KAWARTHA LAKES-Sitting across the table from Jeff Burke you can see still the scar on his forehead. On April 14th 2011, Constable Burke was attempting to execute a search warrant in Lindsay when he was hit in the face by a man wielding a machete. He suffered serious injuries and was taken to Ross Memorial Hospital. Burke says after they stitched him up and he went right back to work.
“I’ve really struggled in finding a way to articulate how this attack has affected me.” Burke wrote in his victim impact statement. “That’s not because it hasn’t affected me, but because it’s done more emotional and psychological harm than physical harm, and that’s not something I’m comfortable talking about.”
He feels that incident was the beginning of the end for him as a police officer.
On April 10th 2018, Detective Constable Burke was charged with theft under $5,000, possession of stolen property under $5,000 and breach of trust.
Police say he was caught stealing drugs from an evidence locker at the police station. On May 3rd, 2018 he was charged with two counts of fraud under $5,000 and one count of breach of trust after new evidence was uncovered according to the police service.
Today in a Lindsay courtroom he plead guilty to one count of Breach of Trust.
Burke joined the Kawartha Lakes Police Service in 2005 after spending two years with Durham Regional Police. In his 14 years with Kawartha Lakes Police he has precided over some of the services most high profile cases.
Burke was one of the the lead investigators on the Jennifer Platt murder case in 2016. 62 year old Platt was found dead in the hallway of her home in Lindsay on March 22, 2016. Brutally murdered by a man she tried to help. Robert Jarvis plead guilty to second degree murder in the case.
In 2017 he was involved in the investigation into the murder of 19-year-old Bayram Abolhassani-Larki. On May 16, 2017, he was found murdered in a vehicle parked in a field off of Post Road just east of Lindsay. The killer in this case remains at large.
Perhaps the most high profile case Burke worked on was the death of Solieman Faqiri, an inmate at the Central East Correctional Centre. Faqiri, a 30-year-old mentally ill man, died at the jail on Dec. 15, 2016 after confrontation with Correctional Officers. The Kawartha Lakes Police Service was called in to investigate the death.
A few months after being attacked with a machete Burke was involved in another serious incident. In June 2011 a drug raid on an alleged crack house in Lindsay went bad. There was an exchange of gunfire and Peterborough Police Constable Keith Calderwood was shot and seriously injured. Another man was killed. The Peterborough Police Emergency Response Unit had been called to assist with the execution of a high risk search warrant at a home on Georgian Street in Lindsay. The incident received widespread news coverage but what many people don’t know is that Constable Burke wrote the warrant for the raid and was grazed by a bullet in the shootout.
“I had to help drag Keith out of the house after he was shot.” Burke explains, tears welling up in his eyes. “I had to stay with him, I realize now was only three or four minutes but at the time seemed like hours. He says “Burkie, tell my wife and my kids I love them”, I thought he was dead, dying, he passed out after that.”
The court heard today Calderwood, who was shot twice, lost consciousness and bleeding from the mouth.
Burke blamed himself for that incident. “I just felt guilty because it was my investigation and another police officer got shot.”
Burke says he also went right back to work after the shooting. “With the shooting I talked to my lawyer at the time because the SIU was called in, came back to work and put the file together. My psychologist thinks that’s the craziest thing ever.”
He says there was no debrief and no help offered.
“You have to debrief those things right after, you have to, because with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), this is all stuff I’ve learned after the fact, you’ve got this traumatic incident and your brain puts them away in a back corner but they are not processed and your brain does everything it can do to protect you from those memories.”
Police would not comment on this due to the criminal investigation.
“I cannot speak about the personal health information of any individual employee, Chief Mark Mitchell told Kawartha 411 News. “Mental health in general and, in policing in particular, is a very complex issue. In general terms, there is always more to be done when it comes to dealing with mental wellness in the workplace, but we have implemented a number of strategies and services.”
Sgt Dave Murtha told Kawartha 411 debriefs are done in certain circumstances. “The treatment available is geared to the person who requires it. Our police service also has a critical incident support team made up of specially trained members of the police service, as well as medical and mental health practitioners who can be mobilized at all hours of the day or night to conduct a “debrief” of a traumatic incident.” It’s unclear when this policy was implemented.
In 2008 Burke had another close call with a gun. Police were called to a home on Queen Street in Lindsay after a woman reported she had been assaulted and threatened by a man. Officers noticed the suspect on Wellington Street but when they tried to arrest him, he became violent and attempted to gain control of Burke’s gun. He was able to break the belt from Burke’s uniform but was prevented from getting the gun.
“I won the fight, I was pushed down the embankment by Manleys, tumbled down and threw my gun into the dumpster because I didnt have any way to secure it. I got a commendation from the crown for not shooting him, I ended up choking him out.”
Burkes Lawyer, Harry Black, told the court today that the officer began experiencing flashbacks to the shooting incident in 2012 and by mid 2014 was in a downward spiral.
