Gun stashed in car yields another slap for Graham
VICTORIA — Victoria police Chief Jamie Graham has been disciplined for improperly storing his firearm in his police cruiser.
Graham committed the gaff just before a press conference Friday in which he admitted the department had misplaced a cache of riot gear, including a Remington shotgun.
Graham admitted Wednesday that he had left his service pistol holstered under the seat of his unmarked car, parked in the department’s secure parkade, while he spoke to the media about the “unacceptable” disappearance of equipment from the crowd-management unit.
Graham said he ordered a search of the department’s buildings and cars in an attempt to find the tear gas, pepper balls and shotgun.
Instead, detectives found the chief ’s pistol stored under the seat of his car, which is contrary to department policy that firearms stored at headquarters “must be unloaded, placed inside a locking drawer within a locked locker and not be left unattended.”
An investigation by the department’s deputy chiefs was forwarded to the police board chairman, Mayor Dean Fortin, who issued Graham a reprimand for neglect of duty.
“Just as I expect, every member of this department to take full responsibility for their actions, I take responsibility for this incident and I accept the discipline authority’s findings,” Graham said.
“The last thing I want is for this inadvertent mistake to cast a shadow over the hard work that the men and women of VICPD do every day.”
This is Graham’s second misconduct finding with the Victoria Police Department. He also underwent three disciplinary investigations while chief of the Vancouver Police Department from 2002 to 2007:
Graham was cited for discreditable conduct for refusing to co-operate with an RCMP investigation.
He was embroiled in a controversy over the alleged use of hotel rooms paid for by the then-owner of Harmony Airways, David Ho, during a 2004 police conference. He was cleared of any wrongdoing.
He had to apologize to then-city manager Judy Rogers for putting a bullet-riddled target on her desk with a note that read: “A bad day at the range is better than the best day at work.”