The Office of the Police Complaints Commission is disputing some of the information released by the Co-Chair of the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board.
Yesterday (Monday) Board Co-Chair, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, said the board is launching legal action to compel the Commissioner to share information regarding suspended Police Chief Frank Elsner so they can make informed decisions on his employment, and suspension without pay. The board wants the documents after learning 2 retired judges determined 8 of 11 misconduct and deceit allegations made Elsner met the threshold to proceed.
But Deputy Commissioner Rollie Woods says the OPCC is under no obligation to share the result of someone else's report:
"We're impartial. We're supposed to be impartial. And I don't think we would be very impartial if we started providing copies of these reports that we did not write, they did not originate with our office the were provided by someone else."
Woods says he finds it ironic the police board supported Chief Elsner in a petition to quash the investigation, and now are going to court to seek the results of the investigation. He adds the board should not have access to the report to protect the integrity of the process and potential witnesses:
"Definitely the 2 co-chairs and one member of the board were interviewed by the police. So they're potential witnesses. At any later proceedings, disciplinary proceeding, or if there's a public hearing, they could be called then."
Helps has said the board wishes to make informed decisions about their employee's future, and whether to continue suspension pay. But Woods says the board has always had the power to end the pay in the public interest, and says only the disciplinary authorities may terminate Elsner if in fact the allegations are proven, and if that is deemed appropriate.