April of 2015 was the first time Burke was put on stress leave and diagnosed with Occupational Stress Injury. “My employer was aware in April of 2015 that I had significant mental illness,that was classified by my doctors, as being caused by repeated exposure to traumatic events during my time as both a Constable and a Detective Constable with KLPS.” Burke says. “I was off work from April 2015 for a period of nearly 6 months under psychological treatment, and I returned to work on a modified plan starting in the fall of 2015.”
Until this time Burke says he had an exemplary record. More than 40 letters of commendation or appreciation for his work from both the public and his superiors at KLPS were provided to Kawartha 411.
One woman wrote to thank Burke for helping her get clean. She described herself as a drug addict, hooked on crack cocaine. She said it ruined her life for 8 years. She explained that Burke made her feel that if he, a stranger, cared about her life she should care about herself as well. She said her life was now great and she had been clean for a year.
Another letter was from a nurse at the hospital. She said paramedics had brought in a drunk driver who was in a car accident. She was escorted by Officer Burke. The woman was loud and abusuve but also scared and distraught she said. According to the nurse Burke sat with this woman for hours reassuring her, holding her hand and trying to settle her down. “His professionalism and compassion speaks volumes for the police profession and your officers” stated the woman.
There were numerous letters from his superiors commending him on a job well done. In 2015 then Inspector Mark Mitchell commended him on a successful apprehension of an emotionally distubed man who had a razor blade and had threatened to harm himself.
He was praised for his work in Project Blackrock a joint operation with Peterborough Police targeting the illegal sale of prescription narcotics, as well as his work in Project Dispense, an operation he conceived and executed. It resulted in a number of arrests and convictions.
His performace reviews were also exemplary. “Jeff is a highly skilled and knowledgable drug investigator. His search warrant writing skills are second to none in the police service.” said one review. “During the past year he has continued to maintain a high workload and regularly volunteered to help others with investigations if he was available. Jeff’s opinion was regularly sought out when there was a questions about judicial authorization.”
“I am certain he could fill the role of acting sergent if the position came up.” said another evaluation.
“This may very well be the best evaulation I have ever read.” said Inspector Will Herbert in 2015.
But Burke says after he took sick leave everything changed.
“Within a couple months following my return to work I noticed discriminatory treatment, and as time passed I was alienated, targeted, and my worsening symptoms of psychological illness were ignored by my superiors as were my requests for accommodation.” Burke says.
In October of 2015 Burke had clearance to resume to full duties but says he was pulled off an elite team that conducts dangerous entries and search warrants. Police have not confirmed this.
By 2016 his mental health was once again deteriorating. “I was assigned lead investigator for CECC inmate death which was very politically charged and was written about heavily in the media, immediately my stress levels began to increase to a concerning level. I believe this is when my PTSD symptoms began to re-emerge.”
All the while he says he continued to feel he was being mistreated at work.
A text message from a senior officer at KLPS, provided to Kawartha 411, says “Here is the truth, as I know it. You, because of PTSD were difficult to manage. Your sick time, your medication induced mood swings, your paranoia was a management challenge. Maybe we failed or even could have done better.”
Results from Canada’s first national survey done in 2017 looking at operational stress injuries among first responders such as police, paramedics, firefighters and 911 operators suggest they are much more likely to develop a mental disorder than the general population.
The study was done from September 2016 and January 2017 by a group of mental health experts from across the country and published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
Of 5,813 participants, 44.5 per cent “screened positive for clinically significant symptom clusters consistent with one or more mental disorders.”
According to Statistics Canada the rate for the general population is 10 per cent. The study also found symptoms of operational stress injuries also appear to increase the number of years of service and more exposure to traumatic events.
KLPS Sgt. Dave Murtha says PTSD” and other mental health related absences from work are treated in the same manner as other illnesses or “physical” injuries sustained while an officer of the police service is on duty.
“A member of the police service can report off duty using “sick time” if the employee believes it is necessary for their mental health. But supervisors within the police service are also responsible for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the people they are supervising. A supervisor may speak with an employee about taking time off work and seeking professional assistance from a doctor or counsellor if it is necessary to ensure the persons health and wellbeing.”
In 2017 Burke began regularly going to see his counsellor again at his own expense. “At my very first appointment she advised that my mental health had deteriorated to the point that I needed to be off work. I informed my supervisor this who’s response was something to the effect of “let’s hope that doesn’t happen, too much on the go”.”
From June to September he continued working on the investigation at the jail, took on the lead role in another murder and was assigned multiple cases of sex assault. “I was seeing my psychologist now but was continuing to struggle. My mental health was at an all-time low.”
He says he started experiencing vivid flashbacks and panic attacks, vomiting and migraines, hyper vigilance etc.
