LOCAL POLICE OFFICERS DISHONOUR THEMSELVES AND FORCE

Today's Waterloo Region Record continues the story of local police officers tawdry on the job behaviour. The title of the story is "Four local officers now facing discipline". The worst of this cae appears to be that it was one individual stealing personal items, taking inappropriate photographs after being invited into a citizen's home in order to assist them and finally then involving other officers in his coverup attempts. Citizens have an absolute right when they ask the police for help, to expect that help as well as discretion, respect and courtesy. This one officer apparently thinks otherwise and has to go. Obviously his fellow officers felt that they had some duty to protect one of their own. Thankfully this case does not involve assaulted or murdered citizens. Nevertheless certainly it does involve a major breech of trust and I am concerned about the police culture, that other officers would attempt to help this one ignoramus amongst them. When will the rank and file ever learn that bad behaviour by their colleagues tarnishes them all? When will the police management and bureaucracy change the culture within the Waterloo Regional Police to reflect that respect for the public and citizens is job one?