The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Brown said most of his time has been taken up tending to the ongoing legal proâ€" ceedings, including numerous trips to Toronto for court appearances and meetâ€" ings with his lawyers. ‘"A daily chore"‘ is monitoring Toronto and local newspapers, and television and radio reports. Brown clips all pertinent arâ€" What has two years out of work, at age 54, been like for the former chief and veâ€" teran cop? To this day, Brown maintains "I have a great deal to offer this province in the field of law enforcement." All he wants is to get on with it and to get back to policing, the only work he‘s ever But first, it would appear, he has to get the courts to quash that OPC report and then hope the local police board will see no alternative but to reinstate him to active duty. In the meantime, he‘ll continue with his stubbornness. On the other hand, Brown doesn‘t appear to be desperate or at his wit‘s end. ‘ Brown‘s hoping that will happen after he takes his case to the Court of Appeal once more, with a hearing expected next month. ‘‘There‘ve been times I‘ve been totally frustrated,"" Brown conceded. ‘"The most frustrating thing is the time it (the legal battle) takes. It seems interminable." ‘It hasn‘t really been boring or timeâ€" wasting,‘‘ he said, frustrations aside. Legalities timeâ€"consuming There‘s no room for compromise or acâ€" cepting cash or pension settlements, sugâ€" gestions of which he‘s always turned aside or laughed down. And, as far as he‘s concerned, there‘s noâ€" where else to go for work as long as an Onâ€" tario Police Commission (OPC) report criâ€" ticizing his administration of the force stands. ‘*As long as that OPC report is there unâ€" challenged,"" he said in a recent interview, ‘‘then I‘d be faced with that the rest of my working life and it could be thrown up in my face any time." To others, he‘s become the epitome of the underdog‘s fighting spirit and they quietly cheer him on from the sidelines. Claims injustice Brown reckons he was illegally and unâ€" justly fired Jan. 3, 1979 and he wants to prove that and get his job back. Period. To many, he‘s a thorn in the side that. it seems, the more one tries to remove, the worse the scratches become. Ongoing legal bills, uncertainty within the force and jokes about having the only police force in the world with two chiefs are only part of the price the region has had to pay in its continuing wrangle with Brown. It‘s been just over two years since Brown was fired as the region‘s police chief and the spectre of his presence still looms over the region, the ongoing battle to be reinstatâ€" ed to his job captures headlines, and his case is widely followed in policing and legal circles. The man simply just won‘t go away â€" as the region has painfully realized. By Philip Jailsevac If there‘s one thing most people are agreed upon about Syd Brown, it‘s that he‘s not a quitter. Some may argue his ability to run a police force, but nobody will question his bullâ€"dogged determination and tenacity Syd Brown still determined to return to chief‘s job And he admits he couldn‘t have continued in his quest to be reinstated without the financial support of the Police Association of Ontario. ‘‘The little kitty went fairly quickly" in the first year following his dismissal. Brown said, and now there‘s no money coming in from anywhere. "I haven‘t reached that stage yet." Brown said, adding "I‘ve had friends who‘ve helped me from time to time.‘"‘ Brown wasn‘t paid for nine months after being dismissed, put back on the payroll when the Divisional Court set aside his disâ€" missal, and then taken off again last Octâ€" ober when the local police board laid plans for a new hearing into his status with the force, a hearing which will now likely not take place. Brown laughs quietly when it‘s suggested he must nonetheless be pretty well off, conâ€" sidering his previous salary of about $42,000 a year. Would he sell his home to make ends meet? He sends out the articles "to keep them abreast of what‘s going on."