Angry in the Great White North

From the news wire:

OPP Commissioner Gwen Boniface will be taking on a new role and joining a newly established Inspectorate providing oversight of Ireland's National Police Force, An Garda Siochana, Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter announced today.

Appointed by the Government of Ireland, Boniface will join former Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole and former Minneapolis Police Chief Robert Olson, as part of a high-level three-member team of international experts tasked with reviewing current practices of the 13,000-member national police service in Ireland. The Inspectorate will advise the Minister for Justice on best practices in policing and promote reform, effectiveness and efficiency in the organization.

"Commissioner Boniface has given exceptional service to the people of Ontario and has led the OPP's 7,000 uniform and civilian members with distinction," said Kwinter. "Her intelligence, dedication, and leadership have made a real, positive difference here in Ontario and I am not surprised that Ireland sought out someone with those qualities to take on this challenging new position."

"I want to thank the men and women of the OPP for their hard work and support," said Commissioner Boniface. "It has been an honour and a privilege working with them for the past 30 years to serve the people of Ontario."

The Toronto Star is spinning things differently:

The embattled commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police will soon leave the force to take on a new policing role in Ireland.

Boniface has been under fire for her handling of an aboriginal occupation at a disputed housing development in Caledonia, Ont.

Six Nations protesters have occupied the Douglas Creek Estates housing development since the end of February, claiming it was wrongly taken from them by the Crown more than 200 years ago.

Boniface was confronted with accusations that police treated aboriginals differently throughout the sometimes-violent dispute.

Some citizens of Caledonia began circulating an Internet petition earlier this month calling for Boniface's resignation.

The petition said Boniface allegedly failed to protect the people of Caledonia as well as the town's power station, bridges, roads and homes during the protest.

In Ireland, there is no mention of the problems Boniface has faced here, which is surprising, since one of the challenges in Ireland is facing down ethnics groups that believe they are reacting to historical grievances:

The new Head of the Garda Inspectorate has said it is important that the force learns lessons from the killing of John Carthy in Abbeylara, Co Longford, six years ago.

The 27-year-old, who suffered from depression, was shot dead by armed gardaí following a 24-hour siege at his home in April 2000.

Kathleen O'Toole, the former US police official appointed to head the Garda Inspectorate, said today that she would be studying the recent report into the incident carefully and ensure it was acted upon properly.

She was speaking at the announcement of two more members of the Inspectorate - former Mineapolis police chief Robert Olson and former Ontario police commissioner Gwen Boniface.

Here's hoping the Irish media gets wind of what has been going on here and starts asking questions.

But in the mean time, it sure looks like Monte Kwinter has managed to shuffle a potential embarrassment out the door.