Vancouver police urged to adopt sexual harassment training as veteran officer admits misconduct

The Vancouver Police Department's longest-serving sergeant faces demotion and a 20-day suspension after admitting to sending unwelcome, sexualized messages to five separate women in a pattern authorities say highlights the issue of sexual harassment at the VPD.

Counsel for the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner called on the VPD Wednesday to adopt standalone sexual harassment training as part of a deal to resolve misconduct allegations against Sgt. Keiron McConnell involving two fellow police officers and three university students.

"Sexual harassment is fundamentally contrary to the high ethical standards expected of all police officers, especially senior officers having supervisory responsibilities," Brian Smith told the retired judge overseeing a public hearing into the allegations.

"Concerns about sexual harassment and toxic cultures in police workplaces are widespread in the public domain."

Wednesday's proceedings took place in a small courtroom on the 20th floor of a tower at the Metrotown buildings in Burnaby normally reserved for coroners' inquests.

Former provincial court chief judge Carol Baird Ellan sat with her back to an expansive view of the North Shore as more than two dozen spectators — most of them police officers — crammed into the public gallery with many left standing.

McConnell — who first joined the VPD reserves in 1988 — sat beside one of his two female lawyers dressed in a suit and tie. The 56-year-old has been suspended without pay since last July — a measure his lawyer claimed has cost him $112,000 as of last week.

Marilyn Sandford, counsel for the public hearing, opened the hearing by reading from an agreed statement of facts entered as part of a deal McConnell reached in which he admitted to discreditable conduct related to five of seven women who levelled allegations against him.

Promoted to sergeant in 2004, McConnell became part of the leadership of the VPD's gang squad and worked on some of the Lower Mainland's highest-profile murders and drug cases in his years on the force.

The 56-year-old also holds a doctorate and has taught at many universities in British Columbia. The complaints concern incidents that took place between 2015 and 2019.

According to the agreed statement of facts, the two female officers worked under McConnell when he was one of the leaders of the gang squad and sent them unwanted sexual messages.

"The content included sexual remarks about her underwear, her sexual preferences and his sexual fantasies," the statement reads in relation to one of the officers.

"[McConnell's comments caused [her] to feel degraded, and she suffered anxiety as a result. She was concerned about raising the issue with him because of his position in the VPD."

Similar concerns were echoed by the adult students targeted by McConnell — two of whom had taken courses with him prior to the incidents that led to complaints.