B.C. watchdog orders review of misconduct investigation [Video]

An officer with the Surrey Police Service who shared a screenshot of internal communication warning of a staffing shortage may have committed misconduct, according to the provincial watchdog.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has ordered a review of an investigation that cleared Const. Ryan Buhrig of misconduct and found the allegation of “improper disclosure of information” was unsubstantiated.

The Police Act defines this type of misconduct as “is intentionally or recklessly disclosing, or attempting to disclose, information that is acquired by the member in the performance of duties as a member.”

The complaint dates back to nearly two years ago – before the contentious matter of whether the RCMP or the SPS would police the city was settled.

In November of 2022, Asst. Comm. Brian Edwards, the officer in charge of the Surrey RCMP informed his counterpart at the SPS, Chief Const. Norm Lipinski, that “an unknown SPS member captured a screenshot of a police mobile data terminal.”

A …