A B.C. It was forbidden to contact witnesses in the investigation of the murder, but the police officer who allegedly wrote to her was B.C. According to the police complaints committee office, he is now convicted of disgraceful conduct.
A retired judge considers Brian Gateley's case after a police complaints committee decides that an unpaid one-day suspension is "not proportional to the severity of the illegal activity." Was appointed to
The problem stems from the case of Arlene Westerbelt, who died in 2016 while canoeing with her husband Bad Westerbelt on Lake Okanagan.
Read more: Crime Beat: Arlene Westervelt – Murder or misery.
The officer in question, Gateley, allegedly knew Bert and used RCMP resources to hack Arlene's cell phone at his request.
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Bert was charged with Arlene's second murder in 2019, but later charged. I stayed. He has always maintained his innocence.
Ultimately, Gateley's actions are subject to internal RCMP investigations. Global News has obtained a copy of an action letter claiming that Gateley unlocked Arlene's phone using a tool called "Cellebrite" for "personal or unauthorized reasons."
He was also accused of providing his personal opinion to investigators in potential conflicts of interest.
Gateley has previously denied cheating.
Read more:Who is cracking down on the police?
Gateley admitted that the phone had been hacked in a letter allegedly sent to Arlene's sister Debbie Henning, but Arlene's death was treated as an accident. He said he did so only after the investigators assured him that he was. ..
In response to a civil lawsuit filed by Arlene's family, the government was guilty of misusing RCMPIT equipment on February 1, 2019, when Gateley was involved in a potential conflict of interest. Said that it became.
A month later, Gateley retired from RCMP, according to his civil court filings. He also said in his civil proceedings response that "there was a perception of conflict of interest. No actual or potential conflict of interest was identified."
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Read more: 'Her story is important ': Lake Country family women share new details and update the call for justice
Then former Mountaine B.C. I got a job at the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), also known as the anti-gang agency. He worked for the Organized Crime Agency.
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According to the OPCC case file, Gateley's supervisor met him in December 2020 and with everyone. I warned you not to touch. Witnesses of Arlene's death investigation.
Gateley is said to have written a letter to Arlene's sister two months later explaining his side of the story.
Read more: 'They stay in the dark': A family of a woman who died in Lake Okanagan asks a coroner for the cause of death. Request
The Vancouver Police Department has been appointed to investigate Gateley's actions.
OPCC reports that when Gateley "contacted witnesses of the murder investigation in violation of the direct orders of his superiors and supervisors," he acted disgracefully. I found out that I committed it.
"Disciplinary action Sgt. Gateley repeatedly claims to be a 34-year police veteran, formerly employed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and never followed the instructions given to him. By doing so, the OPCC report states that it "minimized his role" in the alleged misconduct.
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After the Vancouver Police Department proposed a day's suspension, police complainants wrote: .. According to disciplinary authorities, it is proportional to the severity of fraud in all situations, including a planned and pre-mediated decision to ignore his boss's instructions in the context of his experience and the serious situation of the problem. Is not ... The
OPCC report also claimed that Gateley accepted the facts and findings of the disciplinary authorities.
A retired district court judge, James Threllfall, has been appointed as the arbiter of the following proceedings.
Read more:Lake Country husband charged with murder in connection with his wife's drowning
On the other hand, I also have a question about why Gateley was hired by CFSEU on suspicion of illegal activity with RCMP.
Gateley's letter of action was signed by Asst. communication. Kevin Hackett, who happened to be the chief officer of the B.C. Organized Crime Agency at the time. So Gateley got the next job.
A report to the Board of Organized Crimes Agency subsequently reported that there were subsequent complaints about the adequacy of the review process. According to the
report, after a detailed review, it was found that the selection committee follows the policy of the Organized Crime Agency.
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"The selection committee consists of recruitment managers, supervisors, and talent personnel as specified in the policy. The Governance Committee "said the report.
"Members of the selection committee were unaware that the officers were alleging an unresolved code of conduct."
The report also reports on organized crime. Has amended its employment policy and pointed out that it is now requiring reference checks for both internal and external candidates. In this case, Gateley did not check the reference.
"In response to this complaint investigation, BC's Organized Crimes Agency (OCABC) is a practice requiring OCABC employment applicants to sign a waiver of consent to the disclosure of personal information. It also employs records of their service discipline and ongoing Code of Conduct or complaints or complaints of police law, "the report said.
Gateley has not yet responded to the request for comment.
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