Windsor, Ont., police chief made racist comments, internal investigation finds
Jason Bellaire made remarks in what he believed was a ‘safe space,’ investigator found
WARNING: This story contains offensive language.
An internal investigation into allegations the police chief of Windsor, Ont., made racist remarks to a Black officer has found the claims to be true, CBC News has learned.
"The investigation has substantiated that Chief Jason Bellaire made comment(s) that constitute a breach of WPS Directive(s)," according to an internal summary of the investigation.
CBC News obtained, and verified, the confidential document that summarized the outcome of a complaint filed by Ed Armstrong, the service's first Black inspector. The summary didn't outline which specific allegations were substantiated.
The summary states "the investigator found that the comment(s) were made in what [Bellaire] believed to be a 'safe space' based on his existing relationship with [Armstrong] and do not amount to a poisoned work environment."
When asked in an email to confirm whether the allegations against Bellaire were substantiated, Windsor police's corporate communications director, Gary Francoeur, said, "The information in your message is not entirely accurate.
"However, as the matter is still before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), we cannot comment further at this time," he said.
Francoeur refused to clarify what he meant by "not entirely accurate."
Human rights report filed last year
CBC News reached out to both Armstrong and Bellaire and did not receive a response by publication time.
Armstrong filed the HRTO complaint last year, saying Bellaire made several racist remarks to him at work.
In those HRTO documents, Armstrong indicated he filed the same complaint internally. That process concluded in January, while the human rights dispute is ongoing.
Armstrong said Bellaire asked him to use his "Black magic" to ease criticism from a local university professor and referred to her as a "Black radical."
He also stated Bellaire suggested there is telepathic communication among Black people and said he preferred "whiter" things.
Armstrong said that in a separate instance, Bellaire mentioned needing a "Black friend" to accompany him to certain events.
In a statement to CBC News last month, Windsor Police Association president Kent Rice said he's "genuinely concerned about how minority members feel coming into a work environment where the chief has been found to make discriminatory remarks."
"This raises serious questions about the culture of the workplace and the message it sends to those who already face challenges based on their identity," he added.
Rice also rejected the investigator's findings that Bellaire believed it was a "safe space" when the racist remarks were made.
"[It's] not only deeply offensive, but it also completely disregards the principles of decency and professionalism that are expected of any leader within an organization," Rice said.
The investigation was completed in January. On Feb. 5, Bellaire announced he will be retiring in November — halfway through his five-year contract.
Bellaire didn't provide a reason for his early retirement.
The investigation also "substantiated" offensive comments made toward the Indigenous community by Insp. Jill Lawrence, although it didn't specify what those were.
The Windsor Police Service declined to comment on that matter, citing the human rights tribunal proceedings.
Consequences for police chief remain unknown
The summary of the third-party investigation said the Windsor Police Service Board "will be taking appropriate action to address breaches."
However, the board wouldn't specify what sort of consequences, if any, Bellaire would face for his actions.
"The Windsor Police Service Board will make no comment on personnel matters regarding a specific employee," said Norma Coleman, administrative director for the board.
In August, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, who stepped aside as police board chair last month, told CBC News he wanted to wait for an investigation into the allegations to finish "to understand what is true, what is fact from the fiction."
"At the end of the day, I don't get too fussed about these types of things until they've gone through a judicial or quasi-judicial process like this one will, and when we get to the end we'll be in a much better position to have an intelligent conversation on the topic."
Dilkens has not responded to CBC's request for a comment about the findings of the internal investigation.
The police association is seeking accountability from the board.
"What I do find troubling is that the police services board has been aware of this issue for several weeks and has yet to address it, either with my membership or the public. This lack of transparency and action is deeply concerning," Rice said.
The police service did not respond to CBC's request for a comment on why Bellaire is retiring early.
Armstrong's human rights complaint was filed on March 15, 2024, roughly a month after Armstrong pleaded guilty under the Police Services Act for making inappropriate comments to female employees dating back to 2005. Armstrong was demoted for one year to staff sergeant and will automatically regain his rank of inspector after that time.
Armstrong said in the HRTO application that prior to that, he hadn't received any complaints against him in his 25-year career.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
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