Police troubles will 'shake' support in officers, expert says

The spate of police officers facing criminal charges and disciplinary hearings may be eroding the public's confidence in the individuals trusted to uphold the law, according to a criminologist.

• 4 RCMP officers in Woodstock suspended for alleged discreditable conduct
• 2 Bathurst police officerse charged in Michel Vienneau's death
• Leanne Fitch addresses concerns about Fredericton Police actions

Michael Boudreau, an associate professor of criminology at St. Thomas University, said the vast majority of police officers do their jobs very well.

But, he said, the growing list of police officers facing legal or professional issues is hurting the morale of officers who are working alongside them and it is undermining the support the law enforcement community has with the public.

"I think it will shake it, if not undermine it, because it seems like almost every day we hear of a new allegation against a police officer," Boudreau said.

"At some point, we have to say are there any good police officers left? I say that rhetorically because there are. But I can see why people would just say, 'Why should we trust the police with anything and to do anything competently?'"

Police forces across the province have been forced to deal with officers being taken off duty because of a variety of legal issues.

In Bathurst, two city police officers were charged in November with manslaughter in the death of Michel Vienneau.

Four RCMP officers from the Woodstock area were suspended with pay on Tuesday for alleged discreditable conduct. Another Moncton RCMP officer is facing an impaired driving charge.

In Fredericton, one police officer was recently dismissed following an arbiter's decision. There are three other members currently suspended with pay, including Const. Cherie Campbell, who is also facing an arbitration hearing in front of the New Brunswick Police Commission.

The force also has two other members on active administrative duty.

And in October, Saint John Police Chief John Bates asked the New Brunswick Police Commission to investigate allegations that Deputy Chief Glen McCloskey suggested retired sergeant Mike King lie in court about his presence at the 2011 Richard Oland murder scene.

'Sense of arrogance'

The criminology professor said there might be one common thread that stitches together the various incidents from around the province.

"It may speak to the fact that some officers, regardless of who they work for, believe that the authority that is invested in them allows them to do whatever they please," Boudreau said.

"That speaks to, at least on the part of the officers, a sense of entitlement or a sense of arrogance that I'm above the law, whether I am a RCMP officer or a Saint John police officer. I can act above the law. There is the common link. That is the most troubling part."

When reacting to the latest RCMP suspensions on Tuesday, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Roger Brown said he was concerned about the impact on the public's view of law enforcement in the province.

"So when something happens that causes the potential erosion of trust into what we do, I think serious measures have to be taken and that's exactly what I'm doing," he said.

"That's what's happening with Fredericton police, [and] other police agencies within the province." 

Brown's response may blunt some of the criticism of the police, according to the STU criminologist.

"The public can take some confidence that police leadership seems to be doing something about it and they are not just brushing it off," Boudreau said.

'Issues are taken very seriously'

While Boudreau is raising concerns about the impact these legal problems will have on public confidence in the police, the view is not shared by some police chiefs and the province's public safety minister.

Edmundston police chief Gilles Lee, the president of the New Brunswick Association of Chiefs of Police, said he is concerned about the number of incidents being faced by different officers.

But Lee said police chiefs are investigating these matters, which should allay citizens' concerns.

"The issues are taken very seriously. They don't need to worry about the [professionalism] of the police force in New Brunswick," he said.

Public Safety Minister Stephen Horsman, a former Fredericton police officer, told reporters on Wednesday he has full confidence in the RCMP and municipal police forces.

Horsman also said he does not believe there is a trend in officers getting in trouble.

"Am I happy about it? No I'm not happy about, but I want people to understand it is a stressful job," he said.