Conflicting info about police board member’s impending exit

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This article was published 22/05/2024 (515 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A member of the Winnipeg Police Board seems poised to be replaced, though there’s confusion about the reason for the change.

A motion at Wednesday’s executive policy committee meeting called to officially revoke Kyle Mason’s appointment, alleging he had breached the board’s code of ethical conduct. It did not reveal any details.

In an interview late Wednesday afternoon, Mason said he had resigned after the board questioned him about a driving offence.

“A few months back, when it was colder, I was apparently inadvertently driving without my vehicle being insured. I got my renewal date mixed up and during that time I got pulled over and received a ticket for that. And that is technically a break of the code. So, after discussing it with the board, I decided to resign,” he said.

Mason said he believes his resignation triggered the proposal to revoke his appointment and he’s concerned early media stories on the motion could lead Winnipeggers to think a much more serious breach took place.

“The way the story appears, it sounds like I caused some major ethical thing and I didn’t… After discussions, I submitted my resignation and wished (the board) all the best,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Winnipeg Police Board chairman Markus Chambers declined to share details of the alleged breach, noting more information would become public at the June 7 meeting of the Winnipeg Police Board.

“This is all new, in the sense that we don’t often go through these processes… I don’t want to stonewall. I don’t want to provide misinformation. I want to ensure that processes and procedures are followed. This is a very serious matter, a matter for me and for the board,” said Chambers.

To date, a board member has never been removed due to an alleged breach of the ethical code of conduct, the city confirmed.

Chambers said board rules limit what he could say prior to June 7. He could not immediately be reached Wednesday evening to respond to Mason’s comments.

The code sets a broad list of rules for police board members, including that they:

• attend and actively participate in all board meetings, shall not interfere with the police service’s operational decisions,
• undergo any required training,
• keep information from private meetings confidential,
• not speak on the board’s behalf unless authorized to do so, be accountable to the community,
• discharge their duties in a manner that will inspire public confidence,
• refrain from acting unlawfully or compromising the board’s integrity,
• respect the rights of individuals,
• not use their office to advance their interests,
• not use their office to obtain employment with the board or the police service and
• adhere to a conflict of interest policy.

When the board determines a member has breached the code of ethical conduct, the board may reprimand the person, ask them to resign, or ask city council/ the lieutenant governor in council to revoke their appointment.

Mayor Scott Gillingham, who is also a police board member, referred questions on the matter to Chambers, noting he recused himself from participating when the police board met privately about the topic.

“As the mayor, really, I (appoint), or make recommendations, for the city’s appointees to the police board. Because I made the recommendation initially to have Mr. Mason sit on the board, I felt it was appropriate that I recuse myself when the matter was being reviewed,” said Gillingham.

Executive policy approved the motion to replace Mason on Wednesday, which would require a council vote.

Colleen Mayer will be reappointed to the board to fill the position until Dec. 31, 2024, and become its vice-chair, if council approves the changes. While Mayer is already listed online as a board member, Gillingham said the provincial government very recently removed her as its appointee before the city chose to reappoint her. Mayer was a cabinet minister under the Tory government of Brian Pallister.

“By maintaining her position on the board… it provides a level of continuity that is very important right now as the board is selecting a new (police) chief,” he said.

Danny Smyth will retire as WPS chief on Sept. 3.

A biography on a police board webpage describes Mason as “an experienced award-winning Indigenous leader, consultant, and speaker with a proven track record of making a difference.”

“Under Kyle’s leadership, the North End Family Centre which he founded, raised millions in private donations, led a capital campaign, and served thousands of families each month. After leaving the North End Family Centre, (he) launched Kyle J. Mason Consulting and has empowered non-profits that range from startups to organizations with (multimillion-dollar) budgets,” the biography states.

In April, he was named executive director of CNIB (formerly known as Canadian National Institute for the Blind) for Manitoba and Saskatchewan, while also serving on multiple boards.

Chambers said Mason hasn’t been active on the police board since the beginning of January.

Council will cast the final vote on the matter on May 30.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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