had one great idea maybe the Liberals should jump on, to pass a law letting law enforcement pick people up that can't help themselves and put them in treatment centres whether they want to be there or not. Stop the giving away of free drugs. Send the homeless that are coming to Fredericton after being kicked out of other cities back to where they came from.
MR Cain Reply to Tom Gordon We have already gone through this and the cops don't even want anything to do with it. What do we do with the homeless that are from Fredericton? Sending people back to their place of origin does not solve the problem, just gives it to someone else.
Fundy Shores Mayor Denny Cogswell says his community wants to see more of an RCMP presence. (Karissa Donkin/CBC)
Police
and Public Trust, a project of the CBC News Atlantic investigative
unit, scrutinizes the largely off-limits police complaint and discipline
systems across the region. Journalists are using access to information
laws and, in some cases, court challenges to obtain discipline records
and data.
Darrell Tidd kept hearing about break-ins in his community.
It
was the summer of 2023, just a few months after the municipality of
Eastern Charlotte was created in southwestern New Brunswick.
This
swath of Charlotte County runs from the west boundary of New River all
the way to the ferry to Deer Island and includes St. George and Blacks
Harbour — home to about 7,700 people, by Tidd's estimate.
The
municipality's new government, including Tidd, the Ward 6 councillor,
was hearing from residents whose camps were broken into. Tidd felt the
RCMP response was inadequate.
"What's at stake is nobody feels safe in their communities," he said in an interview with CBC News from St. George.
The
province's public safety crime dashboard shows crimes against people
rising between 2018 and 2022. Crimes against property also went up.
At a council meeting in July 2023, Tidd made a motion: to look at dropping the RCMP and adopting an alternative.
Eastern Charlotte wasn't the only community expressing concern about the RCMP's policing.
That
July, the RCMP issued a statement warning residents against vigilantism
after a car and home were burned on Deer Island. The island technically
isn't part of Eastern Charlotte, but many consider it part of the
community, Tidd said.
The pile of rubble left by a fire on Deer Island in July 2023. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
Island
residents told CBC at the time they were frustrated by crime, including
thefts, that often happened at night after the ferry stopped running.
No
Mountie is stationed on the island full time, which makes it difficult
for an officer to respond quickly from the St. George detachment on the
mainland.
Tidd worried something similar would happen in Eastern Charlotte.
"We
don't want to see vigilante justice and something drastic happen in
this community," he said. "That's why we're saying we need more
community-based policing here."
Those concerns were
echoed by complaints members of the public made about the RCMP across
all of New Brunswick from 2015 through 2022.
The most
common complaint during those eight years was neglect of duty,
representing half the more than 2,600 allegations in the data reviewed
by CBC.
Overall, 50 per cent of the allegations in the database were found to be unsupported, a CBC analysis found.
Complaints from the public
Some
allegations about neglect of duty were from people complaining the RCMP
didn't do a thorough investigation. Others were from people upset they
called and no one phoned them back.
A complaint in 2016,
found in the database sent to CBC, was from a person who called 911 in
the Blackville area in central New Brunswick. Their reason for calling
isn't clear, but the person said they were told the RCMP would be
dispatched.
"The RCMP never showed up and the complainant has not heard from the RCMP since," says the complaint.
CBC
obtained and analyzed eight years of complaints about the RCMP in New
Brunswick, finding half of the more than 2,600 allegations related to
neglect of duty. (Photo illustration: Duk Han Lee/CBC)
A
complaint made in the Hampton detachment in 2018 described a person
calling the RCMP five times to report thefts from vehicles and people
looking in their vehicles.
"He has never seen a police
car make a patrol in any of the reported incidents," the data provided
by the RCMP said. The complaint was informally resolved.
Another
complaint in 2021, in the St. Stephen area, was found to be supported
after a person complained that a constable failed to do a proper
investigation by not obtaining or reviewing security camera footage.
The data was obtained through the access to information system as part of CBC's ongoing Police and Public Trust project, which takes the public inside the often-opaque systems of police complaints and discipline across Atlantic Canada.
"As
far as the percentage, it doesn't surprise me," Tidd said. "That would
be probably in line with what we're hearing in the community."
Eastern Charlotte Coun. Darrell Tidd says people don't feel safe in his community. (Karissa Donkin/CBC)
'Enough is enough'
Next
door to Eastern Charlotte, Fundy Shores Mayor Denny Cogswell was
dealing with similar issues. The new municipality covers about 370
square kilometres and includes Prince of Wales on the outskirts of Saint
John and Pocologan farther west.
Cogswell estimated
there were 10 to 12 break-ins this past spring in the New River and
Pocologan areas, which had a population of more than 800 people as part
of the Lepreau Parish in 2021, according to Statistics Canada.
"The community was getting frustrated and said enough is enough," Cogswell said.
Concerns
about crime began in Fundy Shores after petty crime, such as thefts and
break-ins, started to feel more common, according to Cogswell. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
Conversations with the RCMP led to a public meeting last summer. Cogswell estimates more than 100 people attended.
The
message from residents, he said, was that they wanted to see a greater
police presence given the area's vast territory. He believes it's a
managerial problem within the RCMP.
"It's not the boots
on the ground," Cogswell said. "There's just not enough of them. They're
doing the best they can with what they have, and I think something more
has to be done politically and up the ladder."
