Head of N.B. police watchdog leaves amid controversy over Oland murder probe

The head of New Brunswick’s independent police watchdog has left in the wake of a controversy surrounding its probe into an officer’s conduct following multi-millionaire businessman Richard Oland’s murder.

New Brunswick Police Commission acting chairwoman Lynn Chaplin says Steve Roberge is no longer employed by the province of New Brunswick.

She says the commission’s associate director, Jill Whalen, will serve as acting executive director until further notice.

Chaplin declined to comment further on Roberge’s departure in a statement Thursday, noting it is a “personnel matter.”

The commission has been embroiled in controversy with the New Brunswick Police Association over its handling of an investigation into  Glen McCloskey, a former Saint John deputy police chief who came under scrutiny in the Oland case.

The association has long been at odds with Roberge, publicly calling for his ouster as far back as 2016.

Dunae Squires, vice president of the New Brunswick Police Association, welcomed the news of Roberge’s exit on Thursday.

“It’s not the New Brunswick Police Association that got Mr. Roberge fired or dismissed,” said Squires.

“It’s Mr. Roberge.”

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Last week the New Brunswick Police Association has accused the police oversight body of being “out of control,” and alleged the commission is being run in an “abusive, authoritarian fashion” as a result of how it probed McCloskey’s actions during the investigation into the death of Dennis Oland in 2015.

McCloskey, who retired from the Saint John Police Force in 2018, was at the centre of an alleged series of missteps by Saint John police.

During the trial, one of the police officers at the scene of the murder, retired Staff Sgt. Mike King, suggested that McCloskey asked him not to testify the deputy police chief had been at the crime scene.

McCloskey, who had no active role in the investigation, took the stand and denied King’s allegations.

WATCH: New Brunswick police commission ‘out of control,’ says police association

2:06 New Brunswick police commission ‘out of control,’ says police association

However, King’s testimony prompted police Chief John Bates to ask the New Brunswick Police Commission to investigate the matter under the Police Act.

The commission eventually put the Police Act investigation on hold and turned the investigation over to Halifax Regional Police after it was determined the inquiry warranted a criminal investigation and an investigation by an independent organization.

McCloskey was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing by Halifax police in October 2016.

The commission, which had appointed former Fredericton police chief Barry MacKnight to lead its investigation into McCloskey’s conduct, resumed its investigation in the fall of 2016.

Davidson told media on Dec. 29 that he obtained documents that show MacKnight disregarded the findings by the Halifax police and “expressed his opinion that there were grounds for criminal charges.”

Although McCloskey retired before a hearing by the provincial police commission was held – the commission only investigates officers on active duty – it still gathered information on the matter.

Davidson alleged the police commission violated McCloskey’s privacy by giving its entire file on McCloskey to lawyers involved in the second Oland trial, prompting a complaint to the province’s Office of the Integrity Commissioner.

He said a decision earlier this month found the police commission did not have authority to disclose the information to Crown prosecutors or the defence team, and had breached McCloskey’s privacy in two instances by disclosing his personal information.

READ MORE: New Brunswick Police Commission asks for independent review in wake of complaints over Richard Oland murder probe

On Wednesday the commission took action, asking the province to appoint a third party that would review the organization’s policies and procedures.

“The Commission will fully co-operate with this process and is committed to continually reviewing the way it provides quality services to citizens and the police community and meets its mandate with integrity and impartiality.”

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A spokesperson for the Department of Public Safety confirmed that they have received the request and that they will be holding “further discussions with the Commission to discuss proposed terms of reference and other details of such a review.”

With files from Andrew Cromwell and Alexander Quon