Extension granted for investigations into suspended Victoria police chief

VICTORIA – Investigators looking into allegations of misconduct by Victoria’s embattled police chief have once again been granted more time to complete their work.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has extended the timeline for a series of investigations involving Chief Frank Elsner. He is alleged to have sent inappropriate Twitter messages to the wife of one of his officers, then is accused of making false statements and deleting data arising from the original investigation.

The reviews were scheduled to be done by Friday, but investigators asked for more time and were granted an extension until Nov. 30.

Investigators have completed 160 tasks in the probe, but still have work to do, including examining a substantial amount of electronic evidence and interviewing Elsner, said Police Complaint Commissioner Stan Lowe in a notice about the extension.

In December, Elsner issued a statement saying he was “truly sorry and humiliated” for exchanging social media messages with the woman, who was a police officer in a neighbouring jurisdiction.

He stepped aside from his duties, pending the results of two investigations into his conduct, but was suspended in April after yet another investigation was announced.

The third investigation was launched when new information surfaced containing the allegations of false statements and the deletion of data. Deputy Police Complaints Commissioner Rollie Woods said at the time that Elsner faces 11 allegations of misconduct.

None of the allegations have been proven.

Elsner petitioned the court to try and block the external reviews, claiming in documents filed in B.C. Supreme Court in March that the province’s police complaint commissioner doesn’t have the authority for the probe after an internal review had already been conducted.

“I never imagined that the police complaint commissioner could commence another investigation when I had already accepted discipline for my conduct,” Elsner wrote in a court affidavit dated March 14. “I strongly believe my reputation has been irreparably tarnished and my career in policing is over, regardless of the outcome of the investigation.”

This is the second extension investigators have received, after they asked for more time in June.

Lowe said in the extension notice that the ongoing investigation has an impact on the Victoria Police Department, but there’s also public interest in making sure the issues are fully addressed, and doing that takes time.