B.C. cop used police department's address instead of own home address on driver's licence, insurance papers
A police officer who was pulled over at a traffic stop while off-duty was caught using the police department’s address on their driver’s licence and car insurance papers, instead of their actual home address, say B.C. police complaint officials.
Details of the incident, which involved an officer who works for the West Vancouver Police Department, were outlined in the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner’s most recent annual report, published Nov. 4.
That officer was not disciplined because officials determined the officer’s conduct “did not amount to misconduct,” but the officer was ordered to change the address on their documents to their true home address.
According to the report, the West Vancouver Police Department asked the OPCC to investigate the incident and the officer’s behaviour.
The OPCC concluded that the officer having the department’s address on their driver’s licence was a “factor” in the investigation, but it did not give further detail, including why the officer was pulled over in the first place or whether they were fined at the traffic stop.
“The OPCC determined that the practice of listing the department’s address on the driver’s licence was a factor in the investigation into the officer’s conduct during this traffic stop,” it reads.
Through the investigation, officials noted that there was no policy stopping an officer from putting the police headquarters as their home address on documents.
“It was confirmed that departmental policy governing the practice of utilizing the department address on personal documents such as driver’s licence and registration was absent.”
As a result, the OPCC suggested that the West Vancouver Police Department create a policy barring officers from doing so.
The incident happened between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, but the exact date is not included in the report.
According to the annual report, the West Vancouver Police Board developed and approved the new policy.
“This policy now prohibits West Vancouver Police Department employees from using the mailing address of the West Vancouver Police Department as their personal address except under special circumstances as part of an approved safety plan,” it reads.
CTV News Vancouver reached out to the West Vancouver Police Department and ICBC for more information, but neither provided comment before publication deadline.
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