Staff shortages are hurting morale, impacting investigations, Calgary police survey says
CBC
Calgary police service members have reported a significant decline in morale, an increase in workload and a perceived lack of support from the organization's chief of police, a new annual employee survey says.
About 44 per cent of staff, or 1,375 Calgary Police Service (CPS) members, responded to the Calgary Police Commission survey.
Staff shortages is one main issue, the survey found, with respondents saying those shortages have hurt morale and impacted investigations.
Nearly three-quarters of employees say they disagree that the actions and directions of senior leaders show that CPS cares about its employees.
Shawn Cornett, vice-chair and interim chair of the Calgary Police Commission, says the survey's results are disappointing.
"It's never good to get a lot of negative feedback. However, it's essential to do these surveys and to hear and listen to what the employees are saying," she said.
Cornett says the Calgary Police Commission will be asking city council to fund 38 new full-time positions to relieve pressure on officers.
The survey also found that 80 per cent disagree that there is a climate of trust that exists between CPS senior leaders and employees.
Cornett says Calgary police leadership is relatively new in its position, but with attention and development plans she thinks feelings toward leadership, and more broadly the profession, can be changed.
"I think in all of society, these days, we are running into problems where the police services in any jurisdiction are being held to task and, and being accountable … we need to both look for accountability and move things ahead and show support for the service they do provide," Cornett said.
In a statement to the CBC, police chief Mark Neufeld acknowledges the results show employees are feeling overworked and undervalued.
"We know that change is needed and realize I have fallen short in supporting our members in ways that are meaningful to them. Our top priority will be to address resource, morale and leadership disconnects," Neufeld said in the emailed statement.
"As our service moves forward, we will be working with the commission, as well as the Calgary Police Association and the Senior Officers Association to have meaningful and solution-based discussions on how we can all work together to address our employee's top concerns."
Montreal officials will hold a ceremony to mark the 36th anniversary of the Polytechnique massacre today.
The City of Regina's proposal to build a roadway through the McKell Wascana Conservation Park should be discarded, local conservationists say.
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.