‘I was in terrible mental distress’
Under cross-examination by Waterloo Regional Police lawyer, Angie Rivers says she was undermined by fellow officers
During her last few weeks with a detective unit Waterloo Regional Police Const. Angie Rivers was under so much stress she thought about dying by suicide, and found it difficult to focus on work, a labour arbitration hearing was told Friday.
This was in July 2015, and Rivers was assigned to a detective squad working out of the Waterloo detachment that focused on streetlevel drug dealers.
“I was in terrible mental distress, having suicidal thoughts, my ability to focus on work was tremendously impacted,” said Rivers during her sixth day of cross-examination.
Since the arbitration hearing began in February 2022, Rivers has spent 11 days testifying about the overt sexual harassment she experienced at the Waterloo Regional Police, and the reprisals she suffered for rejecting the sexual advances from one of her sergeants.
Friday was her fifth day under cross-examination by Toronto lawyer Donald Jarvis, who represents the Waterloo Regional Police.
Rivers told the hearing she was criticized, written-up or given verbal warnings for minor incidents — not reporting a scratch on her detective’s vehicle and leaving her badge and gun in the Waterloo detachment while taking a letter to headquarters.
Another time, she placed digital scales, a pellet gun and a bracelet in the same evidence bag after they were seized in an investigation. She was reprimanded for not doing a separate tag and bag for the jewelry.
“That is, again, symptom of the mental distress I was under,” said Rivers. “For eight years prior to that I never had a problem logging evidence.”
When CMT detectives are doing mobile surveillance, what they call spin operations, they spoke in an informal code, never using real street names or other identifying information, she told the hearing. But when a new member joined their team, they would go back to using real street names until the new detective was up to speed.
“They did not do that for me,” said Rivers.
So, during one spin operation she became confused and drove in the wrong direction.
“No doubt that while I worked in North CMT I made many mistakes, but not so egregious that I should be kicked out,” said Rivers.
Rivers started with the Waterloo Regional Police working patrol in Cambridge in 2007, but she was ambitious and wanted to make detective.
One of her mentors was Sgt. Nathan Cardoza, who headed the Cambridge detachment’s CMT.
The hearing was told Cardoza sent Rivers a series of sexually charged messages from his phone asking about her sex life and requesting a picture of her. She refused and tried to avoid Cardoza after that exchange.
Later, when Rivers was promoted to detective constable she was assigned to Cardoza’s team. She was told it would be for a short period of time, and then she would be assigned to the Waterloo CMT.
Rivers said she was set up for failure by Cardoza, and his unfounded criticisms of her work followed her when she went to work for the Waterloo CMT.
Her last day of work was July 28, 2015, and included a meeting with Staff Sgt. Paul Lobsinger, who oversaw the three CMTs. At the meeting, Lobsinger told Rivers she was being transferred back to patrol in Cambridge effective Jan. 1, 2016. Two other detectives in the same meeting were told they were being promoted to detective units at headquarters.
Rivers viewed the move as a demotion. But Jarvis said it was a routine transfer, and that sergeants did not have the authority to transfer officers.
“It’s true only the chief can effect a transfer, but nobody from senior management approached me and asked me what was going on or expressing any concern about transferring me out based on my conduct or performance,” said Rivers.
“I believe all that information was obtained from the sergeants and moves up the chain that way,” said Rivers.
She went on sick leave and filed a sexual harassment complaint against Cardoza several weeks later. An independent investigation by a law firm specializing in workplace harassment concluded she was a victim of overt sexual harassment.
Later, the Waterloo Regional Police conducted its own investigation, and Cardoza was found guilty of overt sexual harassment. He was docked 39 hours pay.
Jarvis said the police service wanted to meet with Rivers in the fall of 2016 to go over the results of both investigations with her. A meeting date was scheduled for mid-October 2016 but the police service cancelled it. They wanted medical clearance from Rivers that she could attend the meeting at headquarters.
Jarvis said Rivers never provided that medical clearance. Rivers agreed, but added nothing prevented the police service from sharing the information with her without an in-person meeting.
“My therapist requested she be provided with the results,” said Rivers. “I eagerly wanted the results and requested them many times.”
The arbitration hearing is about whether Rivers was subjected to reprisals for rejecting Cardoza, and how police management handled her complaint.
The hearing, which has three days scheduled in June and two more in the fall, is expected to continue hearing testimony into next year.
No doubt that while I worked in North CMT I made many mistakes, but not so egregious that I should be kicked out.
ANGIE RIVERS