N.B. Police Association threatens legal action against police commission
CBC News | Posted: January 21, 2016 10:23 PM | Last Updated: January 21, 2016
N.B. Police Association demands removal of the police commission's executive director, Steve Roberge
The New Brunswick Police Association is calling for Steve Roberge's removal as executive director of the New Brunswick Police Commission.
While the police association says it accepts an apology and retraction issued by Roberge and police commission chair Ronald Cormier over statements the association says were defamatory of the labour group's executive, the association still wants Roberge removed from his position.
The association says it will take legal action against the police commission if the demand is not met.
- Police association vows to fight 'heavy-handed' commission
- Fredericton police Chief Leanne Fitch being investigated by N.B. Police Commission
At a news conference on Thursday, Dean Secord, president of the N.B. Police Association, said the leadership at the police commission is a problem and there is nothing but attacks on the association and its members.
"At the end of the day, he's the only one who's running the law under the police act. For him to come out and make the comments that he did, to remain in that position, will be a joke," said Secord.
The N.B. Police Commission is an independent oversight body that investigates and resolves citizens' complaints relating to the conduct of police officers as well as other aspects of police services in the province.
Demands made, apology issued
The association had sent a letter to the commission on Jan. 18 threatening legal action if it did get get a retraction, apology and removal. The association said Roberge's defamatory comments had caused damage to its executive members.
The apology and retraction came after Roberge made statements to the media earlier this month saying the executive was under investigation.
In the statement issued Jan. 18 by the police commission and signed by Roberge and Cormier, the commission said, "Any part of the statements to the media by Mr. Roberge and any inference from those statements that the ongoing criminal investigation is about the current Executive of the New Brunswick Police Association or any of its current Executive members, including Mr. Davidson, is false, incorrect, and untrue.
"To the knowledge of the Commission, the only ongoing criminal investigation is respecting a person who was a member of the Police Association Executive in 2015 and not any present member of the Police Association Executive."
CBC News contacted the commission Thursday but no one was available for comment.