The RCMP
fielded a number of questions at the meeting and residents left
optimistic, Cogswell said. After another meeting in September with Kris
Austin, the public safety minister at the time, Cogswell said he heard
from residents who were seeing police patrolling the community. One
woman said it was the first time she'd seen a police car in the 10 years
she lived in New River.
According
to the RCMP statistics, the Lepreau area has seen 307 occurrences to
date this year, compared to 273 over the same period in 2023.
In Musquash, there have been 103 occurrences so far, up from 90 in the same period in 2023.
'Everything's on the table' with policing, mayor says
Cogswell continues to be optimistic, but is still concerned by how long it could take for the RCMP to show up after a call.
"Everything's
on the table," he said. "We'll do what needs to be done or what we can
do within those boundaries, legal-wise, to protect the citizens of Fundy
Shores.
"I'm really hopeful that the RCMP will be the
ones to do that, not only for costing-wise, but I think they can provide
a good service if needed. But the problem is we're just not seeing it
as much as we should be."
WATCH | What we learned from eight years of complaints about the RCMP in New Brunswick:
Data shows concern about level of RCMP service in New Brunswick
Eight years’ worth of complaints about the New Brunswick RCMP show half fell into the category of neglect of duty.
The municipalities of Carleton
North and Hartland pitched the provincial government on creating a
western New Brunswick police force. It was rejected by the province earlier this year for a number of reasons, including cost and the challenge of hiring local officers.
Residents
in Carleton North and Hartland were frustrated by similar issues as
Eastern Charlotte and Fundy Shores: concerns about crime and the
visibility of the RCMP for the $3 million combined the two
municipalities were paying for the service.
RCMP leadership met with municipalities
Leadership
within the New Brunswick RCMP met with several municipalities at a
Union of the Municipalities meeting in Fredericton this fall.
One
of the RCMP's takeaways from that meeting was that municipalities
aren't necessarily displeased with the RCMP officers on the ground. They
just want to see more of them, according to RCMP spokesperson Cpl.
Hans. Ouellette.
Cpl.
Hans Ouellette, a spokesperson for the New Brunswick RCMP, says at
least 40 of the promised 51 frontline officers have been hired. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
"We
understand that there's concern there and we actually, to be quite
honest with you, I really appreciate that people have had these opinions
because it means that people are actually interested in what the police
are doing … and they're concerned about public safety, which we are as
well," Ouellette said.
With
a growing population and lots of rural area to cover, it's not possible
for police to be everywhere at once, Ouellette said. That's why the
police use intelligence-led policing, where police rely on data analysis
to make decisions on how to use its resources. Calls are also triaged,
with priority on emergencies.
"We go to where the crime
is," Ouellette said. "So that's very important for our communities to
continue calling in suspicious activity."
But at least
one municipality has expressed concern about how quickly the RCMP
responds to serious calls, too. The RCMP apologized to residents of
Grand Lake last month, after taking 50 minutes to respond to a shooting
that left a 75-year-old man seriously injured.
"There was a learning opportunity there for us," Ouellette said.
Tensions
have also flared between the RCMP and politicians over how the RCMP
handles crime. In 2021, the province invoked a section of its policing
contract with the RCMP to demand the removal of former RCMP assistant
commissioner Larry Tremblay.
At the time, Ted Flemming,
who was justice and public safety minister, expressed a lack of
confidence in Tremblay's ability to curb drug crime. Tremblay argued his removal was related to disagreements with the province's vision on policing, which blurred "the lines between politics and policing."
As
the province grapples with a surge in the cost of housing that has
driven an increase in homelessness, in conjunction with more demand for
mental health and addiction services, police aren't the only answer to
dealing with the crime issues communities are facing.
A common concern across the province
Grand
Bay-Westfield Mayor Brittany Merrifield has heard a similar tune from
counterparts across the province who pay for RCMP service. She wants the
RCMP to make more decisions based on the kilometres an officer must
cover rather than the population of an area.
"This is a
common theme when I talk to my colleagues across the province in terms
of their feeling of the level of service that municipalities are
receiving from their RCMP detachment, that that level of service has
dropped over the years from the visibility of the officers to the
response of the officers," said Merrifield, the president of the Union
of the Municipalities of New Brunswick.
"That
sort of leads back to one of the things we hear about most is there's a
lack of accountability from the RCMP to the local councils, and this is
an issue because the local councils are the ones that have the
responsibility to provide public safety to their residents and we're the
ones that that pay the bill at the end of the day."
Merrifield
said that's left some residents with a feeling of hopelessness. Why
bother calling police if you feel your issue will fall low on the
priority list?
"At the end of the day, public safety is about some of the small things as well as some of the big things," she said.
Grand
Bay-Westfield Mayor Brittany Merrifield, who is president of the Union
of the Municipalities of New Brunswick, says she's heard concern across
the province about the visibility of RCMP service. (Hadeel Ibrahim/CBC)
Back in St. George, Tidd said he feels the RCMP are trying to respond to communities' concerns.
He
pointed to a recent survey circulated among municipalities on their
perceptions and concerns about crime, as well as meetings with community
leaders.
But he still questions whether the
municipality is getting its money's worth. He also wonders whether the
RCMP are suited to community policing, with so many other priorities in a
federal force.
