Canada

RCMP’s discipline board refuses to step aside for referring to impugned Mounties as ‘Three Amigos’

The members of an RCMP disciplinary tribunal overseeing allegations of sexism and racism against three Coquitlam Mounties have made a decision regarding a challenge to their impartiality. The trio of officers, Constables Philip Dick, Ian Solven, and Mersad Mesbah, had raised concerns about bias due to the tribunal referring to them as the ‘Three Amigos’ in internal communications.

The board chair, Sara Novell, addressed the issue on Friday, acknowledging that while the use of the term may have been deemed inappropriate and regrettable, it was not sufficient grounds for recusal. Novell explained that the term appeared on a file folder and in approximately 10 administrative emails, which she admitted may have come across as unprofessional. However, she emphasized that this did not indicate bias against the accused officers.

With the challenge to their credibility dismissed, the conduct hearing against Dick, Mesbah, and Solven is set to proceed. Testimony from the whistleblower who initiated the complaint in 2021 is scheduled for Monday morning. The RCMP is seeking the dismissal of all three officers based on allegations of misconduct, including inappropriate conversations in private chat groups where racist and sexist remarks were made.

The allegations against the officers surfaced last fall following the release of a search warrant detailing the offensive content of their conversations. The court documents revealed disturbing exchanges where officers bragged about tasering unarmed Black individuals, made derogatory comments about a sexual assault investigation, and disparaged a female colleague’s appearance.

The whistleblower, Constable Sam Sodhi, reported being part of a private chat group where derogatory remarks were frequently made about Indigenous individuals, including disparaging comments about their intelligence and appearance. Sodhi raised concerns with his superiors in May 2021, prompting an internal investigation into the matter.

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The conduct hearing, initially scheduled to commence last week, was delayed due to the challenge to the tribunal’s impartiality. Despite the accusations of bias stemming from the ‘Three Amigos’ reference, Novell defended the board’s transparency and commitment to fairness by disclosing the internal documentation that led to the challenge.

As the hearing progresses, Dick, Solven, and Mesbah maintain their innocence and deny the allegations brought against them. The outcome of the proceedings will have significant implications for the future conduct of RCMP officers and the organization’s efforts to address systemic issues of discrimination and bias within its ranks.

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