Lethbridge Police Association makes statement on disciplinary proceedings

By Lethbridge Herald on July 14, 2020.

Lethbridge Police Association release:

In response to multiple media reports, the Lethbridge Police Association provides the following statement regarding the disciplinary proceedings against Sergeant Jason Carrier and Cst. Keon Woronuk of The Lethbridge Police Service (Decision dated July 9, 2020)

These allegations were fully investigated by two different police services in a process that took three years to reach a conclusion. One of the largest legal firms in Canada (Bennett Jones LLP) was retained to advise the Chief of Police throughout the disciplinary process, and handled the charges under the Police Act.

Contrary to what some articles and media headlines have reported, although there was an intention by one of the cited officers to conduct targeted enforcement, MLA Phillips was never followed.

The 30 page penalty decision circulating in the media was written by a retired Superintendent of the Calgary Police Service who has a plethora of knowledge and experience in police discipline. This same presiding officer has not hesitated in the past to dismiss police officers (terminate employment), where the circumstances were warranted. The presiding officer speaks at length in this decision about the sanctions set upon the cited officers and why they are appropriate.

Although police officers are held to a higher standard by the public, occasionally errors in judgement are made. Accountability is an important characteristic for a police officer. Both cited officers have been cooperative throughout the process and take full responsibility for their actions. This aberration is not a reflection of the membership as a whole. The members of the Lethbridge Police Association are committed to professionalism and serving the community.

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