The RCMP's statistics show police were
called for 268 occurrences, which can range from 911 calls to traffic
stops, in St. George so far in 2024, down from 279 in the same period in
2023. Blacks Harbour has also seen a slight decrease: 155 so far this
year, down from 169.
"When you're not seeing a member
within the community, when you're paying $2.1 million for that service
and when you're calling and no one's coming for two or three hours, that
goes to prove the point that there isn't a presence," Tidd said.
Top Mountie ousted by Higgs flagged political 'influence' on policing
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Where are the records of the Coroner's Inquest that many people testified at in July of 1982?
N.B.
Liberal Leader Susan Holt and Green Leader David Coon each voiced
concerns over a letter from a former New Brunswick RCMP assistant
commissioner alleging political influence by the Higgs government. (CBC)
Opposition
leaders say new information about the 2021 departure of the RCMP's top
officer in New Brunswick is another example of Premier Blaine Higgs
blaming others for his lack of leadership.
CBC News
revealed this week that J Division commanding officer Larry Tremblay
raised concerns about a Higgs government vision that "blurs the lines
between politics and policing" in a July 2021 letter.
The province had asked for Tremblay's removal from the position, leading to Tremblay's retirement from the RCMP later that year.
"It's
yet another example of political influence from the premier where it
shouldn't be," Liberal Leader Susan Holt said Monday. "We need our
public safety leaders at the RCMP to be independent, and we need their
work to be clear and transparent.
"This is another example of a lack of leadership from Higgs."
WATCH | 'They're not kings': Liberal, Green leaders on RCMP letter:
Opposition leaders question Higgs’s role in RCMP leadership change
Susan
Holt and David Coon say they’re concerned by former N.B. RCMP assistant
commissioner Larry Tremblay’s 2021 letter citing political
interference.
Green Leader David Coon agreed.
"It's more of the same," he said, accusing Higgs of believing he is "the boss of everybody. It was no surprise to me at all."
Then-public
safety minister Ted Flemming asked for Tremblay's removal in a July 15,
2021, letter, invoking a section of the province's policing contract
with the RCMP.
CBC News has obtained the letter that Larry Tremblay, once the top Mountie in New Brunswick, wrote in 2021. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Flemming
told then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki he didn't have confidence in
Tremblay to ramp up the fight against drug crime in the province.
In
his July 26 letter to Lucki, Tremblay said the force had been fighting
drug crime, but the province had never identified it as a priority.
Instead,
the Higgs government had a "different vision" of police independence,
Tremblay said, and the force must remain "independent and free from
influence."
A spokesperson for the Public Safety
Department refused to comment on the letter obtained by CBC News. The
RCMP also refused to comment.
Under
the policing contract, the province can set goals for the RCMP as the
provincial police force but operational decisions are up to the force
itself.
Tremblay's letter did not identify specific
examples of blurred lines between politics and policing but said there
were differences between the RCMP and the province on issues, including
Crown-Indigenous relationships and how to handle legal protests.
Holt
and Coon agreed with policing expert Chrisitan Leuprecht, a professor
at the Royal Military College, that a provincial police commission —
like the boards that exist in Saint John and Greater Moncton — would
safeguard police independence.
On certain issues, there were differences between the Blaine Higgs government and the RCMP, the letter says. (Radio-Canada)
Coon said the model is used elsewhere in Canada and is a good suggestion.
"To have buffers between politicians and those who deliver public services … I think the case has been made repeatedly."
The Green leader said Higgs's top-down, hands-on approach was a continuation of how former premier Brian Gallant governed.
Holt
said public concern about crime is real, and rather than doing real
work to address it in 2021, Higgs opted instead to look for someone he
could fire — as he has done when problems have erupted in other areas
such as health care.
"It seems the premier doesn't have answers for them, so went looking for somebody to blame," she said.
Jacques
Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick
since 2000. He grew up in Moncton and covered Parliament in Ottawa for
the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. He has reported on every New
Brunswick election since 1995 and won awards from the Radio Television
Digital News Association, the National Newspaper Awards and Amnesty
International. He is also the author of five non-fiction books about New
Brunswick politics and history.
Larry
Tremblay, when he was removed as commanding officer of the RCMP's New
Brunswick division, wrote that he believed the force should be
independent and free from influence. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
The
RCMP's top officer in New Brunswick raised concerns about political
interference by the Higgs government when he was ousted from the job in
2021, according to a letter he wrote at the time.
Assistant
commissioner Larry Tremblay wrote in the letter, obtained by CBC News,
that his removal was the result of disagreements with the provincial
government over its vision that "blurs the lines between politics and
policing."
"In my view, it is imperative that the
provincial police remain independent and free from influence in the
application and enforcement of laws," he wrote in the July 26, 2021,
letter to then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki.
Tremblay
wrote the letter 11 days after the government invoked a section of its
policing contract with the RCMP to demand Tremblay's removal as the head
of J Division in New Brunswick.
Tremblay's letter was addressed to then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Ted
Flemming, as justice and public safety minister, said at the time that
he had "no confidence" that Tremblay could "drive the change" to fight
drug crime and be accountable to local communities policed by the RCMP —
two priorities for the government, he said.
In his letter to Lucki, Tremblay said that wasn't true.
