St. Catharines Regional Councillor Andy Petrowski resigns from Niagara Police Board.
By Doug Draper, publisher, Niagara At Large
Posted January 22nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large
Andy Petrowski, a two-term Niagara regional councillor for St. Catharines, has resigned his seat on the Niagara Police Services Board “to spend more time with his family and his father,” according to a statement posted on the Board’s website this January 22nd by Niagara Falls regional councillor Bob Gale, who serves as the Board’s chair.
Gale’s statement on Petrowski, who has already been replaced on the Board by Niagara regional chair Al Caslin, offered nothing but praise for Petrowski’s year of service on the body. The statement made no reference to calls for Petrowski’s resignation following comments he made on a local radio phone-in program this past December about Syrian refugees coming into Canada.
On an online playback of the December 9th, 2015 CKTB program, which asked listeners for their views on U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering his country, Petrowski can be heard warning that Canada’s decision to open the door to up to 50,000 Syrian refugees in the weeks ahead poses a high risk.
“What is the probability of these tens of thousands of refugees coming through into Canada that a small percentage — well, it doesn’t have to be a percentage, the only one that matters,” said Petrowski on the show, “is the one who decides to put a machine gun in his or her hands and wipe people out at the Eaton Centre,”
Among the first to openly criticize Petrowski for his comments and call for his resignation from the Police Board was recently elected federal Liberal representative for the St. Catharines Riding, Chris Bittle.
In a December 18th statement on social media, Bittle said that “the remarks made by the regional councillor are categorically unacceptable and are unbecoming of a public official holder.” He went on to say that Petrowski’s words on the program “demean and lower the public discourse of Regional Council, the Police Services Board and the City of St. Catharines. … At a time when we are teaching our youth that any form of bulling is completely unacceptable, Councillor Petrowski is setting the worst possible example for our youth.”
Jeff Burch, executive director of the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre which is working with community partners to welcome Syrian families to the region, responded to Petrowski’s radio comments and to related remarks the regional councillor made on social media by filing a complaint against him to Ontario Civilian Police Commission. The complaint says, in part, that Petrowski “engaged in … hateful, disrespectful and racist comments …. that violet the letter and spirit of the Police Services Act.”
In a response he posted on December 18th, Petrowski had this to say; “I am surprised that my personal concern for the safety of Canadians would draw such a malicious and coordinated attack from my political opponents including community figures like the failed Mayoral candidate Jeff Burch and a freshly minted MP. MP Bittle has brought to our city petty partisan fights with a local councillor and a handful of empty Liberal promises for Christmas.” “It’s truly unfortunate,” continued Petrowski, “that the plight of war victims has been politicized by these individuals at a time when they deserve non-partisan attention and action. St. Catharines residents deserve better from their MP.”
Niagara Regional Chair Al Caslin replacing Andy Petrowski as one of two Niagara regional councilors on Police Board
“I am very heartened,” his statement concluded, “by the continued outpouring of support by my constituents from across St. Catharines and Niagara.”
Petrowski did receive some support from area citizens in comments to media outlets. One commenter charged that the situation was little more than an opportunity for Petrowski’s political foes, including some members of regional councillors who joined Bittle in demanding he step down from the Police Board, “to pile on.”
But the criticism didn’t stop.
In a column posted days before Christmas in a local daily newspaper, Cliff Priest, President of the Police Association representing front-line officers on the Niagara Regional Police Service, had the following to say about Petrowski’s remarks about Muslim refugees, and about comments Petrowski made earlier last year to a local newspaper about gay marriage being a sin just as murder is a sin; “Representing the Police Association, I have had many differences of opinion with the Police Services Board over the years,” observed Priest. “Given the nature of our roles, this is expected. What I never expected was that any appointed Police Services Board member would act in a manner that undermines the core values of policing. …”
“The personal comments and rhetoric made by Councillor Petrowski relating to same sex-marriage, Syrian refugees and Muslims have offended our members, many personally,” added Priest. “Above all else however, they do not want the community to think they share these opinions. …”
“It is important for the community and the membership for the Police Services Board to take the necessary steps to reassure the public that they do not support intolerance or exclusivity.”
Petrowski eventually issued an apology over his comments on gay marriage and the upset they caused appeared to die down. Then came the more recent comments on Syrian refugees and this January 22nd, the news of Petrowski’s resignation from the Police Board appeared on the Board’s website.
“Andy Petrowski always approached his role as Vice Chair of the Board with dedication and a commitment to serve the people of Niagara,” said Gale in his statement on the website. “Speaking on behalf of the Board,” added Gale, “I am sure we will all miss his passion and willingness to serve our community. Personally, I wish him all the best and I completely understand and respect his desire to spend more time with his family and his father.”
Petrowski was elected to serve on the Board by a majority of Niagara regional councillors following the last municipal elections in the fall of 2014.
In a separate post on the Police Board’s website this January 22nd, the Chair of the Niagara regional council, Al Caslin, was named as Petrowski’s replacement.
In a brief statement on the website, Caslin made no mention of the controversy surrounding Petrowski’s remarks. Instead, Caslin had this to say; “I’m pleased to serve Niagara residents on the Police Services Board. I believe our front-line officers play a vital role in creating the kind of community we all want, and I’m glad to have an opportunity to assist in those efforts.”
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