Union and employer meet to address turmoil within Prince Albert Police Service

By Nigel Maxwell

After days of back-and-forth between administration and the union representing Prince Albert’s police officers, it appears calmer heads are prevailing.

paNOW was informed members of the police service executive team met Tuesday afternoon with the police association, and the outcome was described by both sides as positive. No further information was provided as to what was said.

Last Thursday, Police Chief Jon Bergen confirmed plans to retire on May 31, and within a day, the Prince Albert Police Service posted a video to social media, thanking Bergen for his years of service.

However, the video was later removed with the police service posting the video was taken down due to hateful comments and harassment from “both within and outside our organization.”

Charlene Tebbutt, who was acting as a spokesperson for the Prince Albert Police Service, posted a message through her personal Twitter account, explaining she did not understand the behaviour happening within the organization.

“Baseless, anonymous attacks are cowardly and don’t help our community or those we are supposed to serve,” she wrote.

A screenshot of the weekend post that was deleted on Tuesday afternoon. (Facebook/ Twitter)

I don’t know who is running PAPS media but ENOUGH. Quit trying to further divide the executive and the membership. It is an exciting new area and we have to move on @PAPOLICEca https://t.co/3paPlscpt1

— Sask Fed (@SaskFed) May 22, 2023

Among the reasons cited by Bergen for his retirement were continuous personal attacks against both himself and members of his executive team.

Since 2020, there have been two non-confidence votes held by the union representing the officers. Among the reasons cited after the most recent vote in March 2022, were poor communication from leadership and the chief’s “reckless management style.” Members attributed these issues to the reason why a number of officers had left the service. The police service has not provided specific numbers to paNOW regarding the number of officers currently on leave.

Speaking to paNOW on the condition of anonymity as they are not permitted to speak publicly, a current member of the police service expressed frustration with the weekend social media post, saying there was no proof provided that current members were involved in the negative comments. They added no current member would risk their job over petty commentary, as many already knew Bergen was likely to exit his role.

With respect to members’ frustrations with their chief, the member identified concerns related to officers feeling burned out with no support. The officer said an example of that can be members spending hours at the hospital with mental health patients.

The officer said another point of contention is the service’s social media focusing and celebrating work done by senior administration staff and less on the efforts of frontline officers on the streets.

What’s next?

Following Bergen’s retirement on May 31, a member of the Saskatoon Police Service will act as interim chief until a permanent replacement is found.

When paNOW attempted on Tuesday to reach out to the Saskatoon Police Service for further comment, a spokesperson could only confirm intentions to provide a senior officer, adding the details are still being worked out and a multi-agency agreement is pending.

Janet Carriere, chair of the Police Commissioner’s Board, noted a lot of the back and forth had to do with outgoing Chief Bergen and she encouraged both sides to move on.

“We need to tone down the rhetoric and the negative commenting on both sides. We need to move forward in a positive way with integrity,” she said.

Noting the public concerns raised around the internal exchanges, Carriere said it’s important for the community to know they are safe in the hands of the Prince Albert Police Service.

“I have faith that our officers that belong to the service are willing to look after our community in a good way and I think the citizens in the community are safe in their hands,” she said.

Carriere also confirmed the hiring process for the city’s next police chief had not yet started and said a recruiter must be in place first.

“We want to move forward in a positive way so we have to do things in the right order to order to get there,” she said.

paNOW also attempted to contact the city’s mayor for comment on the situation. Greg Dionne replied he was unable to as he was still being briefed.

Further response from the police association to the Tanner Brass death report

Chief Bergen claims the harassment started after his decision to refer the Tanner Brass death investigation to the provincial public complaints commission.

A report released last week by the Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission, identified neglect of duty by the officers involved in the call on Feb. 10, 2022, that resulted in the death of a 13-month-old boy. The report however also identified a number of inconsistencies between stories that were shared by an organization representing the child’s mother and with actual evidence collected through audio and video recordings.

While the Prince Albert Police Association did provide an initial statement to paNOW wishing Chief Bergen well in his future endeavours, a second statement was released on Friday addressing the report.

“There has been many statements about misconduct with officers involved in a call earlier in the night but the public should be aware that when police are called we often find something very different once at the scene. The facts will come out and we encourage everyone to not make judgments until the report is released from the PCC which will likely lead to a public hearing.”

The Prince Albert Police Association reiterated its trust in the process of the third party and requested the public should as well. The association also relayed its support for the officers that are currently on leave from the service as they deal with the incident.

“This incident has taken a huge toll on these members’ mental health and their families.”

The Prince Albert Police Association thanked the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers and the ministry for guidance, wisdom, and support.

“We are excited for the future and the changes that are coming. We look forward to working with the new chief and have a relationship of mutual respect where our members feel supported and can continue to provide a great service to our community.”