Ottawa police chief on racist comments: All officers are human, have biases

Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau says he doesn't negate the impact of racist comments allegedly posted online by one of his sergeants, but adds that police officers are human beings with biases who can learn not to let themaffect their work.

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• VIDEO:Watch the full interview with Chief Charles Bordeleau

"I can tell you that the comments are inappropriate. They don't reflect the values of the members of the Ottawa Police Service, they don't reflect the values of this organization, and they certainly don't reflect my values,"Bordeleautold CBC Radio'sOttawa Morningon Thursday, stopping short of calling the comments racist.

"I'mcertainly hearing that they're being seen as being racist comments," Bordeleausaid. "I certainly appreciate and understand how those comments are being received."

Bordeleaureceived an emailon Sunday eveningfromGatineau, Que., resident Veldon Coburn after Coburn noticed two comments on an Ottawa Citizen online article about the death of Annie Pootoogook, a celebrated Inuk artist whose body was found in the Rideau River last week.

Charles Bordeleau addresses accusations of racism

8 years ago

Duration 1:21

Ottawa's police chief says officers are human and have biases, but can't let it affect their work.

Comments appear connected tosergeant

The comments, which Coburn noted were "troubling for the overt racism of the text," were posted from the Facebook account of Chris Hrnchiar, who Coburn noted appeared to be an Ottawa police sergeant. Coburn called that "distressing."

One of the comments dismissed Pootoogook's death as "not a murder case," even though the major crimes unitis investigating and police have said there are suspicious elements to the case.

"Typically many Aboriginals have very short lifespans, talent or not," the commenter also wrote.

The same commenter wrote a second post thatcharacterized Canada's Indigenous community as "just satisfied being alcohol or drug abusers."

Both comments have since been deleted from the Citizen's online story.

Officer remains on active duty

The officer remains on active duty,Bordeleautold Ottawa Morning host Robyn BresnahanonThursday, adding that he has communicated with that officer directly.

"He's in acapacitywhere, from myperspective, he doesn't need to be removed from his duties right now as we continue this investigation,"Bordeleausaid.

"We'll be working with him and our officers will be interviewing him and ascertaining exactly the circumstances and the context around why he would make such, such, these comments."

Bordeleau said he doesn't believe making racistcomments isanoffence that requires firing, but didn't entirely shut the door on the possibility.

"I'd have to check case law with respect to what is happening in the police world. I do not believe that it would meet that threshold, however, as a chief of police ... those comments are inappropriate and they do not belong, they do not reflect our values," he said.

'Everybody has biases'

Bordeleau said police get extensive training on fair and impartial policing, and have mechanisms to ensure that biasesdon't affect police work.

"Everybody has biases, whether you're a police officer or a member of society, and ... our job as police officers is to ensure that those biases don't impact the work that we're doing," Bordeleausaid.

"They're either conscious or unconscious biases, and we have to do everything we can to make sure ... [they]do not impact the work we do. Those biases exist in any profession....We're human beings."

Officers have also been affected by Pootoogook's death, he said.

"We make mistakes as human beings, but every member of the [force] carespassionatelyabout their community. They care passionately about Annie. They're very saddened by her death because they knew her, they dealt with her," Bordeleau said.

"I can assure you that even within the police service, people are upset that these comments were made. They're inappropriate. We've been swift in response and we will take the appropriate action and work with our community."

Abdi death sparked calls for change

The complaint comes on the heels of the July 24 arrest and subsequent death of Abdirahman Abdi, a 37-year-old Somali-Canadian who had mental health issues.

• 'There is a crisis' within Ottawa police when dealing with race, group says

Abdi's death, now the subject of a Special Investigations Unit probe, sparkedoutrage in the Somali community and with social justice groups across Canada.

The group Justice for Abdirahmancalled for sweeping changes to how police interact with visible minorities and people with mental health issues, as well as tougher and more transparent enforcement of those changes.

'No evidence' of racist officers, Bordeleau says

Asked about the lack of faith some have in police,Bordeleau firmly stood behind his officers Thursday and called it part of a larger trend.

"I have no evidence to indicate that we have racist officers," he said.

"We've had some interactions with our diverse community that are problematic. I hear the community talk about how they've been treated ... whether they've been stopped more often, whether they've been street-checked a lot, I hear that and I appreciate that that may have happened.

"That's a trend across society now. ... That's a trend that's happening in policing with respect to public trust and confidence. We are seeing an erosion across the sector ... and we're seeing that in Ottawa as well because of some events that have happened."

Bordeleau added thathopes to repairthe force's "fractured" relationship with the community makes policeoutreach work "even more important," and the force will continue to work hard onit.