Following recent charges laid against London police officers, the chief is asking the public to remain confident in the force.
Chief John Pare expressed disappointment at police headquarters Friday. Police services board chair Jeanette Eberhard was also on hand as Pare issued his statement.
The chief told members of the media that the alleged actions of a few officers facing criminal charges don’t reflect the 600 officers who serve the community well.
Pare said he initiated the investigations in some of the cases.
Seven London officers have been charged with criminal offences this year. Some of the charges have now been dropped, though.
Last month, an officer was charged with several offences including sexual assault in relation to an off-duty incident.
Pare said he would not take any questions from the media.
This is the full statement made by Pare:
"As you are aware, there are a number of London police officers currently charged with criminal offences. I wanted to speak directly to Londoners and to our more than 800 employees and volunteers who serve with the highest level of integrity each and every day.
There are currently seven London Police Service officers before the courts on criminal charges – two as a result of investigations by the Special Investigations Unit and five as a result of investigations initiated by my office.
I want to be very clear that breaking the very laws that we are sworn to uphold is absolutely not acceptable. I am extremely disappointed and I pledge to Londoners that I will continue to hold any member found to be breaching the trust we are empowered with, to account.
We strive to be as transparent as possible, but it must be recognized that these cases are all before the courts so I am not able to, and will not be commenting on the specifics of any of the charges. In addition, on the issue of releasing the names of officers charged, it is our policy that regardless of who the accused is, if releasing the name may identify the victim in a domestic or sexual related crime, it will not be released. There are also occasions where a publication ban issued by the courts may be in effect.
Of the seven officers currently charged, media releases were issued in five of those instances at the time charges were laid. In the remaining two, which date back to 2016, releases were not issued because they are domestic-related charges.
Since then, we have reviewed our practice regarding releasing information if and when an officer is charged with a criminal offence. As a result, on November 23rd a media release was issued regarding charges against an officer who will not be named. Doing so would violate our policy to protect the identity of victims in domestic or sexual related crime – both here in London and in other jurisdictions.
In a commitment to transparency effective immediately, a media release will be issued if a London Police Service officer is charged with any Criminal Code offence. The extent of the information we are able to include in the media release, including the officer’s name, will continue to depend on the nature of the offence for the reasons I have specified.
I would like to also address the other 600 men and women who wear the uniform and more than 230 civilian employees and our volunteers. I and the entire senior management team are very proud of you. We are proud that in the face of these challenging times, you continue to serve Londoners. I am proud that you continue to serve with integrity and compassion.
These alleged actions of a few should not reflect on the hundreds who do the right thing every day. I sincerely thank you for your service and commitment.
And in closing, I would like to reassure Londoners that the allegations against these officers, if proven in court, are not representative of our values or our commitment to serving this community.
On behalf of the hundreds of London Police Service employees, I urge Londoners to maintain their trust in the men and women who diligently serve this community.
