Ruminations

Blog dedicated primarily to randomly selected news items; comments reflecting personal perceptions

Monday, May 21, 2012

Commendations Versus Justice

It is a sadly paradoxical situation when a professional who has been engaged as such for two decades momentarily betrays the raison d'etre behind his profession.  All the more so when he has, over the course of his career as a police officer, been the recipient of numerous commendations.  Someone whose record as an officer of the peace stands above his peers in the opinion of his peers and those who come in contact with police officers.

St. Chris McGuinness has a service record bulging with 53 pages of recognition and commendations.  His "unique skills" demonstrated throughout his career encouraged a high degree of praise for his work as an Ottawa police officer from senior homicide detectives, a handful of police chiefs, two deputy Ottawa police chiefs, a federal Crown prosecutor and a provincial Crown prosecutor.

All of these people were hugely impressed with Sgt. McGuinness's performance and professional skills.  "He has probably the best set of people skills of anyone I have known.  He is someone whom others choose to call upon for help", wrote assistant Crown attorney Kevin Phillips, describing St. McGuinness further as "an extremely intelligent ... natural leader."
"I would also say that he developed an impressive reputation as top-rate investigator, a reputation that lasts to this day.  Simply put, Chris McGuinness is an excellent police officer."

There exists a host of other sincere and appreciative statements of recognition by colleagues and Sgt. McGuinness's superiors praising the level of his work, his capability, his personability and his professionalism. The praise speaks generously of his "unblemished integrity", his "loyalty". His reputation as a police officer goes beyond the opinion of him held by members of his own profession. 

There are also letters from people who ran afoul of the law and whom he went out of his way to aid and to sagely and helpfully counsel.  And then there is one from a wife of a former colleague, both themselves police officers.  The husband was in end-stage ALS and Sgt. McGuinness made it his business to regularly visit with and help care for the man.

"Chris is an exceptional human being who was able to show my dying husband so much compassion and respect.  Brian passed away Oct. 8, 2010.  He was very close to his family but he did not ask for them to be there that day.  He did ask for Chris", was the testimonial written on St. McGuinness's behalf by the wife of the deceased.

Sgt. McGuinness has been temporarily removed from active duty, deployed as a case manager while he has been the subject of an internal affairs disciplinary hearing.  This is the police officer who, on St. Patrick's Day of 2010, drove his vehicle into a utility pole, then pulled away, striking another vehicle before abandoning his car.

He has admitted to having consumed beer with some friends that evening before getting into his car and driving off.  He has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, and has expressed deep remorse for behaviour that could have resulted in a serious accident as driving under the influence often does, occasionally taking someone's life in the process.

The incident is all the more serious since it was a police officer, and one of long standing, who happened to indulge in this kind of unlawful, dangerous driving.  The question here is whether or not his past record should be held in consideration of balance against charges brought against him.  On the one hand he has been scrupulously aware of his professional obligations, carrying them out in an honourable manner.

On the other hand, during what appears to be a brief period of injudicious decision-making, he behaved extremely poorly to the extent that he posed a public threat.  This is the proverbial tough nut to crack.  People do make mistakes, and this represents someone imbued with a particular sense of public obligation who momentarily fled that obligation.

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