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Secret office romance | Category: | Safety Editorials (Mr. Reporter) | | Published Date: | 01/09/2008 | |
CommentsSecret office romance, workplace harassment by Mountie force RCMP to apologize
By: The Canadian Press August 28, 2008
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. -- A secret office romance involving the top RCMP officer in Prince George, B.C., his harassment of employees and allegations of a coverup by city council has created a buzz among residents of the northern community.
Now the RCMP has apologized for the actions of Supt. Dahl Chambers, acknowledging that six of 11 complaints filed against the Mountie by three workers are valid.
``On behalf of the RCMP, I apologize for the actions of Supt. Chambers,'' said the letter issued to the employees this week by the force's deputy commissioner, Gary Bass, commander of the Mounties in B.C. and the Yukon.
In the letter Bass said the RCMP will be taking disciplinary action against Chambers, adding only that it would be ``corrective'' so such incidents won't happen again.
Bass has acknowledged that Chambers called Ken Corrigan, former manager of city employees, a ``bastard,'' an ``idiot'' and a ``water boy,'' plus other vulgar names.
The deputy commissioner also said that on one occasion, Chambers ``made a masturbatory gesture with his hand'' toward an employee.
Provincial RCMP spokesman Sgt. Tim Shields said Thursday the investigation into Chambers's behaviour has been completed and that he will continue in his position without any further disciplinary action.
``Senior management of the RCMP E Division have faith in his ability to lead the detachment,'' Shields said.
He said Chambers was ordered to undergo an operational guidance process, something akin to counselling.
Corrigan credited the RCMP for acting in an honourable manner by dealing with the issue by apologizing to him, but he blasted city councillors for allowing Chambers to carry on with his on-the-job harassment long after it was brought to their attention.
He also blamed the city for trying to cover up Chambers's actions even after its own special investigator agreed with the RCMP that the city had a problem on its hands and wasn't doing much to fix it after two years.
``The city did not exhibit any support for their employees at all,'' Corrigan said.
``The city states, `We have a harassment-free workplace' but if you step up and say you saw harassment, well you aren't going to work for the city anymore,'' Corrigan said.
``Then someone else steps up and says, `No, I saw it too,' and they get tossed out as well.''
Corrigan filed his complaint after taking early retirement in September 2007 as part of a restructuring of services at the detachment that saw his job split into two positions. Two other city employees also came forward with complaints.
Chambers' live-in girlfriend, senior city manager Ann Bailey, was promoted to one of the jobs.
Allegations of a conflict of interest led city hall to hire an investigator, resulting in a report that concluded that was indeed the case.
But that report was never released publicly.
The two other employees who came forward and also received apology letters from the RCMP were Linda Thompson and Sheri Mclean-Smith, both former executive assistants to Chambers who are no longer employed at the detachment.
Thompson said the city has behaved in a disgraceful manner.
``It was a year full of turmoil, disappointment and stress simply because I did the right thing,'' she said. ``I stood up to a bully and (city hall) knew about our issues well in advance.''
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