THE Police Complaint Commissioner has called a public hearing into allegations of sexualized misconduct involving Sgt. Keiron McConnell of the Vancouver Police Department in relation to his conduct towards seven women, including female police officers and former female students of his when he worked as an instructor at two higher education institutions.
The Police Complaint Commissioner determined that the nature of the alleged misconduct supported the need for a public hearing. In considering the public interest, the commissioner noted that addressing sexualized behaviour in work and educational settings is a critical issue in society and the implicit or explicit use of a power imbalance for a sexual purpose not only harms those directly affected but also negatively impacts the integrity of, and the public’s confidence in policing in B.C.
The allegations made against McConnell have not been proven. It will be the responsibility of the appointed adjudicator to determine whether the member committed misconduct, to determine appropriate disciplinary or corrective measures, if necessary, and to make recommendations, if appropriate.
21398 2024-06-19 Notice of Public Hearing
This is the first public hearing arranged by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) since legislated changes came into force allowing the Police Complaint Commissioner to arrange a public hearing earlier in the police discipline process.
The Commissioner has appointed Carol Baird Ellan, retired Provincial Court Judge, to preside as adjudicator in these proceedings.
As this matter involves allegations of a sensitive nature, names of the affected persons and complainants have been withheld from the Notice of Public Hearing to protect their identities. The adjudicator may make further determinations concerning confidentiality in the course of the public hearing.
Dates for the public hearing have not yet been determined. The public hearing will commence at the earliest practicable date and dates will be posted to the OPCC website.
Further details may be found in the Notice of Public Hearing and is available here.
