Latest news with #KeironMcConnell
The Province
2 days ago
- The Province
Disgraced VPD cop who admitted to sexual harassment has retired
Keiron McConnell admitted to the conduct involving sexual harassment of five women between 2015 and 2019. Keiron McConnell admitted to the conduct involving sexual harassment of five women between 2015 and 2019. Photo by Mark van Manen / VANCOUVER SUN A disgraced Vancouver police officer who admitted to sexual harassment has retired. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The VPD confirmed the retirement in a brief email on Monday morning: 'Keiron McConnell has retired, effective July 15.' No further details were given. In April 2022, an investigation was ordered into McConnell's conduct following complaints of sexual harassment. At the time, he was the VPD's most senior sergeant. He had initially denied any discreditable conduct in relation to the allegations by seven women. But on the first day of a scheduled public hearing this past April, he admitted to the conduct involving sexual harassment of five women between 2015 and 2019. The misconduct is described in an agreed-upon statement of facts. It described how McConnell sent repeated unsolicited and unwelcome sexual messages to younger female VPD officers, as well as post-secondary students he taught in criminology. McConnell also confessed to making sexual comments to a younger officer about her sexual preferences and his own fantasies. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 2016, the then 47-year-old McConnell was at a pub with former students when he asked a 25-year-old woman the colour of her underwear. He later tried to kiss her against her wishes inside a cab when she was trying to leave. Some women didn't report the incidents out of concern for their careers, while at least one student abandoned her plans to pursue a career in policing due to her experience. The adjudicator, retired provincial court judge Carol Baird Ellan, wrote that McConnell 'capitalized on his superior position' over the women, and that 'while the misconduct must in that respect be considered predatory, it is toward the low end of the scale in terms of that particular characterization.' McConnell was handed a 20-day unpaid suspension, was demoted from sergeant to constable for one year, and was ordered to undergo training. The Vancouver Police Department did not participate in the hearing, and some critics had called the penalty inadequate. Read More Local News Local News Sports Crime National
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
Vancouver police officer retires after suspension, demotion for sexual harassment
Keiron McConnell was demoted and suspended without pay for 20 days after admitting that he sent inappropriate sexualized messages to female students and fellow officers. A Vancouver police sergeant, who was demoted and suspended without pay in May after admitting to sexually harassing female students and fellow officers, has retired from the force. Keiron McConnell had served with the Vancouver Police Department for more than three decades, including 18 years as a sergeant, before B.C.'s police complaint commissioner opened an investigation into his conduct last year. 'McConnell has retired and is no longer a serving member of the Vancouver Police Department,' a VPD spokesperson said in an emailed statement Thursday. In May, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner ordered McConnell demoted to constable and suspended for 20 days after he admitted to sending inappropriate sexualized messages to the victims. The OPCC adjudicator also recommended the department adopt a 'standalone' policy and training to eradicate workplace sexual harassment. Retired judge Carol Baird Ellan also ordered McConnell to undertake counselling and training on proper workplace boundaries with women. Ellan's ruling said the 35-year police veteran 'had issues respecting or recognizing reasonable boundaries.' 'His behaviour capitalized on his superior position, which afforded him access to these younger individuals for whom, with respect, he might not otherwise reasonably be considered age appropriate, or eligible,' the adjudicator said. McConnell admitted to sending unwanted texts and Facebook messages to colleagues and criminology students he taught in B.C. universities between 2015 and 2019. McConnell engaged in 'a pattern of inappropriate behaviour with multiple women,' and claimed to be 'oblivious' of its impact, despite some of his messages indicating he was aware that they crossed boundaries. Read more: Veteran Vancouver police sergeant demoted, suspended for sexual harassment Lawyers from the commissioner's office claimed McConnell's conduct had 'a clear complexion of grooming' and that he was 'either oblivious to social boundaries, or contemptuous of them.' The allegations against McConnell first came to light in December 2021, when a photo of the sergeant with two senior VPD officers was posted on social media. The OPCC said the photo drew comments calling McConnell a 'sexual predator' with a 'history of sexually assaulting his students' at Royal Roads University. The following month, a Vancouver police colleague went to the department's professional standards section with a series of Facebook messages she had allegedly exchanged with the sergeant, which she felt were sexually inappropriate, according to the commissioner's notice announcing the hearing in June 2024. Ellan said the Vancouver Police Department should work with experts to develop training and a policy on sexual harassment, and ensure complainants are protected from 'negative consequences' for speaking out. 'We must seek to address any officer behaviour that causes victims not to come forward due to fear of intimidation and retaliation,' he said. With files from The Canadian Press
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Vancouver police officer retires after demotion, suspension for sexual harassment
A Vancouver police sergeant, who was demoted and suspended in May after admitting to sexually harassing five women, has now retired, the force has confirmed. Keiron McConnell had been the VPD's longest-serving sergeant when he was demoted. "McConnell has retired and is no longer a serving member of the Vancouver Police Department," the VPD said in an emailed statement. The department provided no additional information. McConnell was the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner earlier this year. The complaints concerned incidents that took place between 2015 and 2019, including sending unwanted sexualized messages to two female officers who worked under his command when he was one of the leaders of the gang squad. McConnell — who first joined the VPD reserves in 1988 — was promoted to sergeant in 2004, becoming part of the leadership of the VPD's gang squad while also earning a doctorate that saw him teach at Royal Roads, Kwantlen and Simon Fraser universities. Three other women, who were students at the universities where he taught, were also targeted by McConnell. Another female officer, who was the first to come forward, had her complaint dismissed as part of a deal that led McConnell to admit to sexually harassing the five other women.
