Corruption concerns within VicPD to be investigated by Delta, Surrey police
The Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board has tasked the Delta and Surrey police departments with investigating corruption concerns within the Victoria Police Department.
The board’s governance committee announced its decision at a public meeting on Tuesday evening.
“The governance committee met and discussed this complaint, which we take very seriously. I can’t emphasis that enough,” governance committee chair Paul Faoro said at the meeting.
Former board member and retired human rights lawyer Paul Schachter triggered the investigation on Feb. 16 when he filed a Police Act complaint against VicPD, which is in the throes of a corruption controversy.
In February, news broke that Project Juliet, a multi–million dollar drug trafficking prosecution, fell apart after VicPD allowed an officer who was being investigated by the RCMP to work on the case. A judge found other officers tried to conceal the disgraced officers’ involvement in the investigation.
“Policing in Victoria is facing a crisis of integrity,” Schachter said in an address to board members, who did not ask him any follow-up questions.
His six-part complaint targets perceived failures in department policies, training and leadership related to the drug prosecution that crumbled.
"Integrity and accountability are key values at VicPD. We support the governance committee’s decision to request an external review as part of the processes that ensure transparency and accountability for police services in B.C.,” Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said in a statement on Wednesday.
Two parts of the complaint will be investigated by Surrey police. The other four will be reviewed by Delta police, as they’re related to an ongoing Police Act investigation Delta is leading.
“Obviously we want to get this resolved as soon as possible, but this is a complex investigation as I understand it, so I would anticipate that we would not be hearing back from them probably until the early fall,” Faoro said.
Board co-chair Barb Desjardins previously told CTV News the board, which provides civilian oversight to the department, will ensure the findings of the external investigation are made public.
“As a board we have confidence in the policies, training and leadership within our department, which we pay very close attention to, but we have a responsibility to listen and respond to concerns from our communities,” Desjardins said in a statement Wednesday.
Schachter wants a “neutral lead investigator,” such as a retired judge, to oversee the external reviews.
“Public doubt about the truthfulness of the police hurts every constable,” Schachter said. “They depend on the public’s trust to help them safely do their work.”
‘Dishonesty issue within management’
Schachter has previously lamented limited transparency around officer misconduct, including corruption allegations against now-retired Const. Robb Ferris.
Ferris was part of the early stages of the botched drug trafficking investigation that would later be named Project Juliet. When Mounties arrested him for breach of trust and obstruction of justice in June 2020, VicPD dropped all files he’d been working on.
A few days later, the same investigative team, save Ferris, resumed the drug investigation, saying they would “re-learn” anything they learned while Ferris was on the case, according to a decision by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray.
On Nov. 17, 2020, the investigation culminated in a $30-million drug bust and three arrests. As Project Juliet plodded through the court system, problems with the investigation became apparent.
Officers made no mention of Ferris in their report to Crown counsel and concealed the fact that warrants had been obtained while he was involved, Murray said. When a defence lawyer noticed a report dated April 20, 2020, an officer asserted it was an administrative error and the investigation did not begin before June 23, 2020.
Two retired VicPD officers previously told CTV News those decisions would have or should have been reviewed by supervisors within the department.
“If that happened here, then there is a very serious dishonesty issue within management,” Schachter said. “If it didn’t happen, then there is an equally serious management failure of responsibility.”
All charges in Project Juliet were stayed as of Jan. 19.
“At no point in time was there any attempt to try to derail the process or to mislead the court,” Manak said at news conference in February.
Only one of the officers who worked on the case, Const. Kim Taylor, is being investigated for misconduct, though the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has indicated its investigation could expand.
Schachter and the two retired members believe VicPD is using Taylor as the “fall guy,” while two other officers involved with the botched drug case, Sgt. Jeff Lawson and Const. Simon de Wit, have since been promoted to inspector and sergeant, respectively.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.