The mayor may find himself declaring a lot of conflicts-of-interest in future police services board meetings.
The mayor was reinstated to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board this week after a 10-month investigation into a breach of confidentiality. Board chairman Joe Virdiramo said on Wednesday the ruling by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission could only be obtained through a freedom of information request; however, despite those statements, the ruling was released to media on Thursday.
“I wished it had come sooner, but now it’s been released,” Virdiramo said Thursday afternoon.
A letter written by commission chair David Gavisie to the police board states that Hobbs has been spoken to at length by Commission staff about conflicts of interest.
In the future, the ex-police officer needs to be mindful of declaring conflicts because he has worked with or supervised many members of the force.
The investigation was launched after former police chief Bob Herman lodged a complaint with the police commission alleging Hobbs divulged information from an in-camera police board session to a third party.
Hobbs admitted that a suspended officer asked him to speak with the board to see if the officer could get back to work.
“This is particularly the case when the board is being provided with updates on disciplinary matters by the chief. It may also be an issue during contract negotiations,” the letter states.
A chief doesn’t suspend an officer without cause, Virdiramo said. And discussions about police service operations should be dealt with by chief J.P. Levesque, not board members.
“That’s the responsibility of the chief,” he said. “We hire a chief to do that job, to look into something or suggest something that’s fine but to say ‘you must do this or must do that’ that wouldn’t be appropriate.”
The commission also states Hobbs has been counseled on how to treat other board members.
“Finally, of concern to the commission, was evidence brought to the attention of our investigators about the manner in which Mayor Hobbs has treated fellow board members. This, too, is a matter he has been counseled on.”
Virdiramo said he thinks that might have to do with a press conference Hobbs held in March when he and other board members were asked to leave by the mayor.
“I was asked to leave by the mayor. That could be the issue that they’re maybe referring to,” he said.
Hobbs returns to the board on Dec. 20.
