Ottawa, ON — Following is a statement from Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation, in response to charges being dropped against two RCMP Members in Codiac, New Brunswick:
“Yesterday, RCMP Members Corporal Mathieu Potvin and Constable Eric Pichette were advised that December 2020 obstruction charges against them had been dropped by Crown prosecutor Claude Haché, who indicated he had received new evidence showing that there were no longer reasonable grounds for a conviction.
A third Member, Constable Graham Bourque, who is also awaiting a decision in this same matter, will appear in court on May 17 and we are hopeful that the same charge against him will also be dropped.
All three Members were charged and suspended with pay in December 2020. After a period of uncertainty awaiting a legal ruling, we are pleased that Cpl. Potvin and Const. Pichette will now be able to return to duty.
The NPF supports judicial oversight and believes that complaints against RCMP Members need to be investigated fully, fairly, and transparently.”
About the National Police Federation:
The National Police Federation (NPF) was certified to represent ~20,000 RCMP Members serving across Canada and internationally in the summer of 2019. The NPF is the largest police labour relations organization in Canada; the second largest in North America and is the first independent national association to represent RCMP Members.
The NPF is focused on improving public safety in Canada by negotiating the first-ever Collective Agreement for RCMP officers, and on increasing resources, equipment, training, and other supports for our Members who have been under-funded for far too long. Better resourcing and supports for the RCMP will enhance community safety and livability in the communities we serve, large and small, across Canada.
For more information: https://npf-fpn.com/
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Media contact:
National Police Federation
Fabrice de Dongo
Manager, Media Relations
fdedongo@npf-fpn.com
(647) 274-7118