The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is launching its first systemic investigation into how municipal police agencies in B.C. prevent, investigate and address workplace-related sexualized conduct by officers.
Commissioner Prabhu Rajan announced the investigation Wednesday (March 25), noting that workplace-related sexualized conduct by police officers is a recurring issue in investigations under the Police Act.
According to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner’s 2024/25 annual report, Rajan’s office carried over 15 investigations related to sexualized misconduct in the workplace from previous years and opened 10 new investigations. His office also concluded four investigations in the same fiscal year, all of which included one or more allegations that were substantiated.
Rajan said sexualized conduct in the workplace is “fundamentally incompatible with the high ethical standards expected of police officers,” adding that such conduct can compromise operational effectiveness, perpetuate systemic barriers to gender equity in policing and erode public trust.
“Sexualized conduct within police workplaces may reflect problematic policing attitudes or views and can undermine how police interact with members of the public – particularly survivors of sexual or gender-based violence,” Rajan said.
The release notes that workplace-related sexualized conduct cases range from inappropriate communication to sexual assault and “often involve significant power imbalances.” It adds that some cases raise serious concerns about predatory behaviour by officers in supervisory roles or positions of authority.
The systemic investigation will examine several issues, including:
• Policies, procedures and practices for preventing, reporting, investigating and addressing sexualized conduct, including processes under Part 11 of the Police Act
• Access to supports and protections for individuals who experience sexualized conduct
• Potential barriers to reporting sexualized conduct
• Availability of safe, impartial and effective complaint pathways
• Perceived or real risks of reprisal or other adverse consequences for people who report sexualized conduct
• Training for recruits, members and managers related to sexualized conduct
• Impacts of organizational culture on the practical application of policies, including norms or practices that may normalize or minimize sexualized conduct or create barriers for identifying and addressing it
The investigation may also make system-level recommendations about the issues listed.
Following the investigation, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner will publicly release a report setting out the findings and any recommendations.
The release says the commissioner plans to release the final report by April 2027.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is an independent civilian office that oversees complaints, investigations, and discipline involving municipal police in B.C.