SIX WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE OFFICERS TARNISH THE FORCE

Today's Waterloo Region Record tells us the sad and immature story of half a dozen regional police officers. The title of the story is "Police demoted after mocking public". One officer has been fired as well as charged criminally for voyeurism, breach of trust and obstruction of justice. Many of the other officers simply failed to distance themselves and or report his outrageous behaviour.

Diane Wood is the long time court reporter who has written this story. While some of the behaviour of these officers is merely immature a couple of incidents go well beyond that. One is in regard to using confidential police information about citizens and passing it along with gratuitous comments to his police friends. Another incident involves stealing and or photographing embarassing items while on a call at a suicidal woman's home. Clearly the public deserves not to be victimized by police officers whom they have called for help.

I find this story to be both bad news as well as good. The good is very simple. It appears that when these actions came to light, Waterloo Regional Police superiors were appropriately shocked and then took steps to disciplne and denounce this behaviour. Also I am pleased to see that both the criminal charges and the Police Act charges have been dealt with publicly, so that the victims as well as all citizens can regain confidence that this egregious, nasty and immature behaviour never again tarnishes the reputation of our local police force.