A B.C. Mountie has been charged with theft for allegedly stealing less than $70 in loose change from a community policing office.
Burnaby RCMP launched an internal investigation in the fall of 2010 after an officer reported that loose change had gone missing from a desk drawer.
In all, between $40 and $70 in coins went missing, Sgt. Rob Vermuelen told ctvbc.ca.
"It doesn't involve a lot of money, but as police officers we are in a position of trust, and any breach of that trust we take very, very seriously," he said.
The investigation led to Const. Derrick Holdenried, a two-year member of the force. Investigators believe that Holdenried dipped into the drawer for change on numerous occasions.
In December, he was suspended from duty with pay, and a charge of theft was approved this week.
Holdenried, 37, is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Feb. 14.
