The Saskatoon police officer fired over his friendship with a gang associate has lost his appeal

A former Saskatoon police officer fired over his relationship with a known biker gang associate has lost an appeal to get his job back.

Sgt. Robbie Taylor began a series of appeal hearings in September after losing his job in March over his friendship with a person, whose name is protected by a publication ban, tied to the Hells Angels.

At the time, Saskatoon Police Chief Cam McBride called the relationship “highly inappropriate, very problematic and risky,” and the appeal hearings heard Taylor had demonstrably acted to benefit his friend at a few different points, including by pressuring another officer to stop them from writing him a traffic ticket, and by writing to the Parole Board of Canada on the associate’s behalf.

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Taylor’s lawyer Brian Pfefferle framed those efforts as a measure of the officer’s commitment to the rehabilitation of someone with a criminal past.

Now, Pfefferle says the rejection of his appeal “sends a chilling message to every frontline officer in Saskatchewan.”

“Here a veteran officer with more than two decades of service, no history of corruption, no allegation of leaking information, and a documented record of helping people out of addiction and criminality, removed from the job for a single friendship,” says Pfefferle.

“This is a friendship that he never hid. The previous chief of police was aware of the very issues that caused his termination and made the correct decision to do nothing further.”

Taylor’s lawyer says treating officers who “invest in people” and support rehabilitation as risks rather than assets undermines the police service’s efforts to recruit and retain talented staff.

​“When good officers are terminated for trying to walk alongside people with criminal histories, while never themselves engaging in criminality or corruption, it should surprise no one that Saskatoon Police Service have reported recruitment difficulties.”

Pfefferle says they intend to appeal the decision.

CTV News has contacted the Saskatoon Police Service for comment and is waiting for a response.