MESSY CUSTODY DISPUTE INVOLVING WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE

Well after last month's class action lawsuit filed against the Waterloo Regional Police, followed by last week's revelations in a 93 page document produced by Kelly Donovan; is it possible for any other local police behaviour to be labelled as weird. Well apparently so. Today's Waterloo Region Record carries an article titled "OPP loses appeal in custody dispute involving Waterloo Region police officer".

Get a load of this: a local police officer is in a nasty custody type dispute with his ex-wife involving their ten year old daughter. He's alleged that she had assaulted their daughter and she's alleged that nine years ago he had assaulted her. Nearly two years ago the father thought that having a couple of his buddies (off-duty cops) along as observers at the access exchange site was a good idea. A local judge disagreed and ordered the OPP to take over as observers and keepers of the peace during these exchanges. The OPP promptly took the matter to the Ontario Court of Appeal. Seems they didn't like the judge's plan.

Well the OPP have just lost and must now assist in these access exchanges. Interesting. I wonder how many other parents, whether father or mother, would like a police escort to help keep things civil during handoffs of their children back and forth. Is there something in the water here in Waterloo Region? Is this even remotely normal behaviour between separated or divorced parents? Is there some systemic problems with the hierarchy of the Waterloo Regional Police that is contributing to the poor behaviour of their front line officers? Could it be simply bad hiring of particular police officers in the first place? Whatever it is the natives are getting restless. I would say that our local force is about one dandy crisis away from the province stepping in and doing a housecleaning.