‘ He doesn‘t claim to have any notable hobâ€" bies, so spends the rest of his time "tidying and fixing up‘‘ around the suburban home in north Waterloo he shares with his wife Shirâ€" ley. â€" ticles, about his and other policemen‘s reâ€" lated cases, and sends two copies to his lawyers, one to the Police Association of Ontario â€" which is covering his legal expenâ€" ses â€" and keeps one for his personal files. The only other activity, he said. is his work as a Rotarian, serving as chairman of the house committee of the Kitchener club. Syd Brown says he‘s suffered financially and emotionally but won‘t give up fight to be reinstated as the region‘s police chief. Others "didn‘t receive justice because they suffered financially and emotionally" and gave up their fight, but Brown says he‘s determined not to quit. ‘‘Only in the sense of financially," he adâ€" mitted. ‘*You get to a position where you get to rock bottom. That‘s a real burden. It has placed a tremendous strain on my wife and I financially ... and emotionally, I supâ€" But he said those feelings quickly come and go and he‘s soon back to digging in for another round in the prolonged drama. He said "there must be hundreds of inâ€" dividuals with the same problem, fighting some corporation or institution or esâ€" tablishment that has unlimited dollars and all the time in the world." What‘s more, he seems to sincerely beâ€" lieve the regional police force would be in better shape if he returned as chief. Has he ever thought of throwing in the towel and walking away from the entire battle? Brown said "there are days when we say what the hell are we fighting for?" ‘"‘In very short order,‘"‘ he said, "the morale would be lifted if for no other reaâ€" "I went to the doctor about one month ago,"" Brown said. "He shook his head and said ‘I don‘t understand it. Nothing‘s wrong.‘ He said his health is good and that he‘s recovered from the heart troubles which plaqued him just prior to his dismissal from the force. Brown explained his doctor was expectâ€" ing some difficulties due to the pressures of the last two years. Thoughts of quitting WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1981 â€" PAGE 5 Brown‘s merits as a chief of police are still open to debate, but his durability in the face of formidable odds â€" while vexing many â€" may be winning him grudging adâ€" miration from some quarters. Whether that trait and the outcome of legal proceedings is enough to propel him back into one of the most responsibilityâ€" laden jobs in the region,. remains to be But then, the board could hold off on any action if the OPC decided to reopen its inâ€" vestigation into Brown‘s administration â€" an alternative recommended by the court â€" or appeal to the Supreme Court, or simply stail, or ... The legal subtleties are wide and varied and a case such as Brown‘s isn‘t cut and dry. It could drag on. But, if it does, Brown appears to have every intention of remainâ€" ing obstinate, refusing to fade away into the sunset. If it is, the police board will have lost its legal grounds for Brown‘s dismissal and would, by all appearances, be compelled to put him back to work as chief. ‘*You can see the light at the end of the tunnel," Bfown said. "We‘re heading toâ€" wards the most crucial part. Now, it‘s comâ€" ing down to a central issue, that is, was the OPC report fair?" Since the courts have already ruled it wasn‘t, Brown believes there shouldn‘t be tremendous difficulty in having the OPC report quashed. Brown then added ~if my coming back were to destroy the efficiency of the force or damage other officers‘ careers, I wouldn‘t even consider it (fighting to get his job back). Brown isn‘t, and from a strictly legal point of view, he claims his case has never looked better. To many Waterloo region residents, it‘s sheer madness for Brown to even consider what he might do upon his return, because they are convinced it just won‘t happen. ‘*The good book says you should love your enemies,"‘ he said, ‘"and I try to practise that. I think vindictive people destroy themselves." ‘*But I think it would stop all the turmoil. Everything would be running properly and it would be the best for everybody."‘ Brown maintains that in any organization there are people who don‘t like or are criâ€" tical of the boss, and he‘s very much aware of his detractors within the region‘s force. Could he work with current chief Harold Basse, if Basse went back to his role as deputy chief? But he seems to bear no anifi'losity, even following his humiliating downfall and pubâ€" lic criticism by some officers. A brief pause, and Brown answers "I can work with anybody."‘ p No sign of bitterness Concerning rumors of some senior ofâ€" ficers being forced to quit if he returned, Brown said "that‘s nonsense. If they decidâ€" ed to quit, that would be their own prerogaâ€" tive, not a desire of mine. My main concern would be to put the force back on the road to being more efficient and raising morale." I don‘t see any great problem,"‘ he said. I think there are a handful of persons who are not exactly endeared to me and never have been but I can live with that." son than that this problem (of two chiefs) has been solved." Would his return cause upheaval within the force?