THREE MORE POLICE OFFICERS JOBS ON THE LINE

Their behaviour was atrocious as far as being police officers. Atrocious as far as insensitive, judgemental and breeching the public's trust. It certainly wasn't criminal behaviour in the normal sense. They didn't assault citizens, abuse their authority or take bribes. All that being said their victims need to know that their superiors in the police force will not tolerate humiliating vulnerable people when they most need help from the police. The psychiatrist makes a compelling argument in today's Waterloo Region Record that they are basically good people who screwed up big time. Do they deserve discipline of some sort? Absolutely yes. Is it in anybody's best interests that the three officers be dismissed? My only comment is this. If they are given a second chance and disciplined presumably through demotions or salary reductions then their behaviour needs to be carefully supervised at least for a little while. They have apologized and if they are sincere then their future behaviour will reflect that. If they aren't sincere then they will get caught again and that will be that. Besides their personal apologies I think the individual citizen victims should also get formal apologies from the Waterloo Regional Police Service. The good news is that this behaviour has been stopped. Today's Record article is titled "Officers gave in to group think: expert".