A former senior Delta police inspector has been formally dismissed from the department for engaging in inappropriate sexual communications with a would-be new recruit.
However, the disciplinary decision handed down by the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC) comes after Insp. Varun Naidu had already retired.
According to the OPCC, Naidu reached out to a woman over social media, “initially communicating about potential employment as a police officer, but later engaged in communications of a sexual nature, both via text and in person.”
In a statement, Delta police says it immediately notified the OPCC after getting a complaint about Naidu, who it says was in charged of emergency planning with the department.
It said Naidu was suspended in September 2018, when an investigation revealed substance to the allegations, and that Naidu never returned to work prior to his May, 2019 retirement.
The OPCC said an external investigation led by Saanich’s police chief found that when Naidu was questioned about the communications, he also provided false or misleading evidence.
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“The Police Act investigation revealed that Inspector Naidu’s actions fell below the standard that we expect of our employees. And we have even higher expectations of our senior officers,” said Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord in a statement.
“I want to be clear. This type of behaviour is not tolerated within our organization. I’m very disappointed that a Delta Police officer treated a member of the public in such an inappropriate and
disrespectful fashion.
The OPCC declined to call a public hearing into the case, but accepted the findings of the investigation.
While Naidu had already left the Delta Police Department prior to the dismissal ruling, the OPCC said his employment records will be updated to indicate he was formally dismissed.
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