The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has set a date for a public hearing into allegations of sexualized misconduct against a Vancouver police sergeant.
Sgt. Keron McConnell has also been an instructor at several post-secondary institutions, and the commissioner’s office said the allegations involve seven women including police officers and former students at Royal Roads and Kwantlen Polytechnic universities.
It is the first public hearing called by the police complaint commissioner since the province amended the Police Act allowing their office to call hearings earlier in the discipline process.
In a statement, the OPCC said Police Complaint Commissioner Prabhu Rajan determined the nature of the allegations and the public interest supported the need for a hearing.
The office says the commissioner noted that using a power imbalance for a sexual purpose not only harms those directly affected but also negatively impacts the integrity of policing and the public’s confidence in police.
The hearing will be held at the Coroners Court in Burnaby on April 7, and be presided over by retired Provincial Court Chief Judge Baird Ellan.