Chief Constable Roger Chaffin of the Calgary Police Service says the recent dismissal of Sergeant Anthony Braile following a lengthy review process is the latest example of ‘features of policing that are probably out of sync with contemporary society’

Sergeant Braille was dismissed on Wednesday following an investigation into a high speed pursuit that occurred more than seven years prior, in December of 2008.  

On Wednesday afternoon, Chaffin conceded the process took too long.

“We also find the time delays unreasonable and not serving the interest of the employees, not serving the interest of the public and not serving the interest of policing,” said Chaffin. “These are factors that I am, and with the service are, very actively trying to address through the province and through some contemporary forms of our act.”

Chaffin says when it comes to dealing with an employee who has done something so egregious that a dismissal is required, the hands of the Calgary Police Service are tied by provisions of labour standards and the Police Act.

“The act was never meant to be quite as litigious as it is now,” said Chaffin. “You’ve got high priced lawyers on either end of this arguing really, really complex issues of law as we’re trying to get through this. That sort of interferes with the idea where an employer can actually sit with the employee and say ‘that was unacceptable and we’re going to deal with it today and now’.”

The Police Act reforms Chaffin wants would not remove an officer’s right to a fair review process.

“We do want to make sure that people are heard. At the beginning, these things are all allegations,” said Chaffin. “We need to find fact. We need to get the factual information to the table. We want to make sure that happens still, but the process in which that happens now is so incredibly long, so incredibly slow, it bogs the entire system down.”

The Calgary Police Service’s internal hearing process is separate from the court system and, according to Chaffin, consumes a considerable amount of time and resources.

Chaffin says the Calgary Police Service has approached the Notley government in an attempt to begin the process of reforming the Police Act.

“These are features of policing that are probably out of sync with contemporary society,” concedes Chaffin. “We need to fix it for the community, we need to fix it for our membership, and we need to fix it for the relevance of policing.”

“What’s happened with the act over time is that we’ve added so many things into it over many years that suddenly aren’t making sense with each other. “

According to Chaffin, under the current system, Braile was suspended with pay for several years before being suspended without pay for only a handful of months before being dismissed from his duties.

“I simply don’t believe paying somebody year after year after year to sit at home is in anybody’s best interest. If they’re being paid, they should be at work. If they can’t be at work, they shouldn’t be getting paid,” said Chaffin. “We want to make sure we’re incredibly fair with this but when it’s time to say without pay then we’re able to do that.

Chaffin says he would like to see a less Draconian approach to allegations of police misconduct where issues are dealt with in a timely manner and with public engagement.

In December, Chaffin told CTV News he wanted the province to update the Police Act. At that time, Alberta's Solicitor-General said the province was not reviewing the act but would consider any submissions in due time.