Latest news with #GeneBowers
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former police chief, CAO among Winnipeg's top paid city employees last year
Winnipeg's police chief and top bureaucrat remained among the city's highest paid civil servants in 2024, despite leaving their positions midway through the year. The police chief received $498,841 in 2024, according to the city's annual compensation disclosure published Friday. The figure — which may include any combination of salary and other forms of compensation — would be almost $200,000 higher than what the city paid for the same position a year previous. Danny Smyth retired from the role on Sept. 3, 2024. He'd been the highest-paid civil servant in 2023, when he was compensated $305,874. The disclosures may include compensation in the form of taxable benefits, overtime, retroactive pay adjustments, retirement allowance, sick pay cash out, vacation pay cash out, back pay and severance pay. Before retiring, Smyth had served seven years as chief and had been with the Winnipeg police service for more than 38 years. Smyth's predecessor, Devon Clunis, received $368,883 in compensation in 2016, his last year as police chief. He'd been with the service for 29 years. Only ranks of police officers are shown on the annual disclosure. A "chief of police" also claimed the No. 4 spot in 2024 with $312,419 in compensation. Art Stannard took over from Smyth as acting chief before Gene Bowers took on the job permanently this March. CAO Jack 3rd highest-paid civil servant in 2024 Michael Jack, who resigned last June from his role as the city's chief administrative officer, was the third highest-paid civil servant with $410,769 in compensation. Jack's resignation came a week after an audit of the city's workforce found gaps in how the city reviewed staff performance, saying there was "limited accountability" in how it documented whether leaders were meeting key goals. He had the second-highest compensation out of civil servants in 2023, receiving $287,782. Sherwood Armbruster — who took over as interim CAO in June — received $222,731 in 2024. Joseph Dunford, the provincial deputy minister of public service delivery, is set to take over the role permanently on Aug. 4. The disclosures include all civic employees who make $85,000 or more. About 4,200 made the latest list. Others in the top 10 include human resources director Angie Cusson, Moira Geer who served as deputy CAO, fire chief Christian Schmidt, and four unnamed police officers: a superintendent, a sergeant and two deputy chiefs. Mayor Scott Gillingham was No. 21 on the list with $223,338.
CBC
15 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Former police chief, CAO among Winnipeg's top paid city employees last year
Winnipeg's police chief and top bureaucrat remained among the city's highest paid civil servants in 2024, despite leaving their positions midway through the year. The police chief received $498,841 in 2024, according to the city's annual compensation disclosure published Friday. The figure — which may include any combination of salary and other forms of compensation — would be almost $200,000 higher than what the city paid for the same position a year previous. Danny Smyth retired from the role on Sept. 3, 2024. He'd been the highest-paid civil servant in 2023, when he was compensated $305,874. The disclosures may include compensation in the form of taxable benefits, overtime, retroactive pay adjustments, retirement allowance, sick pay cash out, vacation pay cash out, back pay and severance pay. Before retiring, Smyth had served seven years as chief and had been with the Winnipeg police service for more than 38 years. Smyth's predecessor, Devon Clunis, received $368,883 in compensation in 2016, his last year as police chief. He'd been with the service for 29 years. Only ranks of police officers are shown on the annual disclosure. A "chief of police" also claimed the No. 4 spot in 2024 with $312,419 in compensation. Art Stannard took over from Smyth as acting chief before Gene Bowers took on the job permanently this March. CAO Jack 3rd highest-paid civil servant in 2024 Michael Jack, who resigned last June from his role as the city's chief administrative officer, was the third highest-paid civil servant with $498,841 in compensation. Jack's resignation came a week after an audit of the city's workforce found gaps in how the city reviewed staff performance, saying there was "limited accountability" in how it documented whether leaders were meeting key goals. He had the second-highest compensation out of civil servants in 2023, receiving $287,782. Sherwood Armbruster — who took over as interim CAO in June — received $222,731 in 2024. Joseph Dunford, the provincial deputy minister of public service delivery, is set to take over the role permanently on Aug. 4. The disclosures include all civic employees who make $85,000 or more. About 4,200 made the list last year. Others in the top 10 include human resources director Angie Cusson, Moira Geer who served as deputy CAO, fire chief Christian Schmidt, and four unnamed police officers: a superintendent, a sergeant and two deputy chiefs. Mayor Scott Gillingham was No. 21 on the list with $223,338.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Winnipeg police unit that targets repeat violent offenders averages an arrest per day
