Chair insists he did nothing wrong
Oct 15, 2008 - 03:16 PM
By Jeff Mitchell
DURHAM -- The head of Durham's police association is calling it "distasteful" and "disrespectful."
The man chairing the committee currently attempting to work out a contract with Durham's cops insists it's "not a big deal."
But an incident involving a Durham police officer and Durham Region chairman Roger Anderson Wednesday morning left cops fuming, and Mr. Anderson insisting he'd done nothing wrong.
It began Wednesday morning at Durham Region headquarters in Whitby. A number of officers, led by Durham Regional Police Association president Doug Cavanaugh, were there for a meeting of the police services board.
The cops, who earlier this month began job action to protest the slow pace of contract talks, were outside the building, wearing ball caps and handing out leaflets outlining their concerns. Along came Mr. Anderson, a former cop who is head of the negotiating committee for Durham's police services board.
An officer extended a leaflet to Mr. Anderson who did not accept it. The envelope-sized piece of paper fluttered to the ground. According to the officer who attempted to hand over the leaflet, "He (Mr. Anderson) threw it on the ground and said, 'Pick up your garbage.'"
Officers were still discussing the incident later as they filed into a committee room for the police services board meeting.
When Mr. Anderson was asked about the incident he was unapologetic and said he hadn't dropped anything. He said the officer dropped the leaflet.
"I told him to pick up his papers that were on the ground," he said. "It's not a big deal.
"The fact is when they're on municipal property and they drop something on the ground, they're going to pick it up."
Mr. Cavanaugh, who has launched a PR campaign focusing on Mr. Anderson as he calls for a contract and more frontline officers, expressed dismay at the exchange.
"It's distasteful," he said. "It's disrespectful."
Mr. Cavanaugh said he hoped the incident wouldn't affect contract talks scheduled to resume this Friday.
Mr. Anderson said he too is hoping to advance the negotiations.
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