CKNW is reporting that the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has responded to Abbotsford Police Department (APD) Chief Constable Bob Rich’s comments at yesterday’s press conference in Abbotsford claiming the Commissioner had accused his officers of being deceitful.
Rich made the comments in respsonse to revelations that the OPCC is making 148 allegations of corruption, deceit and neglect of duty by 17 APD officers.
[excerpt] Bob Rich said he believes his officers could have made mistakes in statements they provided before search warrants were issued, and the Commissioner has the view they did something deceitful.But Deputy police complaint commissioner Rollie Woods says that’s not the case.
“Chief Rich doesn’t speak for the commissioner, and so chief Rich’s comments are in my view misguided. The commissioner has no opinion at this stage, he has never said that what these officers had done or what they are alleged to have done was deceitful, in fact, he’s requested that the public not rush to judgment or speculate, and let the investigation unfold as it may.”
There are concerns people may have been falsely prosecuted if police obtained search warrants with misleading or untrue statements.
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