Ottawa police officer criticizes force operations in reply all email

An Ottawa police officer criticizes how the force handles its promotions and patrol officers in an internal email response to Chief Charles Bordeleau's open letter earlier this week.

On Monday, Bordeleau sent an internal email to share an open letter on a spike in drug-related violence in the city that was being released to the public.

• Ottawa police chief responds to spate of drug-related 'extreme violence'
• 11 Ottawa police officers investigated over false traffic warnings

In a reply all email sent later that day and obtained by CBC News, Const. Paul Heffler wrote the chief was missing a few things and that proactive policing, especially patrol work, was eroding away.

"This service does not seem to recognize that a well educated, well informed, motivated, supported patrol section will solve 90 (per cent) of your and this community's problems," he wrote.

Heffler's email noted there isn't enough feedback or support for officers who do street checks, when police ask someone for ID due to suspicion of criminal activity, which is demoralizing.

"There are few services and businesses that pay their employees $100,000.00 salaries and treat them like they are dime store security guards," he said.

"However, that is what happens here."

'Corrupt system'

In Monday's letter, Heffler also suggests concerns over false traffic warnings that have 11 officers under investigation come from the way officers are promoted.

"There is precious little to be gained for officers whose intention is to truly serve and protect. There is much to be gained for officers who want to police for the sake of recognition and promotion," he wrote.

"Your ghost warning investigation isn't a symptom of corrupt cops, it's a symptom of a corrupt system."

Officer ticket statistics are used to evaluate officers, Bordeleau said when the investigation was announced, although Ottawa police are now reviewing it.

Heffler works out of the central division and has about 30 years experience in policing, according to a 2013 letter he wrote to the Ottawa Sun referring to his "27 years of policing, 11 with the OPP."

Union: not new, not surprising

The head of the union representing Ottawa police officers says Heffler's views aren't new, aren't surprising, and aren't his alone.

"The membership on a whole has felt this belief that our morale is suffering... but this is all stemming from an issue around resources and it's unfortunate that over the last couple years we've seen a cap put on the investment made from city hall and the police services board back to the police service," said Matt Skof, president of the Ottawa Police Association.

"We've seen a tendency toward legacy and pet projects that have been prioritized philosophically over the investment in key infrastructure funding of policing."

Skof said proactive policing, such as officers walking their communities, has suffered because of budget constraints and police don't know their communities as well as they used to.

"We're now getting to a point where we're going call to call to call. This concept of proactive policing is becoming almost a historical thought," he said.

"To be clear, the city is safe, 911 will be answered, but there's a point where you can only do so much and right now we've become reactive. It's very difficult to be proactive."

CBC News has reached out to Ottawa police and the city's police services board for comment.