Police board chair, Lloyd Ferguson suspended over carding comments

Hamilton councillor Lloyd Ferguson is returning as police board chair after a three-week suspension. Ferguson violated a police service board code of conduct when he made controversial statements regarding an on-going investigation involving another city councillor and police.

Ferguson has been the police service board chair since 2014 and told a Hamilton radio host last year that this was one of the reasons why police street checks were declining.

“It involves a city councillor and that is going before adjudication. But it ended up in the officer being, having charges placed against him for doing his job.”

That city councillor is Matthew Green who is still awaiting the verdict in an internal disciplinary hearing over allegations that he was racially profiled by a Hamilton police officer back in 2016. Green brought Ferguson’s comments to the the Ontario Civilion Police Commission’s attention.

“His comments were unfair and inaccurate in the way that he depicted me in the public. So for 6 months I’ve had people in the public repeating his comments about how I’m the reason police can’t do their job and that’s completely not true.” Matthew Green.

According to the Commission’s statement of facts: the police board must remain impartial during a disciplinary process. The commission reported that Ferguson misunderstood, thinking he was in a position to defend police.

“What this investigation found in a statement of fact is that he really has no idea about his roles and responsibilities as a board chair.” Matthew Green.

Ferguson was suspended from police board duties from December 18th to January 8th. During that time he didn’t miss a single board function including the 2018 budget meeting. In a written statement Ferguson rescinded his comments and apologized saying,

“I let my passion for policing and public safety and my utmost respect for the hardworking men and women of Hamilton police service overshadow my duties as a member of the board. For this I apologize to Matthew Green and any other people who may be offended by my remarks.”