The police complaint commissioner has ordered an investigation into new allegations of misconduct involving Chief Constable Frank Elsner of the Victoria Police Department.
The new allegations come from recent interviews of witnesses and information obtained from ongoing investigations by RCMP Chief Supt. Sean Bourrie into allegations Elsner sent inappropriate Twitter messages to the wife of a subordinate officer, found evidence that Elsner attempted to influence witnesses and allegations of workplace harassment.
Frank Elsner is also accused of accessing Victoria Police computer systems and attempted to delete emails relevant to the investigation.
“Our office has received information from Chief Investigator Chief Superintendent Sean Bourrie and senior members of the investigative team in accordance with the earlier Orders for Investigation and the provisions of the Police Act,” commissioner Stan Lowe said in a statement.
The information discloses conduct which, if substantiated, would constitute three separate disciplinary breaches of public trust; one allegation of deceit and two allegations of discreditable conduct.
Lowe has determined that it is in the public interest that these new allegations should be investigated. He has designated the RCMP and Vancouver Police investigators, the same team of investigators already assigned to the case, to investigate the new allegations.
Retired judge Ian Pitfield will act as the disciplinary authority.
