An eight-year veteran of the New Westminster Police Department has been fired following an internal theft investigation.
In a statement released by the police department Monday morning, the department noted it had "terminated the employment of one of its sworn members."
The member in question had worked for the department for eight years and faces an undisclosed number of allegations related to offences against both the Police Act and Criminal Code, according to the release.
New Westminster police have yet to release the name of the dismissed member and when the Recordasked Sgt. Chad Johnston, spokesperson New Westminster police, he said he was unable to publicly name the member because the recommended charges still need to be approved by Crown counsel.
“It’s an ongoing investigation so it hasn’t even been put forward at this point for approval or anything,” Johnston added.
When asked if it was premature to publicly announce the dismissal, Johnston said it’s all part of the department’s commitment to transparency.
“We wanted to make sure we were being open with the public and transparent with this type of situation because it is very rare,” he said.
In the release, New Westminster police Chief Const. Dave Jones reiterates this and says that an important part of any police department “is to maintain public trust by acting with the utmost of integrity and ensuring a strong commitment to ethical behaviour by all of its employees.”
"This allegation was taken very seriously from the outset, and I can assure the community that a significant amount of effort and resources were committed to this investigation to ensure that the information gathered was accurate and complete,” Chief Const. Dave Jones said in the release.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the New Westminster Police Department, but the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner has been notified, although its members are not investigating at this time.
At this time, the New Westminster Police Department would not comment further on this matter at this time as it continues to be investigated. More information is expected to be released when charges are approved.
