RNC Chief Joe Boland praised for his service
But time at helm included dissension among the ranks
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) Chief Joe Boland wasn’t speaking to media Tuesday about his intention to retire in July after almost 40 years of service.
The process of appointing a new chief of police will be completed through the Independent Appointments Commission.
Justice Minister John Hogan offered his well wishes in a statement Tuesday.
“On behalf of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, I extend my sincerest gratitude to Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Chief Joe Boland following a nearly 40-year career in policing.” Hogan said.
Boland has given notice of his retirement effective July 31.
He has headed such sections as the patrol services division, the criminal investigation division, the operational support services division, and the recruiting and training unit. Before becoming the 22nd chief, he was the officer in charge of the patrol and operational services division.
“Within the RNC, there is no higher rank one can achieve than chief,” Hogan said.
“It is a role that requires extensive experience as an officer, an understanding of the community and great leadership. I commend Chief Boland for his unwavering dedication to the province and commitment to bettering the RNC and the community it serves to protect every day.”
Hogan said under Boland’s leadership there have been significant advances in the area of mental health, as he spearheaded the addition of mobile mental health crisis response teams, which were established in 2018.
MENTAL-HEALTH INITIATIVES
In 2020, Boland introduced Stella the community support dog, and last week he announced a new partnership to expand equine therapy to first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Chief Boland has worked closely with those with lived experience to find a way to respond differently to some of our most vulnerable as we all work together to build safe and healthy communities,” Hogan said.
“To the family of Chief Boland, thank you for allowing Joe to carry out his duties and perform an important public service that comes with risk and great reward. Chief, I wish you all the best during this next chapter and am confident you will find new ways to continue to serve the community you love so dearly.”
In October 2019, Boland was appointed a Member of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
Boland, who was named RNC chief in 2017, began his career with the force in 1983.
At the time of his appointment as chief, then Justice and Public Safety Minister Andew Parsons acknowledged the turbulent times for the force.
“Undoubtedly, Chief Boland has many challenges ahead, but it gives me great comfort to know he has the trust and respect of all his fellow officers,” Parsons said in 2017.
But Boland was the subject of a non-confidence vote by the association representing RNC officers in June 2020.
In an email sent to members at the time, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Association (RNCA) asked them to take part in an online, anonymous vote with one question: “Do you have confidence in the leadership of the chief of police?” Boland subsequently issued a news release in which he said the vote had been “engineered” as a scheme by the association executive.
“I am fully confident that by calling and promoting this non-confidence vote among RNC officers, the RNCA executive is seeking to discredit and impair my ability as chief to adequately and properly fulfil my obligations to the public as well as to all RNC members,” Boland stated.
Parsons defended Boland, despite also saying he was taking the officers’ non-confidence vote seriously.
SURVEY OF EMPLOYEES
A 2020 survey report by the Guarding Minds@work program gauged the opinions of about 310 RNC employees — there are more than 500 in total.
When employees were asked on a rating scale about specific topics, there was significant and serious concern expressed about protection of physical safety, psychological protection, work/life balance, workload management, recognition and reward, civility and respect, clear leadership, organizational culture and psychological support.
Boland had opposed the release of the survey to the membership, writing an email that warned of “personal and departmental liability” to human resources personnel if it was released without his consent and express objection.
“The information contained in the workplace survey was not collected in accordance with appropriate social science methodology, the results are unreliable and would, therefore, not be admissible in court or before another adjudicative body. RNC management is aware of undue pressure having been put on RNC members and bullying by members of the RNCA to answer a certain way when given questionnaires over the preceding months and, therefore, the RNC as an employer does not adopt the results of this survey as factual or representative of the actual views of its members — the results are, in fact, misleading,” Boland wrote in an email contained in an access to information response obtained by The Telegram.
“The release of this survey would do a disservice to the RNC membership as a result — instead of providing information, it provides misinformation.”
After HR didn’t release it, there was an access to information request filed for it with the Public Service Commission that was denied. A complaint was then filed with the privacy commissioner, who determined it should be released.
The survey was to be used to help implement the program by providing information on psychological health and safety in the workplace.
“The RNC argued that the previous survey was used in an attempt to undermine the authority of, and confidence in, both the chief of police and the RNC in general,” the privacy commissioner’s report noted.
“It believes that, if released, this survey would be used in a similar fashion. It argued that this undermining of authority and confidence could have a detrimental effect on the chief’s efforts to hold rogue officers accountable. It stated that the results of the survey could be misunderstood or misinterpreted.”
The RNCA’S 2019 Workplace Satisfaction and Engagement Survey indicated 48 per cent of respondents had replied to the statement, “I feel I can initiate a formal recourse process (e.g. grievance, complaint, appeal) without fear of reprisal,” with, “Strongly disagree.”
Thirty-eight per cent said they strongly disagreed with the statement, “In my work unit, unsatisfactory employee performance is managed effectively.”