He
told the commissioner that Flemming's letter was the first time anyone
from the Higgs government told the RCMP that drug crime was its top
priority, and that a "directional statement" from the province didn't
refer to it as a priority.
Until he was called to a
meeting on June 30, 2021, "I had not received any prior indication" that
the partnership between the province and the RCMP "was anything but
positive and future focused," he wrote.
WATCH | 'You can't tell me how to resolve that,' expert says about letter:
RCMP letter says Higgs government ‘blurs the lines’ between politics, policing
Chief
Terry Richardson of Pabineau First Nation says the title claim court
case also seeks compensation for use of land, resources.
"I
believe the request for my removal is not related to a lack of
provincial drug enforcement or community engagement and accountability,"
he continued.
"I believe this request stems from a
different vision of the role of the provincial police that blurs the
lines between politics and policing, and the resulting direction
provided to police."
The three-page letter also provided
details of the force's efforts on drug crime and said the RCMP's
reporting structure through regional service commissions made it
"extremely difficult to demonstrate to local communities the value of
our service."
Tremblay's letter did not identify specific examples of blurred lines between politics and policing.
But
he wrote the Higgs government and the RCMP had "principled differences"
on issues, including "a measured approach to lawful protests" and
Crown-Indigenous relations, as well as on policing standards,
intelligence sharing and external reviews of incidents.
Three
months before Tremblay's removal, the premier announced he was ending
tax-sharing agreements with 13 First Nations communities in the
province.
Ted
Flemming, as justice and public safety minister, said at the time that
he had 'no confidence' that Tremblay could 'drive the change' to fight
drug crime and be accountable to local communities policed by the RCMP. (Jacques Poitras/CBC file photo)
The
federal police force had adopted an Indigenous reconciliation policy
that included training for officers in "appropriate police intervention
options" during protests, including alternatives to confrontation such
as "de-escalation techniques."
The cancellation of the tax deals did not lead to any major protests or roadblocks by Indigenous people.
Tremblay would not agree to an interview about the letter or his removal.
A
spokesperson for Public Safety Minister Kris Austin turned down a
request for interviews with Austin, Flemming or Premier Blaine Higgs.
"Minister Flemming's letter to the Commissioner accurately expresses his reasons for writing," Geoffrey Downey said in an email.
"We have nothing further to say about this."
Christian
Leuprecht, a professor and policing expert at the Royal Military
College, said the letter is an example of "fundamental flaws in the
contract policing model."
New Brunswick's contract with
the RCMP says the provincial public safety minister sets "objectives,
priorities and goals" for the RCMP's provincial policing, but the force
decides how to apply federally set "professional police standards and
procedures" to its operations.
Those two can be at odds, Leuprecht says.
Christian
Leuprecht, a professor and policing expert at the Royal Military
College, said the letter is an example of 'fundamental flaws in the
contract policing model.' (Submitted by Christian Leuprecht)
The RCMP can also be left "holding the bag" when protests flare up over political decisions.
"Any police force will tell you, 'Our job is not to do political policing,'" Leuprecht said.
"We've
learned a lot of hard lessons … about how not to police political
protest. I think that's partially what the deputy commissioner is likely
echoing.
"The minister is telling him, 'I want this
resolved, I want that resolved,' and he's saying, 'Yeah, you can tell me
to resolve that, but you can't tell me how to resolve that.'"
The
government's demand for Tremblay's removal was made under a section of
the RCMP's contract with the province to police communities without
their own municipal forces.
When the ouster became
public in October 2021, Flemming said in an interview the government
wanted to "declare war" on drug crime.
"I found, and the government found, that we were not having the kind of leadership that we felt we needed," he said.
Flemming
requested Tremblay's removal in a July 15, 2021, letter to Lucki.
Tremblay remained in the position until he retired from the RCMP at the
end of October 2021.
Tremblay's
letter disputing the province's explanation was dated July 26, and
three days later, on July 29, Lucki responded to Flemming's request.
In
her letter, the commissioner said it was unfortunate no one from the
province had told her about "concerns" with Tremblay before invoking the
agreement to ask for his removal.
"There may have been an opportunity to proactively address some of the issues you've raised," she wrote.
RMCP
spokesperson Sgt. Kim Chamberland said in an email Friday that Tremblay
"made a personal decision" to retire in 2021. She said the force had no
other comment.
Jacques
Poitras has been CBC's provincial affairs reporter in New Brunswick
since 2000. He grew up in Moncton and covered Parliament in Ottawa for
the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. He has reported on every New
Brunswick election since 1995 and won awards from the Radio Television
Digital News Association, the National Newspaper Awards and Amnesty
International. He is also the author of five non-fiction books about New
Brunswick politics and history.
"RMCP spokesperson Sgt. Kim Chamberland said in an email
Friday that Tremblay "made a personal decision" to retire in 2021. She
said the force had no other comment."
The RCMP cannot deny that I have commented a lot since
David Amos
Christian Leuprecht has a lot to learn
.
David Amos
Reply to David Amos
'Christian Leuprecht, a professor and policing expert at
the Royal Military College, said the letter is an example of
'fundamental flaws in the contract policing model.' (Submitted by
Christian Leuprecht)
The RCMP can also be left "holding the bag" when protests flare up over political decisions.
"Any police force will tell you, 'Our job is not to do political policing,'" Leuprecht said.