A Winnipeg Police Service shoulder badge is seen at a press conference in Winnipeg on Sept. 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski Dozens of violent criminals in Manitoba are being arrested, released, and then reoffending, only to be arrested again. The Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit was established in 2023, and it targets and closely monitors high-risk criminals. To date, the unit has made 730 arrests, which works out to about an average of one a day. A report to the police board, where Mayor Scott Gillingham is a member, showed 85 per cent of those apprehended were on bail, parole, or probation. 'This to me is the most disturbing part of the entire report,' said Gillingham. Police Chief Gene Bowers said those 700-plus arrests take a lot of effort and hours. 'There's homicide suspects in there, you know, they don't want to be found by the police, so there's a lot of work in that 700,' said Bowers. The numbers prompted the mayor to reiterate calls for tougher bail measures. 'We've got individuals who continue to perpetuate crime and cause terror in our city because they're out on bail. Like, we want those people to get well, but they're not getting well in my view, running around the city,' said Gillingham. Bowers echoed the sentiment and said it might be time to consider bringing back minimum sentences. 'If you talk about minimum sentences, which are no longer for firearms and weapons, use of machetes, that might be something that should be looked at as well, because of the seriousness of those types of offences,' said Bowers. In 2022, the then Trudeau government reversed mandatory minimums for some drug and firearm offences over concerns that Indigenous and Black offenders were more likely to be incarcerated for crimes under minimum sentencing laws. Christopher Gamby from the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba said there are constitutional considerations as well, as a crime might not fit the punishment. 'The legal firearm owner who now finds themselves doing something illegal, possibly unwittingly or by mistake, could be vulnerable to a three-year mandatory minimum,' said Gamby.
Winnipeg Free Press
13-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Police chief expresses desire for advanced-tech stun guns to replace officers' firearms
The head of the Winnipeg Police Service hopes stun guns can help reduce the use of more lethal force, eventually to the point officers no longer need guns. 'Those alternate weapons, intermediate weapons, they save lives. And the technology is just advancing rapidly, where my hope is one day that we never have a shooting where someone's lost their life,' said WPS Chief Gene Bowers. 'So, if that's the use of leveraging technology, I hope one day it gets to there, that firearms aren't a needed weapon.' Bowers' comments followed the release of an annual use of force report, which notes WPS officers used Tasers 524 times last year, including 221 instances in which the devices were presented and/or used to coerce someone, 216 times stun-gun probes were deployed (for use over a longer distance) and 87 times when the weapons were used to 'push stun' (applied while pressing the device against someone.) MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Police chief Gene Bowers said Tasers offer a safer alternative to guns. The combined use is up from a five-year average of 262 times per year since 2019, and 302 total uses in 2023. Bowers said Tasers offer a safer alternative to guns. 'Any time that we're not using deadly force is a good thing,' he said. The latest Tasers can subdue a person from a further distance away, increasing their effectiveness, he noted. In 2024, police either presented a weapon or used force in 968 incidents, or 0.4 per cent of 239,903 total dispatches, up from 0.33 per cent the previous year. Serious incidents included six officer-involved shootings and four fatalities last year. While the chief highlighted benefits of stun-gun use, a local law professor cautioned against framing Tasers as a safe tool, which could lead police to use them more readily. 'There is a risk with this perception that Tasers are essentially not lethal weapons. They should be considered as less-lethal weapons, they're less likely to result in death,' said Brandon Trask, an associate professor of law at the University of Manitoba. He noted deaths in North America has been linked to Tasers, which he said are more dangerous for people who are intoxicated by drugs or have a heart condition. 'A pretty major electrical current going through their body can result in some pretty horrific outcomes,' said Trask. He expressed doubt that police could completely end their reliance on guns, since they are at risk of facing much more lethal weapons on the job. 'It's very ambitious to think that this advancement in this area of technology is going to be a huge game-changer,' he said. Meanwhile, the police chief also shed light on several other key WPS files. When asked if he personally supported calls to search the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of two Indigenous women slain by a serial killer before he became the chief of police, Bowers said he did. 