Chairman of the North Bay Police Services Board, Dennis O’Connor has heard people calling for suspended officers to be fired or to stop being paid. Now he’s asking those same people to start writing letters to their local MPP to ask the province to take a hard look at changing the Police Services Act.
O’Connor says he wants to stop paying suspended police officers while they await trial after being charged with a serious crime. He added the province promised they would open up the police services act this year.
If the province does follow through, O’Connor would like to see chiefs of police given more power to be able to handle these kinds of issues. So any officer who is suspended because of a serious charge, they won’t be paid. Instead of the current system where they are suspended with pay and wait for a disciplinary hearing.
O’Connor says he is tired of seeing posts online and in social media about the issue. He’s been approached in public by people questioning why the North Bay Police Service continues to pay the salary of suspended officers. O’Connor’s biggest frustration? The process the way it is currently set up is leaving the force short on officers. O’Connor says their hands are tied. The Police Chief only has limited powers when it comes to police officer compensation. under the Police Services Act.
O’Connor added because the suspended officers pay stays on the books, they can’t hire any new officers. Due to the court processes often getting delayed, it puts a serious strain on the police force. Barry MacIntosh, the officer currently under suspension has cost the police nearly $500,000.
MacIntosh was found guilty of one count of assault last month following an appeal into his original charges from 2014. The number the police is paying out to MacIntosh is expected to go even higher as he awaits a date for his disciplinary hearing under the Police Services Act.
In the meantime, the police budget will suffer, the staff will be short, and O’Connor says the officers in the building are not happy about an officer suspended for a serious crime still getting paid.