"We've learned a lot of hard lessons … about how not to
police political protest. I think that's partially what the deputy
commissioner is likely echoing."
The first question I should ask him is "Who is WE???"
Tristis Ward
That would be the RCMP
David Amos
Reply to Tristis Ward
Bingo
David Amos
Content Deactivated
I have no doubt Paul Palango thinks he knows all about why Larry Tremblay is history
Matt Steele
Content Deactivated
Another nothing burger story by JP . An old
story from THREE years ago that was already investigated , and reported
on , with no misconduct found . Wait a month , and the same story will
be run again....
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to Matt Steele
Perhaps you should call Christian Leuprecht like I just did
John Clarke
Content Deactivated
Boo Hoo Not doing the job as per the job
description. Fight crime put the drug dealers in Jail. Tremblay was
in a no win situation with a lame duck Commissioner Lucki who I believe
was in my opinion one of the worst RCMP Chiefs in the last 50 years.
The worst being the civilian hire Elliot. Any way NB needs a Provincial
Police Force. But this would cost millions and will never happen. By
the way ask all the smaller towns and municipalities if they could
rewind the video if they would have opted to get rid of their local
police forces in favour of an RCMP presence.
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to John Clarke
"The worst being the civilian hire Elliot"
Yup
David Amos
Content Deactivated
Reply to David Amos
Big Bad Billy Elliott COM KC was the 22nd
Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police when they falsely
arrested me in Fat Fred City in July of 2008
Gabriel Boucher
Higgs must resign now. There is no place for authoritarianism in NB.
Jake Newman
Reply to Gabriel Boucher
for what reason? as per the contract they
requested new leadership in NB for the RCMP? There's been a lot of
questions on the overall leadership for the RCMP.
Gabriel Boucher
Reply to Jake Newman
This story isn't the only time Higgs
overstepped his boundaries. The firings of the health board, the
introduction of discriminatory policies in the education system... the
list goes on and on. It's not just this event. It's an accumulation of
events that makes Higgs look bad.
David Amos
Reply to Jake Newman
I have asked many
Jake Newman
Reply to Gabriel Boucher
again, it is the gov't right to "fire" the
health board. The health board (and school boards, etc.) are created by
gov't. you don't see them listed in the Constitution do you?
Discriminatory polices in the education system---you mean keeping parent
rights involved.
Gabriel Boucher
Reply to Jake Newman
You don't seem to understand what a democracy
is. The people of NB never agreed to dismantle the health board. Higgs
jumped the gun without proper consultation. That's not how democracy
works.
Jake Newman
Reply to Gabriel Boucher
umm, they were voted into power with majority.
MR Cain
Reply to Jake Newman
The majority never voted, nor does it give this government the right to act without due process.
MR Cain
Reply to Jake Newman
Due process.
MR Cain
Reply to Jake Newman
I will stick my neck out by saying the answer is in the name...Tremblay. Think about it.
Jake Newman
Reply to MR Cain
big stretch
Jake Newman
Reply to MR Cain
the majority never voted?? They have a majority gov't.
Daniel Franklin
Is anybody surprised by this? The entire
conservative movement is based on authoritarian theories, political
interference and views that set us back to the 1930's.
Bob Enrob
Reply to Daniel Franklin
The federal liberals must be conservative then...
David Amos
Reply to Bob Enrob
Seems so
Jonathan Martin
old story, rehashed to make Higgs look bad. The playbook is now known to all.
Oscar Biasinni
Reply to Jonathan Martin
He looks bad because he is emulating Alberta's premier bad governance!
William James
Reply to Jonathan Martin
Trudeau wrote the book on it, Higgs played a page.
Sarah Brown
Reply to Jonathan Martin
Higgs makes himself look bad all on his own. It's the one thing he is good at.
David Amos
Reply to William James
Well put
David Amos
Reply to Sarah Brown
Oh So True
William Peters
Yes, we get it. Higgs thinks he is one of those
old Tory elitist who think they get to run the show by virtue of their
proven fealty to the Lords Irving.
David Amos
Reply to William Peters
Isn't that a fact?
Samual Johnston
the province pays for the RCMP to be here no? so of course the provincial government should be directing what they do.
William Peters
Reply to Samual Johnston
No, not at all. They should have nothing to say
about it. We pay for the luxury of not having political influence which
was rampant in the old days (and still vey much a thing in the US).
David Amos
Reply to Samual Johnston
Surely you jest
Ronald Miller Content Deactivated
When you’re at the top you get to make all the decisions. That’s how democracy works folks.
Kyle Woodman Reply to Ronald Miller Like hiring travel nurses for 100's of millions of dollars?
David Amos Reply to Kyle Woodman Good question
Dan Lee Reply to Kyle Woodman and
dont forget the mosts wonderfull gifts to irving........more
wood......great subsidies...replanting irving s brand.......pay to cut
crown wood........
Gabriel Boucher Reply to Ronald Miller You're
describing authoritarianism, not democracy. Democracy is when the
common people are considered as the primary source of political power,
not the leader.
Matt Steele Just another old
rehashed story from THREE years ago that was already investigated , and
reported on previously . There has always been the attitude with some
police services that they are above the law , and answer to no one but
themselves . The province provides provincial policing , and pays a
substantial amount of taxpayer money to do ; and no doubt MLAs get a lot
of complaints about the lack of policing services , and the rise in
crime . If the RCMP want the contract to provide provincial policing ,
they need to be accountable to the government , and taxpayers of N.B. .
