'It has been my greatest honour to serve you': Prince Albert police chief announces early retirement
The chief of the Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) has resigned following an investigation into the death of a baby in that community.
The Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission said there had been a neglect of duty on behalf of the PAPS.
Chief Jonathan Bergen said that criticism of his actions over the past few years led to his decision.
“Leadership with integrity often calls for hard personal decisions. These decisions have been personally difficult for me, as have other decisions that I have made that have motivated a very persistent and extraordinary assault on my character, harassment of my family, and criticism of members of my executive team over the past three years,” Bergen said in a written statement.
“Yet, I stand by these decisions, today and always, as being best for our community, for the restoration of its confidence in its Police Service, as a demonstration of the integrity that must guide us as servants of the public.”
Bergen said the disciplinary action required by the report was something he was not comfortable doing.
“The circumstances of the attacks on my family leave me in a position that, if I were to accept the responsibilities on me as Chief of Police under the Investigation Report released today – to discipline members, or to further investigate supervising members – it could be misrepresented as biased and influenced by the manner in which my family has been treated.”
“I feel today, however, that I am unable to take on my next responsibilities, those under the Public Complaint Commission’s Report, and that for the sake of integrity, I must leave those responsibilities now to be handled under the leadership of a new Chief of Police.”
He said that with the help of the Saskatoon Police Service, an interim chief would be taking over.
“I would on behalf of my executive team and my Board extend our deep gratitude to Saskatoon Police Service, for their understanding and for so generously agreeing to support us in this transition of leadership,” Bergen said in the statement.
“To the community of Prince Albert, my life’s home: it has been my greatest honour to serve you.”
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