A former member of the Delta Police Department is speaking out, saying she was harassed, sexually harassed, and bullied during her eight years with the department.
In an exclusive interview, Helen Irvine told Global News she initially loved her job, but it was a toxic workplace.
She said colleagues played head games with her, sometimes hiding her patrol car keys.
Other times, she said they engaged her in a game called, ‘Would You Rather,’ and asked her to choose between having sex with a colleague that was “sitting right in front of me,” or being “eaten by an alligator” in a hypothetical scenario.
Irvine said she also had concerns about her safety in the field — worries shared by her husband, a member of the RCMP in Surrey. She said they often worked on the same shifts and he would “listen on the radio” to ensure that if she needed help, she got it.
“He was ready to come and help me … it was bad,” she said.
Eventually, Irvine said she complained to human resources at the Delta Police Department, which in 2018, launched a months-long investigation into the actions of several members.
When it was completed, she said she was told by human resources staff, “‘We believe everything that you told us actually happened, but we don’t have enough evidence to do anything about it.'”
In a written statement, Delta police confirmed a team from its professional standards section conducted an investigation, completed interviews, and obtained statements from all “involved officers and potential witnesses” in Irvine’s case.
The “Discipline Authority” that reviewed the investigative report, however, determined the evidence “did not meet the threshold required to substantiate misconduct by the respondent officers.”
“However, this investigation revealed a second incident involving a separate police officer, which was reported to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner and was investigated at the same time,” police wrote.
“This resulted in a finding of misconduct against two officers, and sanctions imposed.”
The Delta Police Department, it added, used the allegations as an “opportunity” to examine its internal practices on equity, diversity and inclusion. In February 2018, it said the Discipline Authority made recommendations to foster a more inclusive and professional organization, all of which were implemented.
Irvine, 35, resigned in April after 18 months on maternity leave.
She told Global News she’s speaking out about her experience for her daughter, and will one day look at her and say, “I did this for you, so I can tell you I stood up for myself … I’m okay you can do the same thing and speak up for others.”