'Everything is on the table,' Fundy Shores mayor says as communities question RCMP service
Neglect of duty alleged in half the complaints about RCMP in New Brunswick over 8 years
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."
What an alternative might look like is unclear. The previous government ruled out creating a provincial police force to replace the RCMP, citing high costs.
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.
Fifty-one new front-line officers were promised for New Brunswick in 2023, and Ouellette said between 40 and 45 had been hired as of October.
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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Monday 29 July 2024
Top Mountie ousted by Higgs flagged political 'influence' on policing
Opposition leaders rap Higgs for 2021 removal of top RCMP officer
Larry Tremblay’s letter on political ‘influence’ raises concerns about premier, say Susan Holt, David Coon
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."
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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Top Mountie ousted by Higgs flagged political 'influence' on policing
Larry Tremblay wrote that PC government’s vision ‘blurs the lines’ between politics, policing
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.
"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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The RCMP cannot deny that I have commented a lot since
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???"
Yup
Ronald Miller
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?
Reply to Gabriel Boucher
Reply to Ed Wallis
"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.
Reply to Max Ruby
Yea Right
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."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/rcmp-new-brunswick-larry-tremblay-1.6218373
Do we need less oversight on the RCMP?
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"
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/jeff-porter-kennebecasis-police-cost-taxpayers-quispamsis-rothesay-1.5789323
Tristis Ward
Reply to Max Ruby
Yes, but this doesn't address Tremblay's accusations of political interference in policing.
This is a serious charge.
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.
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
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?
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)
Reply to Jack Edwards
I would say that Jacques has been correct in reporting on the numerous fumbles of this government.
Reply to Jack Edwards
If you can refer us to another media site that is less biased than the CBC, please do.
Reply to Jack Edwards
Why not read the national post then? They would have the kind of bashing you are looking for.
Reply to Tristis Ward
Dig Deeper
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.
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.
So, you know, the validity of the allegation - an allegation unsupported by any specific examples whatsoever - is highly suspect.
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.
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 .
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.
Reply to Tristis Ward
This is an old news story that is just being rehashed again ; no new information is being reported .
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?
Reply to James Risdon
He was looking into one of the Saint John MLAs
Reply to Bobby Richards
Totally fake information .
Reply to James Risdon
Why wait 3 years...🤔
Reply to James Risdon
Actually you don't need any examples. This is politics, optics are all that is required.
Reply to Matt Steele
It's Higgs and his crew that think they're above the law.
Reply to Matt Steele
Nope. SJE
Content Deactivated
Reply to Tristis Ward
IMHO Steele sells "sour grapes"
Reply to Jos Allaire
Oh So True
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.
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 .
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.
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 .
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)
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.
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Reply to JOhn D Bond
Flemming is a clown
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Reply to Shawn Tabor
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