Police officer demoted for drinking and driving

An off-duty Ottawa police officer who was found by Quebec police asleep behind the wheel of his parked car after drinking in Ottawa will be demoted for three months, according to a disciplinary decision Monday.

Const. Jarrid Foley, an Ottawa police officer since 2006, pleaded guilty in January to one count of discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act for drinking and then driving.

Foley was charged in September 2015 by MRC des Collines police with impaired driving offences. Those charges, laid months after Foley was arrested, were later withdrawn by a Quebec Crown Attorney but triggered an internal police disciplinary investigation into Foley’s conduct.

On July 5, 2015, while off duty, Foley was drinking at an Ottawa restaurant. He then decided to drive home to Wakefield, Que. Foley was pulled over by Quebec provincial police on Highway 50, who warned him about his driving but then let him go. Some time later, MRC des Collines police found Foley pulled over and asleep at the wheel.

He was arrested and then later charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit and having care or control of a motor vehicle while his ability to drive a motor vehicle was impaired by alcohol or a drug.

Foley was assigned to administrative duties pending the results of the criminal charges against him. Those charges, however, were withdrawn in July 2016, nearly a year after the incident.

Foley admitted to internal affairs investigators that he had consumed alcohol, which had affected his driving.

His guilty plea to the disciplinary charge against him is admission of the harm brought to the police force and its reputation by his actions.

Hearing officer Supt. Don Sweet told Foley’s hearing that “drinking and driving puts the safety of the public at risk.”

The public expects officers to police the offence, not perpetrate it, Sweet said. He also noted that case law has clearly established that police officers are held to a higher standard of conduct and that standard also applies while off duty.

Foley has no previous discipline on record. He co-operated with the internal investigation against him and also issued an apology letter shortly after the incident.

Foley also voluntarily completed a drinking-and-driving program.