CBC
6 days ago
- CBC
Vancouver police officer retires after demotion, suspension for sexual harassment
A Vancouver police sergeant, who was demoted and suspended in May after admitting to sexually harassing five women, has now retired, the force has confirmed. Keiron McConnell had been the VPD's longest-serving sergeant when he was demoted. "McConnell has retired and is no longer a serving member of the Vancouver Police Department," the VPD said in an emailed statement. The department provided no additional information. McConnell was the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner earlier this year. The complaints concerned incidents that took place between 2015 and 2019, including sending unwanted sexualized messages to two female officers who worked under his command when he was one of the leaders of the gang squad. McConnell — who first joined the VPD reserves in 1988 — was promoted to sergeant in 2004, becoming part of the leadership of the VPD's gang squad while also earning a doctorate that saw him teach at Royal Roads, Kwantlen and Simon Fraser universities. Three other women, who were students at the universities where he taught, were also targeted by McConnell. Another female officer, who was the first to come forward, had her complaint dismissed as part of a deal that led McConnell to admit to sexually harassing the five other women.
The Province
06-06-2025
- The Province
'A smack on the hand:' Current, former Vancouver police officers upset suspended cop keeps his job
The VPD's decision not to participate in Const. Keiron McConnell's sexual misconduct hearing has upset several officers, who believe he should have been fired. The department says the case has led to the creation of a new sexual harassment policy. Vancouver police officer Keiron McConnell is seen outside provincial court in Vancouver in a 1998 file photograph. Photo by Mark van Manen / Vancouver Sun The pending return to work of one of the Vancouver Police Department's longest-serving officers, after his suspension last month for sexually harassing several women, has been a hot topic among many of his colleagues — and not all of them look forward to seeing him back on the job. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors It's unclear when Const. Keiron McConnell will return to active duty and what role he will fill. But 11 current and former VPD members, women and men ranging from rank-and-file members to senior management, spoke with Postmedia News in recent weeks, eager to express frustration that the former sergeant is still a member of the force at all. Five are current officers and six retired from policing between 32 years ago and last year. They say they're also dismayed that VPD leadership didn't take a stand during McConnell's disciplinary proceeding to argue the officer's established pattern of sexual harassment made him unfit for the job. 'In what other industry does that happen? And when it comes to light, this person's allowed to keep his job, and have a smack on the hand?' said former VPD constable Anja Bergler, who retired last year after 23 years with the department. 'You can get your position of authority back? What the hell?' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Former VPD officer Anja Bergler, who experienced a culture of sexism and harassment during her 23 years on the job, in North Vancouver. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO / 10108237A Bergler, who is a plaintiff in an proposed class-action lawsuit filed in 2023 alleging systemic sexism at different B.C. municipal police departments, said she has heard from current officers who are 'disgusted' by the McConnell case's outcome. In April 2022, B.C.'s Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner ordered an investigation into McConnell, who was then the VPD's most senior sergeant, after complaints of sexual harassment. McConnell initially denied any discreditable conduct in relation to the allegations by seven women. But in April of this year, on the first day of a scheduled public hearing, he admitted to discreditable conduct involving sexual harassment of five women between 2015 and 2019. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The admitted misconduct is described in an agreed-upon statement of facts. McConnell sent repeated unsolicited and unwelcome sexual messages to younger female VPD officers, as well as students at post-secondary institutions where he taught classes on criminology. He admitted to making sexual comments to a younger officer about her sexual preferences and his own sexual fantasies. One night in 2016, while a then-47-year-old McConnell was at a pub with his former students, he asked a 25-year-old woman questions about her underwear and what colour it was. When she left the pub and flagged a taxi, McConnell followed her into the cab where he leaned over and tried to kiss her against her wishes, before she exited the vehicle. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Some of the women didn't report the incidents about McConnell because of fear about potential affects on their careers. At least one student said the experience contributed to her abandoning her planned career in policing. The adjudicator, retired provincial court judge Carol Baird Ellan, wrote that McConnell 'capitalized on his superior position' over the women, and that 'while the misconduct must in that respect be considered predatory, it is toward the low end of the scale in terms of that particular characterization.' The adjudicator agreed that the penalty, jointly proposed by lawyers for both McConnell and the OPCC, was within the appropriate range. This included a 20-day unpaid suspension, a demotion from sergeant to constable for at least a year, and mandatory training. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. During these kinds of proceedings, the police department's leadership can seek to make submissions about what discipline seems appropriate. In a recent OPCC case involving a New Westminster police officer who made inappropriate sexual advances toward subordinates, the department's chief argued in favour of dismissal. Baird Ellan described the New West file as more serious than McConnell's because it involved more physical contact, but 'comparable,' and noted that in that case, the chief's evidence contributed to a finding of dismissal. In McConnell's case, however, the VPD decided not to intervene. 