“My workplace attendance was awful, I was constantly late or leaving early or calling in sick or to explain repeatedly that I was too unwell to be at work, and even using approved work time to attend my psychologist appointments. My employer could clearly see what was happening, the signs were everywhere. Yet there were no accommodations, no support, and in fact I consistently was assigned more cases.”
Burke was also the only officer trained to investigate child sexual assaults at KLPS at the time according to a submission by Burke’s lawyer. He took a series of three training courses and received certificates for each. Burke told Kawartha 411 he found these cases particularly disturbing having two young children at home himself. He was working 16 hours a day due to the case load.
According to Burke, a few days after he wrapped up the Faqiri case he was told he could go back on sick leave. He was put on short term disability but by then he says he was a mess.
“I was sleeping on my bedroom floor with the lights on – when I was sleeping at all. I could barely sit still and I needed to be in constant motion and was simultaneously exhausted. I was angry and short tempered and could not participate in family outings or even movie nights at home.”
After having been off work for a few months Burke decided to go into the police station to say “hi” to his colleagues in December.
“At Christmas time I came into the station to say hello to my coworkers because I missed them.” Burke explained. “Being back at the station triggered something and I did something stupid and got caught.”
That’s when he went into the evidence locker and stole drugs. A coworker found him in the kitchen area of the station and determined he was under the influence of drugs. She offered to drive him home but took him to Loblaws shopping first. It was there she discovered the drugs. It’s alleged that Burke admitted he was addicted to opiates at the time and used cocaine to try and wean himself off of the opiates. The OPP was called in and an investigation was launched. He was charged in April 2018.
In an agreed statement of fact read today in a Lindsay courtroom the Judge also heard the Burke had been assigned to investigate possible tampering with prescription medication at a local Shoppers Drug Mart. Between December 2016 and May 23, 2016 Burke attended the drug store on at least ten occasions where staff turned over 2,431 hydromorphone tablets to be tested by Health Canada. An investigation determined only 1531 tablets were entered into the property room at the police station. Investigators believe he used them for personal use only and was not dealing drugs. The value of the drugs was $4995.
As a result of his criminal charges the courts put Burke on a non-communication order and said he was not to contact anyone within the KLPS except his direct supervisor and the Chief, cutting of any support he might have had from his friends.
“Typical police culture you tend to surround yourself with other police officers because it’s a tough job and not many people get it. That was my family that was my everything.” Burke explains through tears. “They were my best friends, my only friends.”
Since his arrest Burke has been through rehab and is regulary seeing his psychologist but says his association refused to pay for any of his treatments. He hasn’t received a paycheck from the police service since November 2017 as he is now on long term disability.
He takes issue with the service saying he has been “suspended with pay.”
“When a police officer is suspended with pay they have to sign in every day in order to collect a paycheque, when I was arrested in April, I was at that point already on long term disability. I went a long while without being paid.” He is still not being paid by KLPS.
Not only that, Burke says because of his court ordered conditions he could not go into the police station to sign in or to get help from his police association or he could have faced another criminal charge.
“While there was initially some confusion regarding the condition to report to the officer-in-charge, this was resolved when Constable Burke was instructed to report to either Inspector Herbert or myself (who he was permitted to have contact with).” Chief Mitchell explained.
As a result of the theft of evidence police say 8 ongoing drug investigations were negatively affected and a “stay of proceedings” was ordered.
Burkes lawyer links the drug use back to emergency dental surgery in 2016 where he was prescribed percocet for pain. Burke says the drugs eased his physical pain but they also made him feel better emotionally. They gave him more energy and he felt happier. When he was finished his two weeks supply Burke reported his old symptoms of PTSD returned.
Chief Mark Mitchell told Kawartha 411 the service has undertaken an under of measures since 2014 to improve and maintain the mental health and wellbeing of officers.
“In 2014, we created a peer support team in concert with the Fire and Paramedic Services. Team members were trained to provide support to other members and offer debriefing services in some instances. The team is supported by a physician and our Chaplain.” Mitchell says. “In 2015, the Kawartha Lakes Police Services Board and the Lindsay Police Association ratified a new collective agreement that provided coverage for “Clinical Psychologist and/or professional counselling” for the first time.
In 2016 they also delivered Road to Mental Readiness training to all of officers and some our civilian staff (i.e. Communications and Court Security) They also took part in a political project that was later implemented service wide. “We provided all members the opportunity to sign up with the Avail platform to address overall health and wellness, but it also provides specific supports for mental health and wellness.”
The Crown Attorney is asking for a 15 to 18 month conditional jail sentence in this case followed by a 1-2 year probation. The judge will make a determination on sentencing at a later date.
Burke feels he’s being unfairly made an example of. “I think I’ve been a decorated police officer for 17 years and yet it’s one incident that could bring me down, I truly think that’s unfair. I just wanted to help people. Yet when I needed help nobody was there for me.”
