Yellowknife bylaw officers publicly support beleaguered manager

Some Yellowknife municipal enforcement officers have publicly proclaimed their support for their boss.

Ten of the dozen officers in the municipal enforcement division (MED) put their names to a letter to the editor of the Yellowknifer newspaper. In it, they say they are happy and proud members of the division and praised their manager, Doug Gillard, as a great manager and mentor.

They said they took the unusual step of writing the letter out of frustration with negative media coverage of the division and Gillard. Though they identified themselves as officers, they said they wrote the letter as private citizens.

Gillard has been under scrutiny since January, after CBC News and the Yellowknifer published stories based on interviews with former MED officers who worked for the city up until 2014.

The former officers alleged that Gillard bullied and harassed them and used security cameras on city facilities to eye women he found attractive.

[Gillard] helps us do the best job we can.- Municipal enforcement officers in an open letter

Council initiated an independent inquiry into the allegations in the wake of those stories. Last month, an investigation that was part of the inquiry concluded that it was "more likely than not" that security cameras were misused.

City officials say a three-paragraph summary of the investigation is all the public will see of it.

The officers who put their names to the letter said Gillard is "well informed and knowledgeable and he is a great manager and mentor who helps us do the best job we can."

Officers, Gillard divert requests for interview

CBC News went to the city's municipal enforcement office on Friday in a bid to speak to officers about the letter. Gillard and a group of staff were chatting and laughing at the time but quickly dispersed.

Longtime MED employee Allyce Hervieux advised that any requests to talk to officers should go through city hall communications channels.

When reminded that the officers wrote the letter as private citizens, Hervieux said officers cannot do interviews during work hours. However, she agreed to pass on the request for interviews, along with a phone number left by CBC.

CBC received no responses.

I would say that the public doesn't yet have all of that information to make that assessment. I don't yet have that information.- Adrian Bell, city councillor and mayoral candidate

CBC News also requested interviews with Mayor Mark Heyck and councillors Adrian Bell and Rebecca Alty, both of whom are running for mayor in the fall municipal election.

Heyck, who has said he is not seeking another term as mayor, was not available. Alty did not respond.

Bell, who initiated the independent inquiry, said he's not satisfied with the level of public transparency around it so far.

Part of the reason for calling for the inquiry was to restore public confidence in city hall and the municipal enforcement division in the wake of the publicized allegations.

"I would say that the public doesn't yet have all of that information to make that assessment. I don't yet have that information," Bell said.

"I've let my expectations be understood by my colleagues and I'm hoping the public will get the level of detail that they need to be able to restore faith in city hall and in processes like this one."

Bell said a decision will be made "soon" on what action, if any, will be taken as a result of the investigation.

He said the inquiry will definitely wrap up before the municipal election on Oct. 15.