'In the absence of an assertion on the department's part that the proposed terms are not workable, despite what I consider having been an adequate opportunity for them to raise the issue, I have no basis for concluding other than that they are workable,' Baird Ellan wrote. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The department's decision not to intervene has upset several current and retired officers, who believe any penalty short of dismissal would bring the department into disrepute. 'You would've thought the department would have stepped in. You're running a business protecting people,' said Dave Dickson, a 28-year VPD veteran who retired in 2003. 'You allow a guy like that, that's got a problem like that, back on the job, that just destroys the confidence people have in the police department.' One current VPD officer said the situation is 'causing a lot of morale issues' inside the department. 'Why didn't VPD take a role in this? They sat back when they had an opportunity to get involved,' he said. Retired VPD member Dave Dickson at his home in Surrey. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG The current officers and some of the retired ones spoke on the condition they wouldn't be named. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Not every VPD member agrees. One current officer said based on their experience, the department's decision not to seek standing in McConnell's hearing was 'likely intended to preserve neutrality and ensure the case was assessed solely on its merits' and to respect the independence of the process. Deputy Police Complaint Commissioner Andrea Spindler said police departments often participate in these kinds of hearings, as the VPD has in previousproceedings. 'This is their most senior sergeant with multiple allegations of sexualized misconduct against their female officers. And chiefs are responsible for setting the tone for their workplace cultures and ensuring appropriate standards,' Spindler said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I'm not opining what position they should have taken. … But it would have been an opportunity for the adjudicator, the public, and VPD members to hear their perspectives on these issues and their leadership's expectations,' she said. 'It's important for police departments to be at the table.' Mike Carr, a former VPD officer who retired as a sergeant in 2003, said he worried how this outcome would be viewed by younger officers. As a police officer, 'you know if you make a mistake, you could be gone. There's no guarantee that your position is forever,' Carr said. 'It keeps you in line. This just sends the totally wrong message. 'Twenty days (suspension), … a reduction in rank, big deal. He should be fired.' The VPD confirmed this week that McConnell is on leave and hasn't yet returned to work. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A source said that McConnell's leave means he hasn't yet begun serving the unpaid suspension announced last month. It wasn't clear when that might happen. In an emailed statement, the VPD said: 'We acknowledge that there is always room for improvement when it comes to strengthening workplace culture, especially when it involves the safety and well-being of our employees. In a large organization, like the VPD, with over 2,000 employees there will be incidents of unacceptable behaviour. A single incident of sexual harassment is one too many. 'We continue to encourage any employee who feels harassed to come forward so that the matter can be thoroughly investigated,' the statement said. 'We strongly believe there should be meaningful consequences when someone is proven to have violated our core values of treating each other with respect and ensuring a safe and professional workplace.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The VPD didn't make anyone available for an interview and didn't respond to written questions about why it chose not to participate in McConnell's hearing. The Vancouver Police Union didn't reply to a request for comment. In Baird Ellan's decision on McConnell's discipline, she recommended that the VPD should implement a stand-alone sexual harassment policy. The VPD said it has created a new stand-alone policy on sexual harassment as 'a result of the McConnell decision.' The new policy hasn't yet been implemented and is awaiting Vancouver police board approval. Darryl Plecas, a professor emeritus at the University of the Fraser Valley and expert on police oversight, said that adjudicators in cases like this must consider disciplinary outcomes of past cases when deciding upon appropriate penalties. In McConnell's case, the adjudicator mentioned two other OPCC public hearings for sexual misconduct, both involving physical contact to varying degrees, that didn't result in dismissal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The outcome of McConnell's case, Plecas said, will make other police leaders less likely to fire officers for similar misconduct in the future. 'In other words, going forward, we are conceding that a police officer who demonstrates a pattern of sexually harassing people will most certainly remain on the job,' Plecas said. Public trust in police depends on knowing officers will treat people respectfully, Plecas said. While isolated incidents of disrespect could be forgiven, McConnell's case shows 'a pattern of disrespect, and as such suggests that he is not someone who should be employed as a police officer.' One current VPD officer said 'the membership is very upset' about the McConnell case, and worries it illustrates a culture of sexism inside the department that isn't improving. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'For a while, the pendulum was swinging in the right direction' and the workplace culture was getting better, especially for women, the officer said. 'But we're regressing.' Bergler said this case illustrates what she calls 'the VPD way.' When people, especially men who are well-connected inside the department, are accused of this kind of misconduct the 'standard response has been to circle the wagons and insulate the problem,' she said, while whistleblowers, especially women, are 'discouraged, then discredited, discounted and ultimately discarded — that's how it feels.' dfumano@ Read More
