11 Ottawa officers suspended with pay, board learns

There are currently 11 Ottawa police officers who have been suspended with pay, the service revealed Wednesday in its response to a police board inquiry.

That answer comes after a year of increased public scrutiny of alleged officer misconduct and several high-profile cases.

According to this newspaper's own tally for this year, eight of the officers who remain suspended were suspended in 2020.

Two other officers who were suspended this year have since had their suspensions lifted. That means, in addition to the officers suspended this year, three others suspended in previous years are part of the tally.

The service said in its response to the board that “all but two” of the 11 officers currently suspended are constables.

The other two officers are a staff sergeant and a deputy chief.

“Seven of the suspensions, including the suspension of the Staff Sergeant, are related to serious criminal charges including Breach of Trust and/or violence offences,” the service said.

“Among other criteria, it was determined that it is not in the public interest for these officers to maintain their status and powers as police officers during the investigations and tribunals associated to their suspensions.”

Of the 11 suspensions, three, including that of the deputy chief, “are related to serious allegations of workplace sexual harassment.”

Ottawa police said that the “five-year average for new incidents of officers suspended with pay at the OPS each year is six.”

This year's suspension tally has already exceeded that average. Durham Regional Police average just more than five new yearly suspensions, York Regional Police average eight, while Peel Regional Police average nine, police said.

“Suspension with pay occurs prior to the final outcome of Police Services Act hearings resulting from the associated investigation while the officer benefits from the presumption of innocence,” the service told the board in its response.

“At the conclusion of a hearing, if the officer is not dismissed by the Hearing Officer, they are returned to duty in some fashion.”