A recent Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) report detailing numerous allegations of sexual misconduct has prompted an anonymous source to provide further information on the situation.
Sergeant Keiron McConnell is employed by Vancouver Police Department (VPD) and before that, he was an instructor at Royal Roads University, where many of the alleged sexual misconduct took place.
In addition to his alleged misconduct at Royal Roads, several women who worked with him through his 33 years as a police officer have now come forward to the OPCC with inappropriate text message exchanges and accounts of behaviour they consider harassment.
Many of his students or colleagues who say he was inappropriate with them also noted they felt unsafe coming forward or reporting his behaviour because of his rank as sergeant, and the ramifications he could have on their careers.
In total, four former students and two subordinate female officers’ complaints were put on record and are being investigated.
This investigation was assigned by the OPCC to be investigated by VPD—a potentially problematic decision that leaves room for bias in the investigation.
Since the OPCC report of investigation came to light, an anonymous source who knows McConnell well has told Victoria Buzz that he has still been making his full wage while under investigation.
They say that for over two years since he has been under investigation, he has been taking home his full salary, which could be anywhere between $90,000 and $140,000, according to VPD records.
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The source also says that while on paid leave, McConnell has taken a vacation with other senior officers in VPD.
They sent pictures of McConnell found on social media of him with the VPD officers and local United Kingdom police officers, taking a ride-along in a police boat while wearing a UK police uniform.
“[I] wonder if the UK Police Dept knew he was under investigation and suspended at the time they took him for ride a-longs [sic] and let him wear their uniform,” the source asked.
“Very unprofessional for other members of the VPD to be doing this with SGT McConnell knowing he was suspended for such serious demeaning sexual acts against other females both [law enforcement officers] and civilians.”
They also noted this is problematic as it sends a difficult message to those who have experienced misconduct from McConnell for other senior officers to be posting pictures with him.
Additionally, they said that this could make it more difficult for other victims of McConnell’s to confidently come forward.
“It’s disgusting because it causes other female’s [sic] to continue to live in fear of coming forward,” they explained.
“Victims lose trust with [senior management] when they see other senior male members and Supervisors openly ‘Supporting SGT McConnell’, the message that comes from this is, McConnell’s behavior [sic] wasn’t wrong and senior members and supervisors support it.”
The anonymous source also told Victoria Buzz that while on leave, being paid full wages and being investigated by OPCC for numerous incidents of sexual misconduct, he was flown out to the Ontario Police Gang Investigators Association Conference as a panel member.
The event took place in November 2023, and was being live streamed to police officers across Canada.
Additionally, while all this was happening, the source says McConnell has been actively employed by Safer Schools Together, Simon Fraser University (SFU) and Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
McConnell is still listed as active faculty at SFU and KPU teaching criminology courses, however he has been removed from the faculty list with Safer Schools Together.
Lastly, the source told Victoria Buzz that all legal bills regarding McConnell’s alleged misconduct are being incurred by VPD.
They say they are upset by the fact he is being paid and still able to work, all while being investigated for crimes against his colleagues and former students.
