MONTREAL – A Quebec provincial police officer should be fired for cancelling a colleague’s ticket and filing a false report about it, the Police Ethics Commission has ruled.
Two prior ethics rulings against Guy Bélanger were aggravating factors in the commission’s decision to impose the most serious sanction on its books.
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The commission said Bélanger, who works in Saint-Jérôme, Que., stopped two motorcyclists in March, 2013.
One of the motorcyclists said he was a police officer.
“Bélanger withdrew the ticket and let him leave,” said the commission.
“He then added a note to the ticket, saying [it] should not have been issued because it was the ‘wrong vehicle.'”
When Bélanger was hauled before the commission to justify his actions, he admitted to the entire incident, calling it a ‘white lie,’ and even acknowledged he has been cancelling colleagues’ tickets throughout his 20-year career.
“The incident … was not isolated. Officer Bélanger testified that he did this on a regular basis,” said the commission, adding that the officer showed no remorse for his actions.
The commission said the incident was “akin to the criminal offense of obstruction of justice.”
“Officer Bélanger’s misconduct calls into question his honesty and directly affects public confidence,” the ethics ruling read.
“Officer Bélanger does not appear able to adequately fulfill his police duties and to ensure the protection of the public.”
The officer was previously cited for recklessly driving his cruiser, improper use of his gun and writing a false report.
Bélanger is currently appealing one of the sanctions.
It’s extremely rare for the Police Ethics Commission to recommend a police officer be fired.
The agency usually recommends suspensions for offending officers.
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