Bill Reid is 'comfortable' with Oland murder investigation

Saint John police Chief Bill Reid says he is very comfortable with the work his officers have done on the Richard Oland murder case.

Reid made the comments during an interview with CBC News on Tuesday, his last full day of work before he retires from the force after 37 years of service, including seven years at the helm.

A lawyer representing Oland's son, Dennis Oland, who is charged with second-degree murder, has suggested the quality of the police work in the case will be under scrutiny.

Reid says that's no different than any other case.

"I think if you look at any major cases in Canada or anywhere in North America, it gets that scrutiny. There'll always be finger pointing," he said.

"I would suggest that you look at the evidence first. That's what's going to convict an individual — not what we did or didn't do," Reid said.

Richard Oland, 69, was found dead in his investment firm office, Far End Corp., on July 7, 2011.

Dennis Oland, his only son, was arrested more than two years later, on Nov. 12, 2013, and charged the following day.

His trial is scheduled to begin in mid-September and last 65 days.

"The Crown prosecution has had the case for quite awhile and these are very competent people and have tried many homicide cases. So I'm very comfortable with it," said Reid.

Still, that doesn't mean there isn't something to be learned from the investigation, he said.

"If at the end of the day there's a suggestion we should have done something different, or there's an aspect of training that has to be increased, then that will be done."

Search for new chief ongoing

Reid announced his retirement in January. The search for his replacement, being led by Nicole Paquet, chair of the city's police commission, continues.

Deputy Chief Glen McCloskey will serve as acting chief until a successor is named.

Reid has seen the force through some other high-profile cases, such as the sexual abuse investigation of former Saint John city councillor Donnie Snook.

He was considered progressive when it came to managing crimes around the sex trade and drugs.

He was an advocate of the methadone program. And, he directed his force to embarrass and target those who paid for sex, rather than those who sold it.

"We weren't arresting the sex trade workers for that solicitation part of it. We were more apt to towards the Johns in terms of disclosure," he said.

"In other words, sending them John letters and suggesting that the area that they're in and the activities that they're involved in, are highly dangerous. So really, if it's born out of embarrassment or I'm not going to be there, those types of things — that's how we try to tackle that."

Reid says Saint John has seen six consecutive years of crime reduction.

And, he says, he has submitted a plan to correct this year's budget shortfall of $350,000.

Police wages and overtime costs have been subjects of a recent battle between city councillors and the department. 

In May, Reid told council that his department would need a $1.5-million budget increase to cover salary increases included in a new collective agreement.