Police who reviewed Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell’s bombshell allegation of office spying have determined no crime was committed.
Atwell sounded the alarm about spyware on district computers, including his own, at a press conference Monday where he also admitted to having an extra-marital affair.
The mayor said he stopped using his office computer and official email account as a result.
On Tuesday, the Saanich Police Department said it found no evidence of criminal misconduct and closed the file.
The eight District of Saanich councillors said the software Atwell referred to was actually designed for security. It was installed following an independent external audit of the system conducted last May.
“I want to assure the public that our security measures protect Saanich’s database, everything on our system,” Coun. Judy Brownoff said.
Brownoff said the councillors are anxious to put the headline-making allegations, which they first heard about during Atwell’s press conference, behind them.
“I think, on behalf of council, we would have hoped that he would have said something to us,” Brownoff said. “We had no idea.”
On top of the spying allegations, Atwell has filed a formal complaint against police.
He said he's concerned about how Saanich police handled a 911 call he reportedly made during an altercation with a campaign supporter’s fiancé on Dec. 11. The mayor questioned how details about the call became public, eventually leading to his admission of infidelity.
It’s unclear whether the B.C. Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner will investigate Atwell’s concerns.
Atewll also said he’s been pulled over four times, and forced to take a breathalyzer twice, since he launched his mayoral campaign last year. None of the stops resulted in tickets.
“I think it’s unusual to be pulled over by road safety units so many times,” he said.
The RCMP's Integrated Road Safety Unit said it has yet to receive a complaint from Atwell but has reached out to him to discuss his concerns.
