WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE - THEIR MORAL AUTHORITY IS GONE

HOLLYWOOD NORTH?




This posting is about the utter failure in leadership and decency within our police service. It is about more than the treatment of women by we pray a minority of males with authority within the service. It is about the institutional failure from middle management right up to the Police Chief over a period of decades and how it has intentionally turned a blind eye to the treatment of their female employees by ignorant and abusive males.

The irresponsibility and blame rises further up the political food chain than just multiple Chiefs of Police. Here in Ontario and Canada we are supposed to have civilian oversight of our police forces. That oversight is exercised through the Waterloo Regional Police Service Board. They can be Googled to find out who exactly the seven members are. I will advise that three of them are on Regional Council namely Ken Seiling, Tom Galloway and Karl Kiefer. Three of them are appointees of the province of Ontario. The last is a civilian appointee determined by Regional Council. It is my opinion that the local members, at least, are all good old boys and sometimes good old girls. They can be depended upon not to rock the boat of which the proof is in the pudding. Female police officers have gone to them in the past for help including Kelly Donovan with her "Fit4Duty - The Ethical Standard" campaign. In other words our police force reports both to the province and most importantly to our local senior level of government, the Region of Waterloo.

I am in the process of reading the Affidavits of three female and one male police officers, namely Shelly Heinrich, Vera McKenzie, Karin Eder and Barry Zehr. Their Affidavits go far beyond merely being powerful. They are a damning indictment of human (mostly male) stupidity, arrogance, cowardice and abusive behaviour. They are a damning indictment of written policies, laws and regulations that are totally and completely ignored by those in positions of authority to enforce them.

I have a link to the Cambridge Advocate run by Debbie Vitez on my other Blog, the Elmira Advocate. Once again Debbie has courageously stepped up and posted about this issue involving all of Waterloo Region and hence Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the Townships. I believe that she has links to these Affidavits and more in her posting of last evening.

One other point for those of us with pro union and or left wing slants. Just like the abysmal behaviour of the union at the City of Waterloo twenty years ago regarding female discrimination in their public works department of which I was involved; the police union have only added to the problems according to these and other Affidavits. The union, known as the Waterloo Regional Police Association, have consistently refused to protect and assist all their members. They too have the bizarre idea that dues paying female police officers aren't real members and or worthy of equal treatment.

MUNICIPAL COUNCILS NEED LESS LEEWAY NOT MORE

Back on January 10/18 the Waterloo Region Record carried the following story titled "Changes allow more closed-door meetings". The problem is, somewhat misusing a military term:, "mission creep". Give many municipal councils an inch and they'll take a mile. Here in Woolwich Township it took myself back in 2015 making a formal complaint to the Ontario Ombudsman in order to rein in Woolwich Council. They routinely hid under the legal exceptions to open, public meetings to discuss things that either were embarassing to themselves politically or that simply they did not want out for public consumption or discussion. They were unaccountable and they knew it. I fully expect that they are still playing games as they always have albeit just a little more carefully.

The Ontario government changed municipal law at the start of this month to allow municipalities to discuss in private things like trade, financial and technical secrets, negotiations and information from senior governments. Really? Exactly what do our towns and cities have to do with trade, financial and technical secrets? Universities I could understand. Private or government "think tanks" perhaps, but municipal governments? As far as negotiations go certainly labour negotiations with their unionized staff is appropriate in private. Negotiations with suppliers I'm a little more concerned about. While the final deals and purchases need to be public information; accountability of buyers and purchasing agents is important to maintain public confidence in the integrity and honesty of the process. Lastly information from senior governments is also problematic. What we absolutely don't need is new rules, regulations or interpretations from the senior levels of government (regional, provincial, federal) either being ignored by some municipalities or intentionally misinterpreted or even simply kept secret from the public.

This new legislation has a funny odour to it. Is this our Liberal provincial government once more handing out goodies in hopes of getting last minute support prior to the upcoming provincial election this year?

WATCHING THE BOYS SQUIRM

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following Editorial titled "Tense days for regional police". I suggest that that title is an understatement. This is an organization clouded in secrecy, non-transparent and always hiding behind an attitude of trust us, don't question us, we're here to protect your very lives. Yes they are an essential service but the public service aspect is far too often forgotten. Also occasionally is either individual members abuse of their authority and even more shocking the abuse of authority at the higher levels of the organization. The current class action lawsuit by female police officers against the force speaks to the abuse of authority from the top down. And it speaks very loudly.

As the Record indicates, the allegations in the lawsuit are shocking. They include male supervisors and superintendents sending a female officer nude photos as well as intentionally pressing against their buttocks. I was going to say this is at the high school level of maturity but then realized that when I was in high school any male student who did that would be immediately suspended. Teachers not so much. Hmm I guess the double standard not just between the genders but between those in authority and those being supervised has always been with us.