'I've always been supportive of a search, an advocate of that,' he said. Bowers served as WPS deputy chief in charge of investigations when the decision was made to not search Prairie Green for the remains of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris, which was met with intense community backlash. A search eventually did begin late last year and has since located both women's remains. Bowers also revealed that police are still pursuing a plan to track race-based data of people officers interact with and will hire an external Indigenous consultant who will work on that file. 'It would be an external consultant to help with reconciliation, to help with partnerships (with) the Indigenous community… to ensure that we're doing things that aren't offensive or causing issues with the community,' he said. In a separate update, police also noted the Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit, a joint effort of WPS and the RCMP, has now made 730 arrests. The unit aims to crack down on violent and prolific offenders. Bowers noted two federal changes he'd like to see to help reduce the number of people who commit repeated acts of violence. 'If someone's to the point where they're utilizing firearms, machetes and causing harm to citizens… consideration to the release should be really considered. If they do reoffend, there should be something in place where they should be detained in custody until they can have their hearing… that's bail reform,' said Bowers. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. The federal government should also explore imposing mandatory minimum sentences for some offences linked to using firearms and other dangerous weapons, such as machetes, he said. The police chief also supports creating a 24-hour sobering or detox unit for first responders to take people experiencing drug-related psychosis. 'I think there's a great need for somewhere where we can take people that they're safe and other people are safe… if they're in a psychosis…. It's just working through the logistics of it and getting it in place,' he said. X: @joyanne_pursaga Joyanne PursagaReporter Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne. Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
13-06-2025
- CBC
Winnipeg police chief suggests stun guns save lives, could replace firearms in future
Winnipeg's police chief said stun guns used by the service's officers have saved lives and could replace the need for firearms in policing altogether in the future. In a report presented Friday to the Winnipeg Police Board about the use of force, Chief Gene Bowers said the service used conducted energy weapons 524 times in 2024. That's up from 301 instances where stun guns, such as Tasers, were used in 2023, and well over the five-year average of 262, the chief reported. Bowers said Friday the increased deployment of stun guns, which the police call "intermediate weapons," has been made possible by technological improvements that allow them to be deployed at greater distances. "They save lives," Bowers said following a Winnipeg Police Board meeting at city hall. "The technology is just advancing rapidly, where my hope is one day that we never have a shooting where someone loses their life." Bowers said he cannot get into specifics about the increasing range of conducted energy weapons. He said their increased use can be seen as a positive development, given a greater number of incidents of use of force overall. "That's not deadly force, so any time that we're not using deadly force is a good thing. So yeah, I wouldn't look at it as a negative," he said. Police shot six people in 2024, four fatally, up from three shootings in 2023, all of which were fatal, Bowers's report said. The five-year average number of police shootings was four, he reported. Overall instances of use of force — which also include use of pepper spray and batons, as well as canine bites — rose from 863 incidents in 2023 to 968 in 2024, he wrote. The five-year average was 788, according to the report. "The increase has largely been attributed to encounters with individuals exhibiting the effects of methamphetamine," Bowers wrote. "Individuals under the influence of methamphetamine often have a high tolerance to pain and are far less responsive to de-escalation techniques, including verbal and physical." Winnipeg Police Board chair Markus Chambers, the city councillor for St. Norbert-Seine River, said he is not concerned about the increased use of force by police. Chambers said 968 instances where force was used out of 240,000 calls for service is not a concerning ratio. "Looking at the numbers, I focus on the fact that 99.6 per cent of interactions with police don't involve use of force," Chambers said. He and Bowers said they continue to support the creation of a 24-hour sobering centre for people suffering from methamphetamine psychosis and alcohol intoxication. Such a centre would be secure, have medical personnel on site and require substantial government funding, said Bowers, who has advocated for a sobering centre since he was sworn in in March. At a downtown safety announcement in 2024, Premier Wab Kinew said it's unacceptable to see people suffering from meth psychosis shadow-boxing in downtown Winnipeg, for their safety and the safety of others. At a similar announcement on Friday