The Higgs PC government brought in the SIRT program to provide
independent over sight and investigation for police officers involved in
serious misconduct , so no doubt that would upset some in the policing
community who thought they should answer to no one but themselves .
Bobby Richards Reply to Matt Steele Don’t you have an artist rendering of the NB museum to celebrate?
David Amos Reply to Matt Steele Methinks one has to go back a lot further than 3 years N'esy Pas?
Tristis Ward
Reply to Matt Steele
Why do you keep repeating that even though it's
been explained that this is new information and the public has a right
to hear about it?
John Lawrence
Higgs, for a leader, is a very poor
communicator. When he can’t communicate with law enforcement clearly
there is an issue. Removing people like Tremblay and Dornan ultimately
cost the taxpayer money yet his desperate pitch of lowering the 15% tax
to 13% is a platform for re-election? The campaign brochure in my
mailbox was ridiculous…I thought it was advertising lol. Holt must beat
him
Samual Johnston
Reply to John Lawrence
why would nay one want Holt to win --- she will spend more on renaming rivers and erasing history than she will on policing
John Lawrence
Reply to Samual Johnston
Susan rocks!!
Gabriel Boucher
Reply to Samual Johnston
Erasing history... how rich... You do realize
that this "history" you're talking about was the product of erasing
another part of history, right?
David Amos
Content Deactivated Reply to Gabriel Boucher
Where are the records of the Coroner's Inquest that many people testified at in July of 1982?
Ed Wallis
Dickie Hatfield didn't like the RCMP (because they
caught him with 35 grams of mj in his suitcase on his way to visit the
Queen), and tried to replace them with a Provincial Police Force. That
didn't work out so well for NB...the NBHP were using their cruisers for
everything and anything, while the taxpayers were footing the fuel
bill....
David Amos
Content Deactivated Reply to Ed Wallis
Do you recall name of the cop who found Dickie's stash?
Max Ruby
CBC 2021 Christian Leuprecht, an expert in public safety
and policing at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont., says:
"We can see here that New Brunswick is trying to set a
trend, that if we're going to pay for contract policing, the police
force is ultimately responsible in a democracy to a civilian political
authority, that being the provincial government."
Melanson and Arseneau both say that aggressive police action is not the best way to tackle drugs and addiction.
David Amos Content Deactivated Reply to Max Ruby
"Christian Leuprecht, an expert in public safety"
Yea Right
Peter Churcher This reporter is always trying to bring up old stories and needs to be careful not be influencing an election by showing bias.
Tristis Ward Reply to Peter Churcher You're the second person to suggest this.
The
other wouldn't answer. Can you please provide information that shows
Tremblay's statement about political blurring of the lines (likely)
around policing protests?
I'd never heard that specific allegation. If it was out there before, as you imply, can you point to it?
Max Ruby Reply to Tristis Ward Opposition parties denounce government ousting of N.B.'s top RCMP officer
Move is in line with premier's pattern of pushing out top officials, says Liberal leader
Jacques Poitras · CBC News · Posted: Oct 20, 2021 5:12 PM ADT | Last Updated: October 20, 2021
Matt Steele Reply to Peter Churcher Yep
; the reporter of this article obviously has a very strong anti PC
party bias as all his stories have the same bias . Now he has been
reduced to rehashing stories that were already investigated , and
reported on THREE years ago . His bias is so glaring ., it is hard to
believe anything that he tries to report on . JOhn D Bond Reply to Peter Churcher So in provincial politics it is bias but in federal politics it is a desired outcome. Certainly seems to be the case.
Btw if the press is simply reporting, not creating something new, that is their job.
Peter Churcher Reply to JOhn D Bond The
problem is the press does not simply report. If you read many of this
reporter's articles he makes person statements and expresses his opinion
more often than not. Yes the accusation of bias should apply at any
level of politics. The difference here is there is no Federal election
on the horizon.
Jack Bell Reply to Tristis Ward They aren't suggesting it, they are stating verifiable facts. John Montgomery Reply to Peter Churcher You are trying to get facts dismissed because the person who said them is 'biased'.
It doesn't make them facts any less. Who would ever think that way? John Lee Reply to John Montgomery Who
would ever think that way? You must not have been paying attention
during the past few Canadian and American elections, or during Covid.
MR Cain Reply to Peter Churcher Due
to legislative changes to the Access to Info, which added another level
to block and delay, the letter has only recently been made available to
the public.
Jack Bell Reply to John Montgomery Why did the writer of this article leave out important pieces of information, like this article that they themselves wrote?
"a
top expert says while the move is the first of its kind, it's a welcome
step toward greater civilian oversight of police operations."
"We
can see here that New Brunswick is trying to set a trend, that if we're
going to pay for contract policing, the police force is ultimately
responsible in a democracy to a civilian political authority, that being
the provincial government."
The kind of oversight lacking in things like this?
"Regional
Police Force officer who has been suspended with pay for more than four
years, and now plans to retire before facing any possible disciplinary
action, has cost local taxpayers more than $1 million"
MR Cain Reply to Peter Churcher Looks
like another case that Higgs et al has not bothered making the
necessary changes as promised in Nov 21. 84 breaches of the act and
nothing happens? JOhn D Bond Reply to Peter Churcher Actually, it is no different here than in most other media including the tv stations news casts.
Actually are two federal byelections before the nb election,
But
the press have a role up until the last hours of the election to print
stories about the issues and the divergent views they are provided when
they ask questions.
JOhn D Bond Reply to Peter Churcher Actually, it is no different here than in most other media including the tv stations news casts.
Actually are two federal byelections before the nb election,
But
the press have a role up until the last hours of the election to print
stories about the issues and the divergent views they are provided when
they ask questions.
David Amos Content Deactivated Reply to Peter Churcher So says an ex cop
Tristis Ward Reply to Jack Bell They are not stating varifiable facts, though.
As per this article itself, the ousting took place in 2021.
The
news is about what was written in the letter. It's significant. They're
implying it's a rehash, when it most definitely is not.
Matt Steele An
old rehashed story from THREE years ago that has already been
investigated , and reported on back in 2021 ; so if there was anything
to it , it would be out in the open at this point as the officer
involved has been retired for quite some time . Yesterday's news with no
new information .
Tristis Ward Reply to Matt Steele You keep saying this, but not backing it up.
INSIDE this article it says specifically that Tremblay resigned AND wrote the letter in 2021.
That's not new information you keep bringing up. It's IN the story.
What you hint at is that his allegations are ALSO old and have been investigated, but I know nothing of that. Can you show it?
David Amos Content Deactivated Reply to Tristis Ward The dude is redundant
Jack Edwards The
reason this seems to be a rehashed story is because Jacques Poitras has
been spreading anti Conservative innuendo his entire career. Yet when
the Liberals are in power he seldom critiques anything. What else is
new?
Tristis Ward Reply to Jack Edwards Several commenters have been making your same point, so I went back and found the old coverage of this event.
TURNS OUT:
What
was NOT known at the time, and has only recently come to light, is the
statement by Tremblay about Higgs and political blurring of the lines.
This is significant. It needs to be looked at.
(sorry it gets in the way of whatever your political hopes you hold for a specific party)
MR Cain Reply to Jack Edwards I would say that Jacques has been correct in reporting on the numerous fumbles of this government.
MR Cain Reply to Jack Edwards If you can refer us to another media site that is less biased than the CBC, please do.
Mathieu Laperriere Reply to Jack Edwards Why not read the national post then? They would have the kind of bashing you are looking for.
David Amos Reply to Tristis Ward Dig Deeper
James Risdon Until
we have specific examples of this alleged blurring of the lines between
the government and the police, it's nothing but innuendo and
speculation.
Tristis Ward Reply to James Risdon It's
an allegation made in a resignation letter. It absolutely deserves
investigation, rather than speculation, but let's not pretend this was
somebody throwing something at a wall. It's a hint that there might be a
problem.
James Risdon
Reply to Tristis Ward
Might be. It's also a letter from a disgruntled employee.
So,
you know, the validity of the allegation - an allegation unsupported by
any specific examples whatsoever - is highly suspect.
Tristis Ward Reply to James Risdon "highly suspect' because "disgruntled" completely shows bias against any complaint.
This
man was disgruntled BY something the government did. I don't know if
it's the not-going-to-serve-like-this issue HE thought it was, but it
warrants a close examination.
Matt Steele Reply to Tristis Ward More
likely it was sour grapes from a disgruntled police officer who thought
he was above the law , and answered to no one . This is an old rehashed
story that was already reported on substantially ; so if there was
anything to it , it would be out in the open at this point as the
officer involved has been retired for quite some time .
Tristis Ward Reply to Matt Steele How is it "sour grapes" is more likely?
What information do you have that shows this situation was completely different?
This
is a letter that has finally come into public knowledge, and it hints a
a problem that New Brunswickers should at the very least pay some
attention to.
Matt Steele Reply to Tristis Ward This is an old news story that is just being rehashed again ; no new information is being reported .
Tristis Ward Reply to Matt Steele So,
you're saying that the contents of this letter was in the public record
all this time and that it has not recently been obtained by the CBC and
reported here new?
Can you provide me with information on this letter from prior to this point?
Bobby Richards Reply to James Risdon He was looking into one of the Saint John MLAs
Matt Steele Reply to Bobby Richards Totally fake information .
jean marc michaud Reply to James Risdon Why wait 3 years...🤔
JOhn D Bond Reply to James Risdon Actually you don't need any examples. This is politics, optics are all that is required.
Jos Allaire Reply to Matt Steele It's Higgs and his crew that think they're above the law.
Bobby Richards. Reply to Matt Steele Nope. SJE
David Amos Content Deactivated Reply to Tristis Ward IMHO Steele sells "sour grapes"
David Amos Reply to Jos Allaire Oh So True
James Risdon
Reply to Tristis Ward
My bias is quite simple - and logical. Anyone who makes
any allegation carries the burden of having to prove that allegation or
at least support it with evidence.
The burden of proof is on the person making the claim.
In this case, there is no evidence whatsoever provided. Therefore, this is so far an unsubstantiated claim.
