‘It does not benefit anyone — from the police to the government to the citizens — to simply say, 'All good, we got rid of [them]’
Two Ottawa police officers accused of gender-based misconduct this month have quietly departed the force, according to a report.
Const. Tyler Hawkins resigned effective July 1, after being suspended with pay on May 28, Ottawa police and the Ottawa Police Association confirmed to CBC News. Hawkins, with the force since 2015, had allegedly used a fake social media identity to pursue relationships with women he met on calls for service.
The publication also reported that multiple women within the force had complained about his conduct. Neither the force nor the union disclosed the reasons for his departure, and he has not been charged criminally.
A second constable retired on July 10 while facing criminal charges connected to alleged intimate partner violence, including assault and careless storage and use of his service-issued firearm, CBC reported. He is not being named in order to protect the alleged victim, a civilian member of the service.
Departures are not resolution
Patrick Watson, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, told CBC that resignations save organizations time and litigation costs but also allow misconduct to remain undisclosed.
"Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and it does not benefit anyone ... to simply say, 'All good, we got rid of [them], so problem solved,'" he said.
He added departed officers often move into other public-facing roles, warning: "This is a real problem for public trust ... it only comes to light sometime later that they were facing internal disciplinary charges that were never processed because of their resignations."
Watson argued legislation should permit investigating former officers after they leave, "at the very least for inquiry purposes."
As one Canadian HR Reporter legal analysis put it, "the employer's duty to investigate is not just a duty owed to the complainant, but a duty owed to all employees in the workplace," since all staff "have a right to work in an environment that is free from harassment".
Chief's warning to force
The departures follow a message Chief Eric Stubbs delivered to the force on May 8, telling problematic members to "Change your behaviour now, or quit. Leave. We don't need you in the organization."
The video of the statement surfaced after CBC spent two months asking questions about a sergeant accused of sexual harassment and assault, and days after a separate CBC report on historical assault allegations against the head of the police union.
Stubbs also emailed the force outlining tougher consequences for database misuse, including CPIC and Ontario Ministry of Transportation systems, according to the publication. "Depending on the nature and severity, this will include significant penalties, up to and including dismissal from the service," the email read.
