During a joint news conference on Tuesday, Mayor Nenshi, Chief Chaffin and the chair of the Calgary Police Commission says they have a problem on their hands at the CPS.
The trio met on Tuesday along with Deputy Chief Bob Ritchie and workplace advisor Kathleen Fraser in response to a scathing workplace review conducted in 2013 that made some startling discoveries about abuse and harassment of police officers by their colleagues.
During the conference, Chaffin said that there is a lot that needs to be done to cleanse the CPS of its ‘toxic culture’ and it will take some time.
He said that concrete steps have already been made to create a more respectful workplace.
But the methods that officials are using to attack the problem are nothing new, said Mayor Nenshi.
“We report on this as if it’s a new thing, but the point being that these reports were dealt with, that work has been ongoing, that work has been happening, that work is continuing.”
Chaffin says that the CPS will be going forward and making sure that someone else will also be involved in overseeing workplace conduct issues in the force.
“One of our next processes going forward is to make sure we have someone else put a set of eyes on us that say: ‘are you doing well? Are you really doing the things you could be doing?’”
He added that the CPC, that has the duty to oversee such issues, will still be involved in the complaint process but he wants a third party to come in and help. There are no plans so far about what group that would be.
The CPC is scheduled to meet again this month to discuss the workplace issue further.
The following is a Calgary Police Service member's letter describing the bullying and harassment she experienced.
CPS member's letter of allegation by CTV Calgary on Scribd
