Controversial Kingston Police officer paid more in 2020 than 2019
An internal Kingston Police investigation into an officer’s controversial actions did not keep him from taking a higher-than-average increase in pay in 2020. Kingston Police Constable Brad Hughes, who caused controversy in June 2020 for a Facebook post that claimed that those “resisting arrest” were partly to blame for their deaths at the hands of police officers and was subsequently the subject of an internal Kingston Police investigation, had a salary increase of 4.4 per cent in 2020.
The information comes with the release of the Ontario Sunshine List on Mar. 19, 2021, a public sector salary disclosure for employees earning over $100,000.
According to the Sunshine List, Hughes’ salary reportedly increased from $114,301 in 2019, to $119,353 in 2020.
In addition, the Sunshine list reported that the average raise for Hughes’ position as Constable at the City of Kingston Police Services Board was 1.03 per cent, meaning Hughes’ raise was 3.37 per cent more than the average raise a constable received.
In a statement from the Kingston Police, Constable Ashley Gutheinz told the Kingstonist, “In terms of the 2020 salary disclosure report, the difference in pay between 2019 and 2020 is unrelated to any investigation and could be as a result of overtime and/or paid duty assignments, as well as 2020 being a year with one extra pay period.”
According to the 2017-2019 agreement between the Kingston Police Services Board and the Kingston Police Association Inc, a salary schedule for a Constable 4th class as of September 1st, 2019 is $100,395, at a rate of 48.27 an hour, not including overtime. Though it is unclear what class of Constable Hughes is, the Ontario Sunshine list reported Hughes’ salary for 2019 being $114,301. A current agreement between the Police Services Board and the Police Association has not yet been ratified.
Hughes sparked controversy last June when he made a Facebook post that stated, among other things, “The main component which is 100% present in ALL incidents where someone was injured or died while in police custody regardless of what race is involved is that the accused was resisting their arrest.”
The Jun. 1, 2020 post was made following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, an act that set off international protests. It was taken down four days after posting, and Kingston Police Sergeant Steve Koopman announced at the time that there was an internal investigation into the matter.
Despite the announcement of an investigation quickly after the controversial post was taken down, and the public outcry against Hughes, there has been no subsequent report to the public regarding the incident. “The matter involving Cst. Bradley Hughes was investigated internally and has been addressed from a performance management perspective,” continued Gutheinz. “In accordance with employment law and as confirmed by our legal counsel, it is a confidential employment matter.”
At the time, Hughes also reportedly said he had a statement prepared for when the investigation concluded. However, to date no such statement has been made publicly, nor on his personal social media. Kingston Police have also not made any statement repudiating any of Hughes’ comments.
The article in reference to Constable Brad Hughes, KPF and his comments was of concern to me. I do believe that it was an honest and well intended comment on today’s scociety. A critique that was perhaps not brought forward in the correct forum but never the less a valid comment by a citizen.
A society where many of us fail to realize that we have engaged a police service to protect us the citizens by giving the Police the power to on occasion arrest a citizen when there is reasonable grounds that the said citizen has possibly committed an act that is contrary to the law.
We as citizens are allowed and encouraged to voice our opinions but in a responsible manner in a proper forum. We, as citizens, are expected to act in responsible manner and allow our Police Services to carry out their duties.
Rebeling against Police Officers trying to do their duties is not acting in the manner expected of a responsible citizen. If there is a need, the problem can and will be resolved in the courts, not on the streets in combat with Police Officer(s) trying to do their job.
If both parties act responsibly and with due respect these problems might be resolved quickly and on site. Respect is a two way street, you have to show it to get it.
R.D. Lamothe