The full August 27, 2018 decision can be read here.
Author Archives: theburgwatch
Police Promotions Probed At Human Rights Hearing
The Windsor Star reported Windsor Police Staff Sgt. Christine Bissonnette continued to lay out the parameters of her human rights’ complaint on Wednesday including allegations of gender bias, discrimination, ageism and harassment against senior ranks of the Windsor Police Service.
In response to the OCPC investigation into Windsor Police, CBC News reported, “Complaints in the field [of policing] are inherent so I can’t say I’m surprised. The Town of Amherstburg’s police force has had complaints. This is what happens in the business. We’d like to know what the complaints are and the details behind them,” DiCarlo said.
Regarding the same topic, the Windsor Star reported, “They are just complaints, Const. Shawn McCurdy, president of the Amherstburg Police Association, said Monday. “I bet if you went to every police service in the province, you’d find internal complaints.”
That’s right – discrimination, ageism, harassment, questionable hirings and promotions have occurred in Amherstburg, all of which are serious allegations. Shame on anyone who accepts them as the norm.
Retired Brentwood head implores council to end police “old boys’ club”
The Windsor Star reported Lawyer Dan Soulliere, former executive director of Brentwood Recovery Home, sent city councillors a letter last month imploring them to ask questions about the promotional system, leadership and oversight of the service. He said human rights complaints that triggered an investigation of the service underway by a provincial watchdog agency should give councillors reasons for concern.
Accessibility Issues With Candidates’ Websites 2018
Here we go again. Candidates want to reach as many voters as they can with their promises and platforms and are increasingly relying on social media to do so.
However, just like the previous campaign, there are website accessibility issues.
If so little thought is given to being inclusive, how will these candidates indicate their commitment to identifying, removing, and preventing barriers and comply with legislation?
Ask The Candidate(s) 2018
As in 2014, theburgwatch will facilitate ratepayers’ questions to the candidate(s) during the 2018 election campaign via a feedback form.
Candidates are welcome to reply at the Candidate Answers 2018 page.
Candidate Profiles For Comparison
The River Town Times has compiled the profiles in one post.
Please read closely and read between the lines but remember candidates have no obligation to keep their promises; some have already proven that they don’t.
OCPC Decision On Policing Due By End Of August
The then-OCCPS approved the 1999 amalgamation of the new Amherstburg police and the three patrol zones on the one condition that no changes were to be made without the written permission of OCCPS.
By 2010, the three patrol zones were reduced to two and Amherstburg Police Chief Berthiaume was tight-lipped about deployment in the previous year citing the release of this information could reasonably be expected to make their work more dangerous in many situations endangering the life or physical safetly of our law enforcement officers.
The year had already passed so how very unlikely that addressing accountability would have endangered anyone.
OCPC has now approved Windsor’s proposal to provide only two patrol zones.
The Commission has advised its decision regarding the Town’s application to disband the Amherstburg police services will deal with the changes to the policing in Amherstburg since the Commission’s previous decision.
The full decision with reasons will be provided by the end of August.
Policing Promises Not Kept
Policing costs were a hot topic in 2014 and a then-newly elected council was committed to comparing all policing options, which would have been the most fiscally responsible course of action.
As posted in How Then-Candidate Aldo DiCarlo Answered About OPP Costing, then-Mayoral candidate Aldo DiCarlo answered theburgwatch questions from residents, stating, in part:
“What I can say, what I know, is that the current board didn’t do their due diligence in acquiring the information for us to make an educated decision on what would be best for the town…information that would have been ‘free’. I would definitely acquire this information, if given the chance, and then work with the appropriate parties to achieve what’s best for the Town, or more importantly, what the Town feels is best for them.
I have recently been corrected on who is required to request the costing for OPP. I am told that the OPP costing must be requested by Council, not the Police Board. The rest of my position remains the same. There has been numerous years to request OPP costing by Council, of which there was no cost to the Town.”
Mayor DiCarlo was given the chance but did not acquire the information despite counciI’s two motions directing Administration to obtain an OPP costing and work with the OPP on the costing. Those two motions were neither implemented nor rescinded.
The Windsor Star quoted Mayor Aldo DiCarlo on the rebranding, “As much as we want to keep everything local, it has to be a competitive process,” said DiCarlo.
The police costing process should have been just as competitive to achieve the optimal savings for the ratepayers that was promised during the 2014 election campaign.
As for the assurances that all current Amherstburg officers will remain except the chief and deputy chief, no one knows how many officers will stay in Amherstburg and forego career opportunities in Windsor.
Maintaining the status quo, other than the top two hierarchical positions, superseded the promise to compare options and realize optimal savings.
Commentary by Linda Saxon
Policing In Amherstburg Still A Hot Topic
The Windsor Star article, Amherstburg residents will get a referendum on policing after all reported on the positions of Mayoral candidates DiCarlo and Swinton:
Swinton doesn’t think the majority of residents wanted to contract out policing and he’s concerned costs will rise in the long run and the town won’t be able to do anything about it.
“You can’t effectively predict a cost savings on policing needs on a community that’s growing and expanding.”
DiCarlo said the cost of policing was a big issue when he was campaigning for mayor in 2014. He said the service level will remain the same, with all the current Amherstburg officers remaining with the exception of the chief and deputy chief.
Bullying And Police Culture
The Canadian Human Rights Reporter’s blog post, an article by Jeffrey R. Smith, editor of Canadian Employment Law Today.
the burg watch 