Cop gets temporary demotion for ‘ghost’ warnings

An Ottawa police officer is to be demoted after pleading guilty to filing warnings against drivers without telling them.

Const. Paul Stam pleaded guilty in December to two counts of discreditable conduct for failing to serve or notify two drivers of three warnings he issued and for issuing one warning to another driver without any evidence whatsoever. The offences occurred in October 2015.

He was handed a four-month demotion to the rank of constable second class.

In each instance, the driver was pulled over for a minor infraction, such as a burned-out headlight. Stam would then deliver a verbal warning, return to his cruiser and report the incident before falsifying a second incident for something like failing to surrender their licence or registration.

In the disposition hearing, police Supt. Don Sweet said Stam’s conduct “fell well below the reasonable expectation the public and the service has of its police officers” and that he had tarnished the name of the police service.

Sweet noted that Stam had no previous discipline issues since he was hired by the force in 2011 “and there is no indication in any performance reviews or employment records that there have ever been any issues surrounding performance or conduct issues.

In 2013, Stam received a commendation for “demonstrating outstanding skill, judgment, and bravery” when responding to a call for service.

“Although his actions in this case were misguided, there is no reason to believe that his behaviour will re-occur,” Sweet wrote.

Stam is the latest officer to be outed by a widespread internal investigation that has been going on for more than a year.

“Ghost tickets” have been plaguing Ottawa, and Stam is the eighth officer to admit falsifying warnings after a probe that saw two officers suspended and nine (including Stam) placed on desk duty.

The issue became public in November 2015 when Const. Edward Ellis was suspended after another officer found a pile of driver’s copies of warnings sitting in his patrol car.

Ellis cited peer and job pressures as the reasons for his deception, as officers can boost their personal statistics by fabricating the tickets.

The investigation continued into 2016, when it was discovered that hundreds of warnings had been faked or improperly recorded by other officers.

The hearings are carried out under the Police Services Act, which disciplines officers for misbehaviour that is not criminally punishable.