A Kingston Police constable, who was assaulted by her supervisor, is worried about being labeled as the officer who “ratted him out.” Kingston Police Chief Adam Mac Intosh is now discussing the importance of creating a safe environment for employees to voice their concerns.
Mac Intosh expressed he was “absolutely disappointed” upon learning that a senior officer from his department attended the sentencing hearing for a former police sergeant who admitted to assaulting a female constable he supervised.
Kingston Police Staff Sergeant Cameron Gough was present at the Ontario Court of Justice in Napanee on August 13 for the hearing, apparently supporting Jason Alblas, the ex-sergeant who pleaded guilty in June to assault after initially facing charges of sexual assault in February 2025.
Given Gough’s background as a past president of the Kingston Police Association and his current role as Uniform Director of the Police Association of Ontario (PAO), his presence raises broader questions regarding workplace support and what’s expected from senior officers.
In an extensive interview with Kingstonist focused on workplace culture and whether employees feel they can safely raise issues about higher-ups in the police hierarchy, Mac Intosh stated that senior officers should be held to higher standards regarding their behavior. He emphasized that all members need to feel “psychologically safe” when bringing up concerns about supervisors.
A constable assaulted by her supervisor
During last week’s court session, the complainant spoke about the ongoing impacts of Alblas’s assault, including its effects within her own workplace.
“As a police officer, I’m supposed to protect victims; it has been difficult accepting that, in this case, I am a victim,” she said in a victim impact statement read by the Crown.
The statement also highlighted her worries about how colleagues view her now. She mentioned that she fears people might see her as either “the girl who ratted out her supervisor” or “the girl that was sexually assaulted by her sergeant.”
Gough listened intently while sitting in that courtroom.
Afterward, Gough was seen having lunch with Alblas and his defense lawyer, Joseph Markson, at a pub in Napanee.
With 23 years of service at Kingston Police under his belt, Gough currently oversees both Community Response and Traffic units as staff sergeant. He has spent 13 years leading within police associations and served five years as president of the Kingston Police Association.
Prior to becoming president, Gough and Alblas worked together on the executive board of the Kingston Police Association. They also served together during part of 2020 as president and vice-president respectively, according to social media posts from the association.
The PAO biography for Gough states that his experience with grievances and member wellness has given him deep insight into member issues. It credits him with initiating an employee survey that led to significant changes within Kingston Police.
Kingstonist later asked PAO if Gough had attended Alblas’s sentencing hearing as part of his role with them. The organization responded stating he had not done so in an official capacity.
“Attending sentencing hearings is not among the roles or responsibilities of directors of the Police Association of Ontario (PAO),” spokesperson Kiki Cloutier stated. “Directors who choose to attend court proceedings do so independently and not as representatives of the board.”
The PAO also noted that individual attendance does not reflect on behalf of PAO’s views or actions.
Latterly, Kingstonist queried whether PAO directors are still bound by conduct expectations when acting independently; if there’s any conflict between advocating for personnel versus attending; and what obligations they have toward serving members victimized by another police member’s criminal actions.
The organization chose not to address these inquiries directly.
“At this time, our previous statement remains our response,” Cloutier said late Wednesday on August 19th.
Kingtonist also reached out directly via email to Gough asking why he attended the hearing along with whether he considered how others might perceive his presence concerning both complainants or other members within Kingston Police. No reply had been received prior to publication time.
‘You don’t have to dance around the question’
Kingtonist raised concerns with Mac Intosh regarding Gough’s attendance at Alblas’s hearing while cautiously noting potential personnel matters involved which may limit what could be discussed further by Chief Mac Intosh.
Mac Intosh dismissed any preamble needed.
