Lawyer dubs police ‘old boys’ club’
Letter to councillors decries gender-based bias in promotions
A prominent Windsor resident is urging city councillors to put an end to the “old boys’ club” at the Windsor Police Service. Lawyer Dan Soulliere, former executive director of Brentwood Recovery Home, sent city councillors a letter last month imploring them to ask questions about the promotional system, leadership and oversight of the service. He said human rights complaints that triggered an investigation of the service underway by a provincial watchdog agency should give councillors reasons for concern. “The Time’s Up movement has spoken and it is time that city council pay attention to what is going on within the police service in this city,” Soulliere said. “Only the males from the ‘boys’ club’ are receiving the promotions. The diversity of the service for this city will never change at this rate.” Soulliere references in his letter the human rights complaint filed by Christine Bissonnette, a staff sergeant who said she has been barred from progressing any higher through the ranks because of her gender. The Ontario Human Rights Commission launched a hearing into her complaint in February. The case resumes next month. Contacted Tuesday after the Windsor Star received a copy of his letter, Soulliere said he has yet to receive a response from any of the 10 councillors to whom he emailed his letter.
“That annoys the hell out of me,” he said. “At least acknowledge that you’ve received it.”
Coun. Bill Marra said there is a reason he did not respond. “I received the letter,” Marra confirmed. But, he added, “It’s inappropriate for me to comment while the investigation is underway.” The Windsor Police Service and the board that oversees it are under investigation by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, a provincial watchdog agency that reports to Ontario’s Attorney General. The investigation was triggered by internal complaints about hiring and promotional practices, including alleged nepotism, allegations of a “poisoned work environment” and allegations of “improper interference in specific legal proceedings.” OCPC put Windsor police and the Windsor Police Services Board on notice in May that it was launching an investigation. Word of the investigation only became public in June after another branch of the OCPC asked Amherstburg for feedback on whether the investigation might impact the request to have Windsor take over policing for the municipality.
Amherstburg’s request has been approved by the provincial agency despite the ongoing investigation. “That letter should be put in the hands of the OC PC investigators,” Marra said of the correspondence from Soulliere.
Marra served on the OCPC board of directors for five years while not on city council following his unsuccessful mayoral bid in 2003. He held hearings for the agency. “I know these investigations are not a whitewash. It’s an independent arm’s length organization.” Soulliere, who says in his letter to the councillors that he got to know Bissonnette during his time as a Crown prosecutor but hasn’t seen her since he stopped practising law 10 years ago, questions why the police service is fighting her complaint. “My question to you as a councillor is what would the cost have been for doing the right thing three years ago? How much money has actually been spent to date by the taxpayers?” Soulliere, who retired from Brentwood in April, goes on in his letter to surmise that the police services board has been kept in the dark about complaints. “Perhaps the board chair
What would the cost have been for doing the right thing three years ago? How much money has .. been spent .. by the taxpayers?
has too close of a relationship with Chief Al Frederick, blinding him to his oversight responsibilities and prudent spending of public funds?” Mayor Drew Dilkens is the chairman of the police services board. Soulliere did not send a copy of his letter to Dilkens, but the mayor has seen it, Norma Coleman, Dilkens’s chief of staff, said Tuesday. Coleman said Soulliere’s letter has not been raised at any police services board meeting.
Dilkens declined to be interviewed about it. “He’s not going to comment on a personnel issue that’s in an adjudicate process,” Coleman said. Soulliere sent a copy of his letter to Coun. Jo-Anne Gignac, vice-chair of the police board. She would not come to the phone when contacted by the Star at her at her home Tuesday.