Six police officers in Nelson, B.C., have been found to have committed discreditable conduct following an investigation into messages sent in a WhatsApp chat group.
In a statement provided Wednesday, the police department said one of the six officers was also found to have committed neglect of duty. Two officers who were investigated were cleared of any wrongdoing.
The WhatsApp conversations involved sharing inappropriate messages and memes, racist comments.
The year-long investigation was conducted by members of the Vancouver Police Department under civilian oversight from the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
“Our force has been through a lot already this year, and although these findings are troublesome, we are determined to learn from this and grow as an organization,” he said.
Just weeks ago, two members of the department, Wade Tittemore and Mathieu Nolet, died in an avalanche while off-duty.
In a statement, the West Kootenay People for Racial Justice said they were “saddened and disappointed, but not surprised” the allegations were substantiated.
“The results of this investigation confirm what we already knew, i.e., that racist attitudes are present among officers in the Nelson police department,” Sheri Walsh said on behalf of the group.
“At the same time, we are also grateful that there are policies and procedures in place to investigate acts of racism and other unprofessional conduct by police officers, and that this investigation was launched by Chief Fisher, demonstrating accountability and a commitment to positive change.”
The group said it wants to see accountability from the officers involved, the Nelson Police Department and its board, including transparency beyond what is required by law and policy.
“We would like to see the department and board undertake restorative practices with the community to begin to heal and build that trust, starting with acknowledging the existence of racism within the department, something we requested and did not receive three years ago,” Walsh added.
“We would like to see a commitment to eliminating racism including the steps that will be taken to do so.”
The officers whose allegations have been substantiated in the WhatsApp investigation will have a chance to respond to the findings, before there is a final decision on discipline.
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