The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is waiting for more information about two cops detained in Cuba, including one from Port Moody, before deciding whether an investigation into their conduct while on holiday is warranted.
As yet, names of the Vancouver and Port Moody police officers who were arrested and then released have not been provided to the public.
But Rollie Woods, deputy police complaint commissioner, confirmed his office received an official report from Port Moody Police Department about the PMPD officer on March 15 and a file has been opened.
Woods said his office won’t be contacting the Cuban authorities; instead it is receiving information from the police in Port Moody and Vancouver, where the other officer works.
The PoMo officer is currently on approved leave.
If the commissioner decides to conduct an investigation, it would be under the Police Act. "The potential misconduct would be Discreditable Conduct, which is when on or off duty, conducting oneself in a manner that the member knows, or ought to know, would likely bring discredit on the municipal police department," according to Woods.
Woods also said he couldn’t confirm media reports that the PMPD officer is a witness only.
“The Port Moody officer’s conduct will be reviewed as well when we look at the information to determine if he should be the subject of an investigation or not,” Woods said in an email to The Tri-City News.
According to a Global BC news report, the issue involves a complaint from a 17-year-old girl who alleges she was assaulted by a VPD officer near Varadero. That report says the PMPD officer is allegedly a witness.
