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fr Vol. 134 No. 02 TUESDAY, NOV. 30, 199 COPY 75¢ aoc. sccsn 32 Pages Officers call for audit of top brass By Rik Davie Special to the Star Front line officers and civilian employ- ees with the Durham Regional Police Service have called for an independent audit of the way the force is run. Members of the police association are citing the administrative style of Chief Kevin McAlpine and his deputies for what is called "all time low morale" on } the force. The association representing Durham police and civilian employees has announced that its members will con- tract an outside polling firm to conduct a study of the management style of top brass and the function of the Durham Police Services Board, the civilian board that oversees many non-operational aspects of the regional police service. Terry Ryan, head of the 759-member Durham Regional Police Association, told The Star Friday that a unanimous vote cast recently by the membership calls for the hiring of an agency to formulate questions and conduct a membership poll. Its aim is to determine if manage- ment style and procedures put in place by Chief Kevin McAlpine, his human resources department and his top deputies have resulted in what Mr. Ryan called "the lowest morale I have seen on this service in 26 years of policing." Criticism has plagued Chief Kevin McAlpine since he took on the top cop's position in late 1997. He was hired from his post as police chief in Peterborough, despite calls by some association mem- bers at the time to hire from within the Durham force. "We have simply recognized that there are some serious morale problems and we want to give our members the chance to voice those concerns in a way that makes them free to speak their minds. If these problems exist let's get specific with them so we can work together to deal with them," said Mr. Ryan. One officer said Chief McAlpine has to Please turn to page 14 Summer | games \ launched By Chris Hall Port Perry Star The official countdown to the 2000 Ontario Summer Games began last week when sponsors, regional represen- tatives and organizers gathered at an Oshawa hotel for a kick-off ceremony. The games are to be held in Durham Aug. 10 to 13 next year. Almost 30 years after Oshawa hosted the inaugural Ontario Summer Games in 1973, the event will return to Durham, where, for the first time, they have been awarded to an entire region instead of only one city. The mini Olympiad will bring togeth- er more than 3,000 elite athletes, aged 12 to 20, from across the province. They will compete in 20 different events in eight communities throughout Durham, including Scugog. . "The games will foster an atmos- phere of sports, camaraderie and good- will... it will reflect on the community spirit found in the region and its areas," Please turn to page 9 Appeals to OP begin By John B. McClelland Port Perry Star The Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing into objections to Scugog Township's Official Plan got under way Monday morning in the municipal building on Perry St. The hearing in front of OMB panel member Robert Boxoma is scheduled to hear objections from four individuals who are mainly at odds with those parts of the OP that pertain to land use and development in the municipality. And other members of the public had a chance to address the board with their concerns last night. It was Please turn to page 13 i a Ty wl is i a a a hs A LS