The chair of Thunder Bay’s police companies board mentioned final week’s felony charges in opposition to the northwestern Ontario metropolis’s former police chief are “deeply disturbing” and reaffirmed efforts to rebuild neighborhood belief within the service.
Karen Machado and present police Chief Darcy Fleury spoke at a information convention Monday in regards to the Ontario Provincial Police charges of obstruction and breach of belief in opposition to Sylvie Hauth.
“The felony allegations introduced ahead by the Ontario Provincial Police are deeply disturbing,” Machado mentioned. “There’s a authorized and moral expectation … that data supplied by Thunder Bay Police Service is truthful and factual, each to the board and to the neighborhood.
“It’s essential for our neighborhood to think about the system that gives oversight to the Thunder Bay Police Service. I perceive how these allegations have induced additional doubts in these establishments and the system of policing and police oversight in Thunder Bay.”
WATCH | Thunder Bay police board chair, chief communicate on rebuilding belief after ex-chief charged:
Thunder Bay Police Service chief, oversight board reply after ex-chief charged by OPP
Thunder Bay Police Service Chief Darcy Fleury speaks about how the police service is making an attempt to rebuild belief within the northwestern Ontario neighborhood, as three present or former members of the service, together with the previous chief, face felony charges.
Machado mentioned the board has a imaginative and prescient to “modernize the service for the long run and construct reality and belief with the communities we serve”; that imaginative and prescient, she mentioned, started with the appointment of Fleury and Deputy Chief Ryan Hughes a couple of yr in the past.
“We’re right here in the present day to ship a powerful message that the allegations, the alleged incidents of the previous, are usually not a mirrored image of the work that’s occurring in the present day,” she mentioned. “Our board is not going to hesitate to behave on any allegations of misconduct.”
The particular charges the OPP introduced Friday in opposition to Hauth are:
Obstruction of a public officer or peace officer; Breach of belief by a public officer; Two counts of obstruction of justice.
Hauth was suspended in 2022 after the Ontario Civilian Police Fee (OCPC) introduced misconduct charges in opposition to her underneath the Police Providers Act. After practically three many years with the service, she retired in 2023 earlier than these allegations might be examined in a listening to.
WATCH | CBC’s Michelle Allan breaks down the newest developments from police: 
Thunder Bay police, oversight board promise to rebuild belief, as ex-chief faces charges
Management of the Thunder Bay Police Service and its oversight board guarantees to reform as three present or former members of the service face felony charges.
At Monday’s information convention, Fleury mentioned the fees “reinforce for me what I already knew — {that a} chief of police must be trustworthy and accountable.”
“This investigation started in 2022,” he mentioned. “Main as much as that point, and since then, it has been a difficult time for our neighborhood. I acknowledge the erosion of belief in our service by some residents and I am impressed by the neighborhood need to maneuver ahead, collectively. We’re on a therapeutic journey.”
Fleury mentioned the service has taken a number of steps towards rebuilding belief with the neighborhood, together with forming an Indigenous advisory committee and dealing to start out a range committee.
Systemic racism, as we all know, has been entrance and centre for a few years, in just about all the stories that we have seen.- Darcy Fleury, TBPS chief
“Among the boards, the insurance policies or procedures, we have now farmed out to some completely different businesses to have them take a look at it,” he mentioned. “Systemic racism, as we all know, has been entrance and centre for a few years, in just about all the stories that we have seen.
“So we have requested these businesses to undergo our insurance policies and procedures and ensure that the language in there may be not going to be placing us again right into a sample of that kind of systemic racism or potential for that.”
Fleury mentioned these steps are being taken to keep away from setting Thunder Bay law enforcement officials up for failure “as a result of we put them on the market with a coverage that the neighborhood [doesn’t] agree with.”
“We’re actually working onerous on that,” Fleury mentioned. “We go all through this neighborhood, hearken to every little thing that is happening and attempt to incorporate, and we will be incorporating their concepts.
“Among the marginalized communities, they’re very sturdy of their opinions, and we have now to hearken to that and give you methods to ensure that they’re being represented.”
Ex-chief assured she’ll ‘prevail,’ lawyer says
In a press release after the OPP charges had been introduced on Friday, Hauth’s lawyer, Scott Hutchinson, mentioned the choice to put charges was “each disappointing and regrettable.”
“Chief Hauth is assured that the folks of Thunder Bay is not going to rush to any judgment and can respect the presumption of innocence. She appears to be like ahead to her trial the place she is going to current her defence. She is assured she is going to prevail,” Hutchinson mentioned.
Hauth has been launched from custody and is scheduled to look in court docket in Thunder Bay on Might 7, the OPP mentioned on Friday, and its investigation stays ongoing.
Thunder Bay’s present police chief, Darcy Fleury, proven in a file photograph, instructed the information convention the fees in opposition to Hauth ‘reinforce … {that a} chief of police must be trustworthy and accountable.’ (Sarah Regulation/CBC)
Final week, the OPP mentioned Thunder Bay police lawyer Holly Walbourne faces obstruction and breach of belief offences, and Workers Sgt. Michael Dimini was charged in December with assault, breach of belief and obstruction of justice.
Each Fleury and Machado additionally issued statements on Friday.
Fleury mentioned the pressure welcomed the investigation and has co-operated totally with OPP.
“It’s one other step towards decision of this matter and our capacity to wholly transfer ahead as a police service,” Fleury mentioned. “It’s my hope that neighborhood members is not going to enable the outcomes of this investigation to overshadow the continuing dedication and high quality service supplied by our TBPS.
“Because the justice course of is carried out, we’ll proceed on our path ahead, studying from the previous in an effort to take advantage of our future.”
The assertion from the oversight board “thanked the Ontario Provincial Police for its investigation” and mentioned board members “stay seized with our mandate and collective duty to make sure the Thunder Bay Police Service is ruled successfully so town can believe in its police service.
