Farewell video for embattled Prince Albert police chief pulled down after 'persistent harassment'

A video posted to Twitter thanking former Prince Albert Police Chief Jonathan Bergen for his service was taken down Monday, following “persistent harassment.”

“I took this video down today and am having a very hard time understanding the behaviour that is happening within our organization,” Charlene Tebbutt, media coordinator for the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) wrote in the tweet that announced the take down.

“Baseless, anonymous attacks are cowardly and don't help our community or those we are supposed to serve.”

Bergen resigned as the chief of police for Saskatchewan’s third largest city following the release of a scathing report by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) on May 18.

The report found that two officers in Prince Albert failed to adequately protect an infant boy who died last year and should face discipline.

In the wake of the release, Bergen announced his immediate retirement, saying some of his decisions "have motivated a very persistent and extraordinary assault" on his character and harassment of his family.

Tensions were already high within Prince Albert’s police service, with 95 per cent of voting members in the Prince Albert Police Association saying they did not have confidence in the embattled chief during a vote in March of 2022.

“Chief Bergen’s reckless decision-making has contributed to the deterioration of the mental health of frontline officers, pushing them to the breaking point,” the association's president Josh Peterson said at the time.

The Saskatoon Police Service is set to provide an interim chief during the search for Bergen’s replacement.

A comprehensive review of PAPS was launched by the province in the fall of 2022.

According to the minister of corrections, policing and public safety, Christine Tell, the results of the review will be available in the coming weeks.

Additionally, two more investigations into PAPS are currently ongoing.

Both are related to fatal, officer-involved incidents in 2023.