The Record concludes that "...there are unresolved tensions and a significant level of dysfunction within this police department." That too I feel is a very mild statement as to the unaccountable behaviours within and without the Waterloo Regional Police.

EDUBABBLE AND OR "FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH"?

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "Year-round schools catch trustees' attention". There's a third option. Perhaps this story released to the Record is no more than a trial balloon. Maybe a few trustees out of desperation to change the channel on their infighting simply want to distract parents. It's all hard to say especially if you've ever had direct dealings with the Waterloo Region District School Board. The only good thing about them was when my youngest son finished high school and we didn't have to deal with various filth wearing suits and ties any longer. That was a day of rejoicing.

Now the next issue of course for the Board will be dealing with the self-serving Teachers' Union. Why exactly do I think that this idea is dead in the water now as it has been for the last fifty years? Oh yes, it's because the teachers have been brainwashed into believing that they are all professionals under extreme stress doing a job that nobody else (without a teaching certificate) could possibly do. The mere fact that pedophiles had thrived in the educational system for many decades without being held accountable certainly shouldn't dissuade them of their God complex. The mere fact that Waterloo Region students have been performing sub-par for many years in English and Math also won't dissuade them of their inherent superiority and entitlement to two months off every summer.

As hoped would reducing the summer break to one month from two improve student learning? Hard to say but certainly full day kindergarten has turned out to be nothing but glorified day care. Students do have a small edge in Grade 1 but the positive effect is gone by the start of Grade 2. Based upon that wasted taxpayers money let's take a huge grain of salt with any new claims by our school board.

PRINCIPAL DEMOTED AFTER TEST TAMPERING ALLEGATION

Last Saturday's Waterloo Region Record carried the following story titled " Principal accused of test tampering". Apparently at this point in time it's well past the accusation stage as both the Ontario College of Teachers and the Education Quality and Accountability Office have conducted investigations and concluded that tampering did in effect happen. The only surprise for me is that it took this long for anyone to get either caught or confronted for this kind of behaviour.

I've long felt that the results are most probably artificially elevated in order to make the degradation of our educational system look less dramatic. In other words what is the ratio of successful cheating to unsuccessful? Do a dozen schools cheat with officials looking the other way to perhaps one school blowing the whistle on the behaviour?

The individual's names and schools are listed in the article to which I am providing the link.

MINIMUM WAGE WHINING IS PREDICTABLE

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following article by Martin Regg Cohn titled "Small business needs to manage, not manipulate". He is basically suggesting that some Tim Horton's franchisees are acting out against their staff as much in frustration with their franchise agreements as with the new law. Apparently head office has to approve all price increases and to date they have not done so.

Also of interest though is the recital of a number of recent significant tax breaks given to small businesses which should have eased the financial burden of legislated raises. It seems small businesses get an extraordinarily low rate on the first $500,000 of income compared to small businesses in quebec and compared to larger corporations here in Ontario. That makes a major difference to me in the corporate whining about minimum wage increases. These workers need better and this apparently is one good way to do it.

SHAME ON THE BULLIES & COWARDS AT THE WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE

And further shame on each and every current and past Police Chief, and every past and current civilian Police Services Board members who have been approached for help and done nothing. And further shame upon all senior management, deputy chiefs and superintendents who decided to look the other way. And yes shame upon any female members of the force who played the game exactly as senior police members wanted and advanced while not using their authority to help other women maltreated on the job. Last but not least here's to you Ken and all the other senior politicians in the Region of Waterloo, male and female, who decided not to rock the boat but to allow this disgusting behaviour to continue, to fester and to lessen and demean the integrity, ethics and morals of what should be an institution devoted to truth, justice and decency.

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "More officers join suit against regional police". The story was very well written by Liz Monteiro of the Record. It is very disturbing and any decent human being, male or female, should be appalled by the behaviours described. All of us have said or done inappropriate things over the decades. Whether an unwanted advance, a dirty joke, a wolf whistle or even telling dumb blonde jokes; as human beings we all fail sometimes. That said the behaviours described in today's Record are not occasional, they are not a momentary failure or thoughtless word or deed. They are intentionally demeaning and intentionally derogatory. It is a majority of individuals (male), in positions of superior authority and physical strength (generally) abusing their authority. It is bullying by a pack of cowards, plain and simple.

Keep in mind readers that to date none of these allegations in today's Record have been proven in court. Keep in mind that my strong opinions on the matter have been shaped by decades working here in Ontario including being involved with a sexual harassment case years ago at the City of Waterloo. There certain members of the male dominated Public Works Department routinely harassed female employees in front of me. The superior attitude and arrogance of these male workers including supervisers provoked me to take action. The City of Waterloo eventually also took action. In fact a later disgraced Tom Stockie (due to Rim Park fiasco) actually stepped up and did the right thing. Kudos to him. Another kudo goes to municipal politician Lynne Woolstencroft whom I recall as being very helpful. Who in senior management at the Waterloo Regional Police will step up?