The New Brunswick Police Association is calling for the removal of Steve Roberge as head of the province’s police commission.
Executive director Bob Davidson said Roberge inserted himself into the commission’s review of former Saint John deputy police chief Glen McCloskey.
“The issue here is the mentality of this person who has an abusive, authoritarian way of trying to operate up there,” Davidson said during a news conference on Thursday.
“That’s the bottom line. McCloskey is a casualty of this mentality.”
McCloskey allegation
McCloskey was accused of asking another officer to lie about him being at Richard Oland’s murder scene in July of 2011.
The commission agreed to look into the matter but suspended their investigation after the matter was referred to Halifax Regional Police.
After an eight-month investigation, police cleared McCloskey of any wrongdoing and the commission resumed its investigation.
On Thursday, McCloskey maintained he did not ask anyone to lie about him being at the murder scene.
Commission investigation
Davidson also accused the commission’s appointed investigator, former Fredericton police chief Barry MacKnight, of leading a bias investigation.
“When he got the Halifax eight-month file and makes a statement that there’s grounds for criminal charges, contrary to what they said, before interviewing anybody, that’s bias,” he said.
Davidson claimed the commission ignored and misrepresented what officers said during their investigation into McCloskey.
He said Roberge also violated McCloskey’s privacy by giving the commission’s entire file on McCloskey to Dennis Oland’s defence lawyers.
The province’s Office of the Integrity Commissioner ruled the commission did not have authority to disclose the information and breached McCloskey’s privacy in two instances by disclosing his personal information.
Our newsroom has reached out to Roberge for comment.
Story by Brad Perry
Twitter: @BradMPerry
Email: perry.brad@radioabl.ca
(Photo: Brad Perry/Acadia News)
Follow
