We’ll do better on French, police chief says after complaint about traffic stop
Feb 1, 2018 | 12:45 PM
-
Share on Facebook
-
Share on Twitter
- Copy Link
Fredericton’s police chief says the force is moving to better serve francophones following complaints two officers failed to fully comply with the Official Languages Act during a traffic stop last June.
A report into the incident recommends that all non-bilingual officers be reminded of their obligations to offer service in both English and French, and that there be at least one bilingual officer available within a reasonable time.
Chief Leanne Fitch says the force’s testing has found that more than 30 employees have varying degrees of proficiency in French.
She says posted hiring requirements now include bilingual as a preference and an asset, but can’t make it a prerequisite because the pool of qualified candidates would be too small.
