A Saanich police officer received 20 days of suspension for counselling an alleged victim of sexual assault to not report the incident to the police department, according to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC).
The OPPC’s annual report overviews misconduct involving municipal police officers across B.C., detailing the substantiated allegations and the disciplinary measures recommended.
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The Saanich officer suspended for counselling an alleged sexual assault victim also faced a misconduct allegation for providing a false or misleading statement to the officer looking into the first allegation, for which he received a 30-day suspension.
Another Saanich police offer was disciplined for inappropriate touching of a special municipal constable during an off-site meeting on Oct. 17, 2017.
At a pre-hearing conference, the officer took responsibility and fully agreed their conduct was highly inappropriate and they had placed the special municipal constable in an uncomfortable and awkward position. The officer had to complete an online respectful workplaces course offered by the Canadian Police Knowledge Network.
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On Oct. 13, 2016, a Saanich police officer made errors that resulted in the acquittal of an accused impaired driver during the observation period of an impaired driving investigation. According to the report, the officer also failed to properly prepare for court by not reviewing a CCTV video of the observation room
Overall, the OPCC report saw misconduct allegations spike 65 per cent across B.C.’s municipal police forces.
nina.grossman@blackpress.ca
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