Prince Albert Police Service's Interim Police Chief Patrick Nogier responded to questions on Wednesday. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Crime

Prince Albert Police chief responds to member’s charges and status of organization

Jul 12, 2023 | 3:53 PM

Nearly a month has passed since Patrick Nogier officially took over the job as Interim Chief of the Prince Albert Police Service and the responsibility of restoring both public confidence and morale within the organization.

In recent months the police service has been the subject of several external investigations, with one now resulting in charges for a longtime member. Agreeing to meet with paNOW on Wednesday, Nogier acknowledged this type of news has significant impact on the entire organization.

“A lot of the officers, the men and women who put [on] the uniform on a day to day basis, they take a lot of pride in what they do and although we have that pride and we have that professionalism, we know that we’re an organization that is consistently being looked at for the things that we do,” he said.

In relation to the in-custody death of Saul Lalibete in November, 2021, a 21-year member of the police service was charged this week with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life. He’s now been with suspended with pay.

Wednesday morning’s media release did not identify the accused however several sources have informed paNOW it is Sgt. Tyson Morash, who as recently as 2018 and 2020, received provincial awards of excellence.

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“I can confirm that’s the individual we are talking about,” Nogier said.

Morash with former Police Chief Jon Bergen. (Facebook)

A picture of Morash at an award ceremony 2018. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

Noting members deal with a barrage of contentious issues daily, Nogier said it’s a balancing act for the organization to ensure members are operating within the confines of the community’s best interests.

Among the current SIRT investigations are the circumstances surrounding the Tasering and death of Boden Umpherville as well as the shooting death of Johnathan Gardiner. Nogier said the government has not provided update either investigation.

Transitioning into a new organization

Acknowledging the challenges that come with being so new to the organization, Nogier, who has 30 years experience with the Saskatoon Police Service, explained his first steps are to determine the pressure points and what, if anything, needs to be changed.

“Sitting down with individuals, learning and hearing from them with respect to what they felt was the direction of the organization, was kind of primary importance,” he said.

Moving forward with what he’s refers to as the second stage, Nogier confirmed there are plans to engage with external partners.

“I don’t want to jump to conclusions on things I read in the paper or heard through gossip or coffee talk,” he said.

Nogier said so far the interactions with officers and the police board have been positive. He said the next step is for the service to continue to review internal practices and policies, specifically when it comes to controversial files. He noted the service is open and receptive to change.

“I know [the charges] contest the confidence in our organization when you have something such as this that has just occurred,” he said. He noted it’s important to earn the public’s trust and rely on external partners, such as the Saskatchewan Police Commission to provide oversight.

“If at any point in time they feel the need to become involved because we’ve lost some of that public confidence, we’ll open our door and we’ll have discussions,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell