Turns out it was all a lie. Hopefully there’s a silver lining to the cloud of alleged racism hovering over the Thunder?Bay Police Service these days.
Thunder Bay Police Chief J.P.?Levesque chose this week to take the high road, after the 19-year-old teenager who accused one of Levesque’s officers of abandoning him outside city limits admitted he fabricated the story.
At the time, and in the three months since, it fanned the racial intolerance flames some were all-too-quick to level at the department.
Levesque offered First Nations an olive branch on?Monday, when he decided mischief charges weren’t warranted.
They were. The investigation, conducted by the OPP cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete and redirected resources that could have been better used elsewhere.
Perhaps this is the first step toward repairing a relationship both police and Aboriginal leaders agree is damaged.
In the wake of the Fresh Breath killer email and allegations they weren’t dedicating enough resources to an alleged racially motivated Dec. 27 sexual assault, work needs to be done. By not seeking to punish the teen, a message is being sent.
Police aren’t the big bad wolf many out-of-town students think. It’s something everyone should remember.
