A Victoria police officer will soon be learning of the disciplinary decison the Police Complaint Commissioner will recommend after it was discovered he’d lied about attending a police conference.
In February 2018 the Victoria Police Department paid for Const. Marty Steen to attend a three-day conference in Vancouver.
A few months later, it was reported that Steen had in fact only attended the first day of the conference, and submitted meal costs for the following two days, despite meals being available at the conference.
Steen had been in line for a promotion to a sergeant, but after this information was discovered acting Deputy Chief Colin Watson revoked the promotion. Both Watson and Steen believed this was a ‘demotion of rank’ perceived as a punishment.
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This prompted Steen to request a review from the Police Complaint Commissioner.
Steen argued that there was “zero chance of future misconduct” and that “lies fall on a broad spectrum, taking into account both what the lie is covering up, and the nature of the trust relationship that the lie undermines.”
B.C. Police Complaint Commissioner Clayton Pecknold conducted the review, and in a report released in April found that, in fact, Steen had not been punished since he never actually became a sergeant.
“Even though Constable Steen was set to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant, he was not promoted…” the review reads. “Constable Steen remained a First Class Constable throughout the investigative and disciplinary process.
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I have concluded that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the Discipline Authority has incorrectly applied section 126 of the Police Act in proposing disciplinary measures.”
The Review on the Record into the disciplinary decision will happen on Oct. 8 at the Robson Square Courthouse in Vancouver, B.C.
–With files from Nina Grossman
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