Senior officer asks for PSB to investigate allegation of sexual harassment

A senior police officer based in Central Division has written to the legal department asking that the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) investigate allegations of sexual harrassment, after an internal investigation was allegedly mishandled.

In the two-page report sent to the Director of Legal Services, dated October 17, the officer claimed an investigation into a 2018 report of sexual harassment was mishandled by the investigator and also, that there was interference by other senior officers within the division.

"The investigator managed to pursue disciplinary investigation into the conduct of the alleged victim based on a report made by the alleged offender," the report stated.

The officer stated that after he read the investigator's report and recommendation he noticed there was evidence to support the claim made by the alleged victim, which was not in the recommendations. He added that as such he ordered another officer to investigate the claims.

"I spoke with another investigator and gave him the file and instructed him to continue the investigation and report to me by September 7. On August 14 he informed me that a senior officer ordered him to hand over the file to another officer." He added that this made him believe that investigation should not be done by officers of the Central Division but handled by the PSB, "so that the perception of interference can be eliminated."

The investigation stemmed from the 2018 claims by female officers attached to the Central Division that one officer, a corporal, was constantly sexually harassing them. In their report, the women claimed they were tired of constant sexual harassment and more so, the nonchalant way in which their seniors dealt with the matter when reported.

Some of the officers told Newsday then that when they complained they were either transferred or no action was taken. They said the male culprit has a tendency of rubbing his crotch against their buttocks while telling them very unprofessional and inappropriate things he would like to do to them. The officers said the situation became so unbearable that no female officer wanted to work with the corporal.

Newsday attempted to reach the head of the police legal department Christian Chandler to determine if anything was done regarding the officer's report, however, calls and WhatsApp messages were not responded to.