Detective facing disciplinary hearing for comments to class
A veteran city cop whose classroom lecture upset a local law student will face a formal disciplinary hearing.
Caitlin Dick, who made a complaint about Staff Sgt. Bill Clark’s lecture to her University of Alberta law school class last year, received a letter from the Edmonton Police Service’s Professional Standards Branch earlier this month.
The letter confirmed her complaint against Clark is heading to a disciplinary hearing and that Dick could be called to give evidence.
Dick accused Clark of making inappropriate comments during a November 2018 guest lecture on homicide investigations, part of former EPS Insp. Malcolm Allan’s class on policing law.
Dick alleges the detective called criminals maggots, referred to defence lawyers as the “bad guys,” and needlessly referenced a homicide victim’s race.
She also says Clark claimed to limit lawyers’ access to their clients depending on whether they are “respectful,” voiced support for capital punishment and said he felt some youths should be tried as adults “because 14-year-olds are just absolute criminals.”
Clark also allegedly mentioned an “ongoing battle with Tom Engel,” a defence lawyer and police critic who is representing Dick in her complaint. Engel is Dick’s father-in-law.
Dick said last year that she thought the comments were unbecoming of a police officer and that Clark should be disciplined.
Other students in the class, however, later came out in Clark’s defence, saying they found the lecture helpful.
Officers accused of misconduct under the Police Act can face reductions in rank and pay. In cases of serious misconduct, they can be dismissed from the police service.
Under the act, chiefs of police have the power to dismiss complaints instead of sending them to a hearing, either because they are “not of a serious nature” or because they have no prospect of success.
A date for a first appearance has not been set. The Edmonton Police Association declined to comment.