Victoria’s embattled police chief will remain suspended with pay amid an ongoing investigation into his alleged misconduct.
The Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board announced the decision Tuesday, saying officers are usually suspended with pay for anything other than “exceptional circumstances.”
The board reiterated the external investigation ordered into Elsner’s conduct by B.C.’s Police Complaint Commissioner involves allegations that have not been proven or tested in court.
Elsner was on paid administrative leave before he was suspended last week.
It happened amid new allegations of deceit and discreditable conduct stemming from his admission of exchanging “inappropriate” Twitter messages with the wife of a subordinate officer last year.
“The information includes allegations that Chief Constable Elsner attempted to inappropriately influence potential witnesses during the internal investigation in 2015 and during the current ongoing public-trust investigations,” Police Complain Comissioner Stan T. Lowe wrote in his latest order.
That includes an allegation Elsner “made a request to a potential witness to destroy electronic data” related to the ongoing external investigation, and an allegation he obtained access to the Victoria Police information system in an attempt to delete information himself.
Retired judge Ian H. Pitfield was appointed to oversee discipline in the new investigations.
Last month, Elsner filed a petition to try to stop the external investigation launched by the OPCC, saying in a sworn affidavit he felt the probe has “irreparably tarnished” and effectively ended his policing career.
