Two B.C. police officers who were cleared of allegations of sexual assault while they’d been vacationing in Cuba will undergo disciplinary proceedings in this province, following an investigation by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
Vancouver Const. Mark Simms and Port Moody police Const. Jordan Long were detained in Cuba for 10 months last year after an Ontario girl, 17, on her own vacation, accused them of sexually assaulting her.
Both Long and Simms were cleared of the allegations by a five-judge panel in Cuba in November.
Shortly after the pair landed back on Canadian soil, the complaint commissioner ordered a preliminary investigation into the allegations for possible discreditable conduct, led by Metro Vancouver Transit Police Chief Officer Dave Jones, as the external discipline authority.
READ MORE: B.C. cops, once detained in Cuba on sex assault allegations, face probe at home
According to the Police Act, an officer commits misconduct if they behave in a manner that they know, or ought to know, would likely discredit the police department while on or off duty.
In a statement released Wednesday, deputy police complaint commissioner Andrea Spindler said the investigation found sufficient evidence to proceed to a disciplinary process.
If misconduct is proven to have occurred, the two officers could face a range of corrective measures, including dismissal.
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“The commissioner has determined that it is in the public interest to release limited information, but in order to protect the integrity of the proceedings, no further information will be released at this time,” Spindler said.
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