Sask. police chief resigns after investigators find 'neglect of duty' in baby's death
CTV
The police chief of Saskatchewan's third-largest city has resigned following the release of a scathing investigation by the province's police oversight agency.
The police chief of Saskatchewan's third-largest city has resigned following the release of a scathing investigation by the province's police oversight agency.
In a report released on Thursday, the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) said two officers in Prince Albert failed to adequately protect an infant boy who died last year and should face discipline.
The commission called the boy's death a "tragic and potentially avoidable incident."
Late Thursday afternoon, in the wake of the report's release, Prince Albert's police chief Jonathan 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.
While the embattled police chief alluded to longstanding tensions within the service unrelated to the investigation, he said his decision to leave ultimately stemmed from worries about further losing the trust of the community following the report's release.
"If I were to accept the responsibilities ... 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," Bergen said in a statement.
The PCC report also highlighted gaps in Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) policies and procedures.
