A New Westminster Police Department officer has been disciplined after being caught racing and driving erratically in an unmarked police vehicle while off-duty, according to a report by the B.C. Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
The annual report covers cases it has investigated in 2019 and 2020. It details an incident from October 2018 in which a member – who is not named in the report – was clocked going 140 km/h in a HOV lane that was a posted 90 km/h zone.
“The vehicle was then observed to make a sudden lane change in very close proximity to another vehicle, cutting it off,” says the report. “Police stopped the vehicle and issued the member a violation ticket. It was determined that the member was driving an unmarked police vehicle for which the member had overnight privileges. It was determined that the member was on his way to work and was not actively engaged in police duties.”
A prehearing conference was offered to the member where the member agreed to the proposed discipline, says the report.
“The OPCC reviewed the proposed corrective measure and determined that the proposed discipline was not appropriate considering the circumstances as it did not adequately address the risk to the public safety,” the report says. “In addition, the OPCC disagreed that the member had accepted responsibility for his actions. The matter proceeded to a discipline proceeding where the member admitted to the allegation of Discreditable Conduct. The member was invited to make submissions with respect to penalty. The Discipline Authority reviewed the relevant aggravating and mitigating factors and imposed a written reprimand. The Police Complaint Commissioner reviewed the outcome of the discipline proceeding and determined that further review of this matter by appointed a retired judge was not required. In arriving at this decision, the Commissioner further considered that in this case the member was issued a violation ticket for excessive speeding.”
According to the annual report, the OPCC received 16 registered complaints against the NWPD in the period of 2019-2020. Three investigations were ordered stemming from those complaints.
