Edmonton police detective docked pay for inappropriate comments toward female colleagues

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A veteran Edmonton police officer with a history of disciplinary issues has been docked more than $3,600 in wages for harassing a female colleague and calling another a derogatory word.

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At a disciplinary hearing earlier this month, 19-year Edmonton Police Service veteran Det. Shane Faulkner admitted to three counts of insubordination under the Police Act for comments made about two subordinate officers.

“Despite the fact that he intended these comments as a joke, this conduct is serious and cannot be tolerated due to the impact it has on individuals and the overall work environment, in particular the impact that harassment has on female police officers,” presiding officer Fred Kamins said in a decision released Friday.

Faulkner has been suspended 60 hours without pay, to be served in five-hour increments per pay period. He has also been ordered to take a course on gender equity. The total suspension amounts to about $3,664.

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Faulkner has been an Edmonton police officer since 2002. He is currently assigned to the sex offender registry unit.

According to Kamins’ decision, Faulkner made the offending comments between March and June 2017. They came to light during a 2018 workplace review of EPS’s downtown division. The external consultant learned of allegations regarding Faulkner’s behaviour and forwarded them to the EPS equity and workplace harassment unit.

The first incident occurred when Faulkner was a sergeant in the downtown division, assigned to a squad which at the time had just two female constables.

Faulkner and several officers were in the police headquarters lounge after a shift discussing tattoos. One of the female officers, identified as Const. BB, revealed she had a tattoo of a kangaroo on her lower back. Over the coming months, Faulkner repeatedly called the constable “Roo” and on two occasions asked to see the tattoo. The constable, who had been on the job for just over a year, declined.

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The second incident, also involving Const. BB, happened when the junior officer was on vacation in Mexico. During a social gathering after their shift, Faulkner asked BB’s male partner whether he had received any photos of their colleague in a bikini, and suggested he ask her to send photos of her topless.

The third incident involved another female constable who was a student in a skills program led by Faulkner. According to the decision, Faulkner approached a table where the constable was seated and, in an “ill-conceived joke,” said “I’d ask Const. DD how she was, but she’s a real b—h, so we don’t need to go there.”

DD did not initially report the comment because she knew Faulkner had a personal relationship with Ed McIsaac, who at the time was the superintendent in charge of downtown division.

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Faulkner admitted his comments breached the EPS harassment policy and that as a leader, he should have held himself to a higher standard.

Disciplinary history

Kamins, a retired RCMP superintendent, said Faulkner has no past disciplinary infractions. However, disciplinary charges come off an officer’s record, typically after three to five years. Prior to that, Faulkner had several disciplinary infractions as well as criminal charges.

According to a 2009 Edmonton Journal article, Faulkner was a member of downtown division’s squad C-2, which was disbanded over allegations of harassment, intimidation and bullying. The squad famously wore shirts bearing police shorthand for “No Rats” to a baseball game.

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In the early 2000s, Faulkner was charged with assault and obstruction of justice in relation to an incident outside the York Hotel in December 2004, during which he allegedly kicked a man in the ribs while he was handcuffed on the ground. The charges were dropped after a preliminary hearing in March 2006, according to Journal archives.

He was also charged with mischief for allegedly destroying a camera belonging to a woman who claimed she witnessed the incident. Court records show the charge were stayed in November 2006 after the owner of the camera, who was the Crown’s primary witness, passed away. He pleaded guilty to Police Act charges of discreditable conduct and insubordination for destroying the camera and received a 25-hour suspension, but was found not guilty of using excessive force on the man.

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In December 2006, Faulkner and Const. Elvin Toy were given 30-hour suspensions and reprimands for failing to take proper notes and making false statements after responding to a call at a rooming house.

Toy was eventually fired over a separate deceit complaint.

Tom Engel, an Edmonton defence lawyer and police critic, said Justice Minister Kaycee Madu should remove the provision in the Police Service Regulation that purges an officer’s record after a set amount of time.

Faulkner could not be reached for comment. The Edmonton Police Association declined to comment.

jwakefield@postmedia.com

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