The City of White Rock is in a dispute with White Rock RCMP over the removal of the detachment’s administration manager.
According to confidential documents, the city received word from Staff Sgt. Lesli Roseberry April 7 advising that in the view of the RCMP, the employee – identified alternately as Jordan Murray and Jordan Murray-Wahl – “has been deemed unsuitable to continue work at the detachment.”
“My loss of confidence in Ms. Murray is at a critical level,” Roseberry writes, alleging breaches of procedure, policy and security.
RCMP will not allow Murray – the city’s manager responsible for support staff – to enter the premises, the documents state.
City officials have refused comment on the issue, beyond confirming that Murray remains a city employee.
“I can’t share anything specific with you. Any employee matter is confidential,” Jacquie Johnstone, the city’s director of human resources, told Peace Arch News last week.
“She is still an employee with the city.”
Attempts by the Peace Arch News to reach Murray for comment were unsuccessful. Her lawyer, Tom Beasley, said Tuesday that he could not comment on the issue.
Union chair Mike Guraliuk said that while he has asked questions on the matter, city officials “don’t really share information with us” on non-union employees.
Guraliuk (CUPE Local 402-01) said he, too, has been told she still works for the city.
According to the leaked documents, the city began taking steps in January; Roseberry notes the RCMP investigation began the month before, and identified alleged breaches dating back to at least April 2010.
The matter has created tension between city and police officials regarding who has authority over municipal employees working in the detachment.
A February letter, signed by three former detachment victims-services staffers, notes they left “due to the negative work environment that has been created under the leadership of the RCMP administrative manager.”
The letter alleges “numerous” attempts to have the issue addressed were made during the 18 months previous, to no avail.
“The situation has not changed and current employees are suffering as a result. Unfortunately, the city is losing well-trained, skilled employees as a result of the inaction of the city and RCMP…”
The documents include an April city report noting that Murray and another city employee in the detachment were being investigated by the detachment commander as a result of allegations made by two other employees – one of whom had her employment terminated by the city on grounds of misconduct, and the other at the time under investigation by the city for misconduct.
The city contends that the RCMP has no jurisdiction to investigate city employees, according to the documents.
Peace Arch News was contacted by two individuals who indicated they are city employees and wanted the issue public. One said staff were made to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding the issue. The worker said Johnstone told staff “that Jordan wouldn’t be back to the detachment and the city is fighting it.”
Exactly what is going on is being kept “secret, secret, secret,” the staffer said. “It’s like there’s a big cone of silence or protection around Jordan.”
Roseberry declined to comment, directing inquiries to the city.