VERNON – A retired, high-ranking Okanagan RCMP officer has been fired from his civilian job with the Vernon detachment for breaching security by accessing and copying a neighbour’s personal information.
Steven Truscott says he was bitten on his leg by the dog of former Staff-Sergeant Scott Remple when the animal was running loose on Truscott’s rural Vernon property last January.
Truscott was surprised when a few days later, Mounties arrested him based on a complaint from Remple.
Truscott was charged with cruelty to an animal, uttering threats and possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He denies all the allegations.
About two weeks before his October trial, Truscott was informed through email by the head of the Vernon detachment that Remple had been dismissed for the security breach.
The Crown then dropped the criminal charges.
Truscott alleges Remple made false complaints to try to avoid the consequences of his dog biting someone and accessed Truscott’s personal information to support those “trumped up” allegations.
“I’m glad he did it in the sense the charges were dropped because of his stupidity,” says Truscott. “But it sucks because it cost me $12,000 in lawyer fees for not doing nothing, for his dog biting me.”
Truscott has filed complaints with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP and the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. He believes Remple should be charged.
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“Definitely. For breach of trust, theft of private property and making false statements.”
Remple’s lawyer contacted Global Okanagan News to say he is refusing public comment.
The head of the Vernon RCMP detachment also declined to be interviewed.
But in a written statement, Superintendent Jim McNamara says: “As an organization we take allegations involving our employees seriously. We have systems and structures in place to deal with allegations involving our RCMP and Municipal employees. Unless a criminal charge is laid by Crown, we are restricted by employment law and the Privacy Act from discussing publicly.”
Truscott says Remple has paid $400 in fines for violations to regional district dog bylaws.
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