Fredericton police discipline bill $272,700 over 8 years

The City of Fredericton has spent $272,708.05 on "disciplinary actions" against police officers since 2008, according to aRight to Information request.

The list includes a figure of $98,832.82 spent todate on the case of fired constable Cherie Campbell.

Campbell's case resulted from her allegedly stealing around $20worth of makeup in Houlton, Me.,in 2014.

The union representing police officers in the city says the total figure stated by the city may be well below the actual cost to taxpayers.

"It's very surprising to me that the bill was so low and the list was so short," said Andrew Dawson, provincial manager from the Atlantic Council of Carpenters, the union representing Fredericton Police Local 911.

"There have been a year or two where we have spent almost that in one year in response to disciplinary actions," he said.

Under the collective agreement between the city and the union, officers charged with an offence, but later cleared, are entitled to reimbursement from the city for legal expenses.

In an email to CBC News on Tuesday,city spokesperson Alycia Bartlett said that the figure of$272,708.05, spent on "disciplinary actions", only coversarbitration costs, and not legal reimbursements to cleared officers.

Dawson says that the cost of placing officers on paid leave is a significant figure, which should also be considered.

Last year there were four Fredericton police officers on paid leave. Two of them Jeff Smiley and Campbell were recently fired after arbitration hearings.

Bothhave filed judicial reviews of the decisions.

Bound by Police Act

Speaking to CBC News last week, Fredericton Police Chief Leanne Fitch said the city and the New Brunswick Police Commission are often bound by the Police Act to go through expensive arbitration processes.

"Any police leader or police organization would prefer that we spend money on policing matters that affect our communities. It's difficult," said Fitch.

"The processes that are laid out currently under the existing Police Act are difficult and that is why there's a need for modernization of the act and to revisit some of the processes that are in place currently."

The New Brunswick Police Commission has proposed amendments to the Police Act which would potentially avoid the need for someexpensive arbitration hearings.

Coun. Greg Ericson, the chair of city's public safety committee,says the figure of $272,708.05 still represents value for money for the taxpayer.

"It most certainly is a lot of money. I've seen these figures. It's an astoundingly large sum of money, representing almost 100 homes' annual property tax bill," said Ericson.

"I will not hesitate to say that it is value for money, because it is part of a process governed by provincial legislation through the provincial police commission and through a process that delivers justice."

Meanwhile, the provincially-funded police commission says it has also spent a significant amount of money on arbitration cases.

In the case of fired constable Jeff Smiley, the city says it has spent $31,419.95 on the case so far.

Steve Roberge, the executive director of theNew Brunswick Police Commission,says his organization has spent $76,645.18 on the same case, and expects the final combined bill to top $200,000.

The commission's 2014/2015 annual report says it "witnessed significant pressures upon the commission's limited financial resources, uniquely due to increased costs incurred within the professional/ legal services category of expenditures."

Roberge says he estimates the commission exceeded its 2015/2016 budget by $160,000.

Stafford and Schriver cases

The CBC News right to information request to Fredericton Police asked for records dating back 10 years "pertaining to the amount of money spent by the city on disciplinary actions in regards to police officer misconduct/alleged misconduct."

The city says Canada Revenue Agency requirements means it only keeps financial information dating back eight years.

The list of cases provided to CBC News did not include the names of two officers involved in separate high-profile disciplinary cases; Const. Stephen Stafford and Const. Jason Schriver.

Schriver was charged in October 2006 of fraudulently using police resources to check a licence plate number for a friend.

Schriver later pleaded guilty and was given an unconditional discharge, meaning no criminal record.

In 2011, Stafford was found not guilty on an assault charge involving the arrest of soldier Luc Begin in the summer of 2009.

The list of cases provided to CBC News did include a settlement conference and arbitration hearing from 2009, where the names of the officersinvolved were excluded.

Police cited "an unreasonable invasion of a third party's privacy, as per the [privacy] act."

In an email to the city on Monday, CBC News asked why Stafford and Schriver's names did not appear on the list.

Bartlett said the matter will be looked into next week when a city official is next in the office.