Chief Answers Questions About Public Inquiry

“That is not my decision to call a public inquiry,” Police Chief Rick Bourassa said when asked the question during the media scrum following publicly releasing the reasons why former Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) constable Alan Murdock was teminated after decades of alleged misdeeds.

“My preference would have been a full hearing,” Chief Bourassa said although during the legal process the Chief through his legal counsel had tried to have the entire appeal and subsequent full hearing dismissed.

Something Murdock had fought and won the right to during the entire appeal’s process and establishing legal precedent for other officers under the Saskatchewan Police Act.

SEE RELATED - Motion Made To Toss Appeal Out

“My job is to work to create public trust and accountability (in the police) and whether another body wishes to call one I will leave it up to them,” he said.

Asked about how and why the entire Murdock Affair went on for so long Chief Bourassa said he could only speak for himself and not for the actions or inactions of other chiefs before him.

“I cannot speak to other people’s decisions,” Chief Bourassa said when asked “why are we here 30 years later.”

“What’s important are the processes are in place to hold people accountable…we have to ensure the framework is in place and members are making appropriate decisions.”

During the Board of Police Commissioners meeting MJPS constable Murray Rice said he believed why former constable Murdock had gotten away with so many misdeeds for so long was becuase of the actions\inactions of former administration members.

“What happened here...is Mr Murdock’s behaviour was enabled by previous administration. To me that is not cool,” Constable Rice had said.

Asked a second time how the former constable carried on as long as he had Chief Bourassa replied “I cannot speak as to what other people may have known.”

Chief Bourassa said the members of the MJPS want the framework now in place to help build trust and accountability in the local force.

In investigating the Murdock Affair Chief Bourassa was asked if there were any instances where the MJPS had to investigate further into files handled by Murdock, the Chief replied “yes we discovered several situatiions that required further investigation.”

Asked if there may be people falsely charged and convicted because of the actions of Murdock the Chief said the investigation did not show that.

“He laid very few charges in his career…it had far more to do with laziness.”

On October 20, 2020 MJPS Chief Rick Bourassa revealed the reasons why former police constable Alan Murdock was terminated as a member of the MJPS. The reasons why go back decades and contain a long list of unethical behaviour and what may be criminal actions committed by the former constable.