Matt Steele There
has always been the attitude with some police services that they are
above the law , and answer to no one but themselves . The province
provides provincial policing , and pays a substantial amount of taxpayer
money to do ; and no doubt MLAs get a lot of complaints about the lack
of policing services , and the rise in crime . If the RCMP want the
contract to provide provincial policing , they need to be accountable to
the government , and taxpayers of N.B. . The Higgs PC government
brought in the SIRT program to provide independent over sight and
investigation for police officers involved in serious misconduct , so no
doubt that would upset some in the policing community who thought they
should answer to no one .
Tristis Ward Reply to Matt Steele This
is a rather alarming article that hints at a corrupt government firing a
top officer because he would not compromise policing for the sake of
politics, and your response is that the RCMP thinks IT is above the law?
Come on!
This requires a thorough investigation, not promoting people ignore the allegations.
Matt Steele Reply to Tristis Ward This
story is from 2021 , and has already been investigated on , and
reported on previously . No misconduct on behalf of government was found
, and the officer involved retired in 2021 , and was free to speak out
as a private citizen . It is what it is .
Tristis Ward Reply to Matt Steele Not what I asked.
Your
"nothing to see here folks. Move along," message implies that it has
been already known that Tremblay stated that Premier Higgs had attempted
to blur the lines of policing and politics.
Is that your statement?
Is
it already known information that Tremblay stated that Higgs was
attempting to blur the lines of politics and policing and that when the
RCMP would not act against their own developed policies on policing
protest he was forced out?
IF that is the case, then what you
need to do to SHOW that is the case, is point to that information so
I'll know this isn't just an attempt to whitewash.
(it really
really looks like an attempt to whitewash, so how about you just settle
the matter by providing some kind of backup for your statement—or, hey,
it's equally cool to just not respond. I won't pursue. I just don't want
a constant stream of repeated replies containing unsubstantiated
implications against reported facts)
JOhn D Bond Reply to Matt Steele Not
surprising that you miss the issue. Flemming had no business trying to
direct the RCMP to focus on Drugs. That is not his role. It is up to the
police to allocate resourses so that they can address all crime.
Look
at the difference on the approach by the Feds to auto thefts, Instead
of telling police forces to do this or that, The got them all together,
provided case for additional resourcing and then attained consensus on
what needed to be done. All without telling / interferring with the
police.
David Amos Content Deactivated Reply to JOhn D Bond Flemming is a clown
Shawn Tabor
Where there is smoke, there is fire.
David Amos Content Deactivated Reply to Shawn Tabor
Adrian Butts says he's had break-ins and theft at his downtown properties. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Matt Savage, owner of Savage's Bicycle Centre, says it's a daily struggle to deal with the issues in the downtown. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Jen Tuttle owns two businesses downtown. She says she's concerned for the safety of her staff. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Mayor
Kate Rogers talked about expanding the work of the community safety
services unit, made up of uniformed security officers who patrol trails
and other areas. (Shane Fowler / CBC)
Fredericton
Police Chief, Gary Forward says police often get calls about unwanted
individuals, property damage, theft and drug use, and he understands the
frustration businesses feel. (Submitted by Sonya Gilks)
Mike
Babineau says he cares about people but he also has an investment to
worry about, as well as the health and safety of his employees. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Chad
McGarity, owner of The Warehouse Barbershop, says he deals with a lot
of theft, open drug use and overdoses at his new Smythe Street location.
(Allyson McCormack / CBC)
The
City of Fredericton's Community Safety Services unit responds to people
loitering outside a Brunswick Street business on a recent day. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Needle
covers and other garbage from drug use are a common site just a few
steps away from the sidewalk in Fredericton's downtown. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
Chris Nason says he sees new faces in the homeless community every day and wonders where they're all coming from. (Allyson McCormack / CBC)
The pile of rubble left by a fire on Deer Island in July 2023. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
CBC
obtained and analyzed eight years of complaints about the RCMP in New
Brunswick, finding half of the more than 2,600 allegations related to
neglect of duty. (Photo illustration: Duk Han Lee/CBC)
Eastern Charlotte Coun. Darrell Tidd says people don't feel safe in his community. (Karissa Donkin/CBC)
Concerns
about crime began in Fundy Shores after petty crime, such as thefts and
break-ins, started to feel more common, according to Cogswell. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
Cpl.
Hans Ouellette, a spokesperson for the New Brunswick RCMP, says at
least 40 of the promised 51 frontline officers have been hired. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
Grand
Bay-Westfield Mayor Brittany Merrifield, who is president of the Union
of the Municipalities of New Brunswick, says she's heard concern across
the province about the visibility of RCMP service. (Hadeel Ibrahim/CBC)
CBC News has obtained the letter that Larry Tremblay, once the top Mountie in New Brunswick, wrote in 2021. (Ed Hunter/CBC)
On certain issues, there were differences between the Blaine Higgs government and the RCMP, the letter says. (Radio-Canada)
Tremblay's letter was addressed to then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
Ted
Flemming, as justice and public safety minister, said at the time that
he had 'no confidence' that Tremblay could 'drive the change' to fight
drug crime and be accountable to local communities policed by the RCMP. (Jacques Poitras/CBC file photo)
Christian
Leuprecht, a professor and policing expert at the Royal Military
College, said the letter is an example of 'fundamental flaws in the
contract policing model.' (Submitted by Christian Leuprecht)
The RCMP cannot deny that I have commented a lot since