K-W RECORD GIVES KUDOS TO THE WYNNE LIBERALS

The Waterloo Region Record published their own Editorial titled "Ontario policing overhaul worthy of support". Boy I hope they are right. For far too long our police forces have been a power unto themselves. While bleeding taxpayers dry they have been an unaccountable and scandal prone organization. This Blog relates many of those scandals over the last many years.

The Record suggests that police chiefs will have the power to no longer pay salaries to suspended officers charged with serious wrongdoing. Is this criminal wrongdoing or just back to the Police Services Act and all kinds of bias and favourtism involved? In other words can the Chiefs reward the good old boys and throw others they personally don't like to the wolves without pay? That needs to be clarified.

The OPIRD and the OCPC are being amalgamated which makes sense as they both handle oversight of our police forces. The record emphasizes however that this will only work if there is transparency and they are forthcoming and accountable. It is a challenge.

Finally the Record suggests correctly that our civilian Police Boards to date have been nothing more than a police support organization. Our local Board here in Waterloo Region has had too many old politicians out to pasture who never have and never will rock the boat. Our Board has in reality overseen nothing more than the status quo.