A 14-year veteran of the Calgary Police Service tearfully resigned during Tuesday night’s Calgary Police Commission meeting, citing bullying and sexual harassment in the workplace.
“How are you going to prevent the resignation of other members, both sworn and civilian like me, who have given up hope that change will ever come?” Const. Jen Ward said. “Because in my case, I did not leave the Calgary Police Service. The Calgary Police Service left me.”
WATCH BELOW: Female member of the Calgary Police Service publicly announces resignation at police commission meeting.
The CPS has been plagued by the results of a 2013 workplace review that brought forth such allegations and is working to resolve the issues with a plan to reform gender equity.
Ward, flanked by two other female constables, read her statement in front of the police commission, Chief Roger Chaffin and reporters.
Councillor Diane Colley Urquhart, who had spoken to Ward along with other female members who alleged bullying in the past, said it was a “real loss to the citizens of Calgary and the service” that she was choosing to resign.
“I’m just sorry that it wasn’t in time for you.”
READ MORE: Calgary police continue to reform workplace culture after harassment claims
As Ward cried, the police chief went over to try to comfort her. She shook her head, looking down, as he patted her shoulder and returned to her seat.
“What you saw there was the real and raw emotions of being somebody who feels cast aside or hurt in the organization,” Chaffin told Global’s Gary Bobrovitz. “I think what everyone saw there was what it’s like to be somebody on the outside.”
Chaffin said he thanked Ward for the “courage to speak out” but also said he’s not willing to accept her resignation at this time.
“Some time needs to pass and we will circle back to her down the road to talk to her again about this.”
Chaffin called her emotional resignation a very difficult thing to watch and repeated his vow to effect positive change in the culture at CPS.
“We’re very much at the precipice of being able to start and address those issues with programs and measurables to start to go down that path of changing culture in the organization.”
READ MORE: Calgary police chief posts open letter in response to controversial workplace review
He added the CPS is making “lots of progress.”
“We are fully, strongly committed to creating the kind of workplace that everyone can be proud of.”
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