Police chief asks for patience as service deals with lawsuit claims

WATERLOO REGION — Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin is calling for patience from the community as the police service deals with the fallout of a pending class-action lawsuit.

“I’m calling for community patience, media patience. I have to allow due process to occur,” he said.

“I can’t control the judicial process. My responsibility is to ensure we have a strong police service, a strong organization,” Larkin told the media after a police board meeting on Wednesday.

Larkin said the allegations contained in the lawsuit are being reviewed internally.

“We take allegations of discrimination and workplace harassment seriously. These are serious,” he said. “These allegations are disturbing and shocking.”

Six plaintiffs are leading a pending class-action suit alleging gender-based discrimination and a culture of sexual harassment and misogyny. They claim to represent all female members of the local service.

The plaintiffs include three current police officers, two former officers and a retired superintendent. Only one officer is on active duty.

The plaintiffs are Sgt. Karin Eder, Sgt. Shelley Heinrich, Const. Angelina Rivers, former constable Vera MacKenzie, former constable Sharon Zehr and retired superintendent Barry Zehr. Zehr, who retired last April, is married to Sharon Zehr.

The allegations in the suit have not been tested in court and the suit is set to go before a judge in June to be certified as a class action. Total damages the plaintiffs are seeking amount to $167 million.

The claim says the officers were routinely harassed, mocked and bullied by male colleagues and supervisors. When they spoke up to supervisors and their union, they felt dismissed and isolated.

Larkin said the service is working on a number of measures to improve workplace culture that focus on equity, inclusion and diversity. A forum on women in police leadership is to be held on Thursday. It is not open to the media.

“We are working on a number of strategic initiatives that will promote change, that will enhance our organization and continue to build the trust we have in the community,” he said.

Larkin said a number of the historical allegations in the lawsuit just came to light and the ones that fall under the mandate of the Special Investigations Unit have been referred to the provincial agency.

“I have a responsibility as the chief to make sure anything that meets the criteria of the special investigations unit is referred to the special investigations unit,” he said. “I have done that.”