'That sounds disgusting': Disturbing allegations at B.C. undercover police training course

Warning: This story contains graphic details. 

One of B.C.’s police watchdogs says it wants to go outside the province to find an investigator into an astonishing series of allegations about what happened in a course that trains undercover police officers.

CTV News has learned that course, the B.C. Municipal Undercover Program, was shut down abruptly earlier this month following allegations several officers went to extreme lengths in a course scenario to prove they are not a cop.

Those actions are alleged to include exposing genitalia, defecating on another officer, penetrating an officer using a vegetable, and removing feminine hygiene products, multiple sources confirmed to CTV News.

“That sounds disgusting if those allegations are correct. It’s appalling, frankly,” said B.C. Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth in interview audio provided to CTV News.

“This is an investigation that has to take place. We want it done quickly. We want it done right. That’s what’s going to happen,” he said.

Some two dozen officers attended the course at the Sheraton Wall Centre in downtown Vancouver, sources said. They came from a wide variety of agencies including the Vancouver Police Department and Metro Vancouver Transit Police.

The course itself is run under the B.C. Association of Municipal Chiefs of Police, as opposed to the Justice Institute of B.C.

Policing agencies referred questions from CTV News last week to transit police, who responded with a statement saying, “The police agencies participating in the recent B.C. Municipal Undercover training course are aware of the allegations that have been brought forward regarding the behaviour of several officers during the course.”

“As a result of the review, a request has been drafted…to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner requesting an order for investigation,” said spokesperson Const. Amanda Steed.

That order would have kept the investigation in the province — but given the sheer number of municipal police forces involved, the agency that oversees police misconduct investigations said it would go out of the province.

“The alleged misconduct involves municipal police officers from multiple B.C. municipal police departments and is alleged to have occurred within the course activities,” said Cameron Loveless of the OPCC. “In light of the number of B.C. municipal police agencies involved, the commissioner has written the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General to seek assistance in identifying an investigative body appropriately independent of any B.C. agencies.”

Critics say they want an independent investigation into a fairly secretive realm of policing, and raised questions about what financial resources were spent and whether it needed to be at a downtown Vancouver hotel.

“To hear about reports of really disturbing and inappropriate behaviour being done under the guise of police training is deeply concerning. This is something that residents across B.C. are funding,” said Meenakshi Mannoe of Pivot Legal Society.