The Moose Jaw Police Service has provided an update about the cancellation of the dismissal hearing of former police officer Alan Murdock.
On June 19, 2019, Alan Murdock was dismissed from the Moose Jaw Police Service for his unsuitability to be a police officer in accordance with Section 60 of the Police Act, 1990, a news released explained. Murdock appealed the dismissal. A public hearing was scheduled to begin on Oct. 6 and run for three weeks. On Oct. 1, Murdock withdrew his appeal, thereby upholding the dismissal and concluding the matter.
Chief of Police Rick Bourassa is expected to provide more information in the coming days.
“Because the hearing itself was to be the venue for full public information about the dismissal, the hearing’s cancellation following Mr. Murdock’s withdrawal of his appeal has eliminated that avenue of public information. We recognize the public’s concerns expressed regarding the need for openness and accountability," Bourassa said.
"As we value our relationship with our community members and truly believe that policing is dependent upon public trust and transparency, we are exploring other appropriate avenues to ensure the public is provided (with) the information in order to serve the public interest. We will notify the public once an appropriate venue is identified.”
Destiny Gibney, the Moose Jaw Police Service's legal counsel, explained how the withdrawal of the appeal came about.
“The appeal was commenced by notice from Mr. Murdock’s counsel on July 16, 2019. We were granted an order allowing the Chief of Police to amend the Order of Dismissal to include additional grounds on April 21, 2020. The original date set for the public hearing to hear the evidence of the matters was Aug. 31, 2020," she said in the news release.
"Mr. Murdock requested to have the public hearing of the evidence adjourned on two occasions. We objected to both of those adjournments and requested that the public hearing proceed as originally scheduled. Throughout the process, the Chief of Police maintained the position that Mr. Murdock was unsuitable to be a police officer, that there was no appropriate option other than dismissal, and that we would not agree to any offers of settlement.
"We communicated that without an unconditional withdrawal of the appeal by Mr. Murdock, the appeal should proceed to the Public Hearing. On Oct. 1, 2020, Mr. Murdock’s counsel informed us, along with the hearing officer, that Mr. Murdock was withdrawing the appeal.”
Anyone who has any further information, or who wishes to speak to an investigator, is encouraged to call Moose Jaw Police Service at
(306) 694-7600.
