Source: Ottawa Citizen

An Ottawa police officer was demoted Wednesday and will lose almost $40,000 in pay over the next two years for running more than 200 unauthorized police computer checks on himself, a lover, friends and police colleagues.

Const. Dan Bargh, 28, was demoted from a first-class constable with a salary of more than $80,000 to a third-class constable, making about $58,000.

After one year as a third-class constable, Bargh will get bumped up to the second-class rate of just over $64,000. In two years, Bargh will make his way back up to $80,211.

“The officer must be made aware that this type of conduct is not acceptable,” hearing officer Terence Kelly said at the sentencing hearing. “In this particular case, the behaviour of Const. Bargh was clearly unacceptable and an embarrassment to the Ottawa Police Service.”

Bargh was found guilty in November of two counts of insubordination under the Police Services Act in November for using the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and an Ottawa police records system for personal use. Kelly called this a “form of stalking” at the sentencing hearing.

Bargh was also found guilty of one count of deceit, after telling an internal investigator he did not know the last name of a man who was rumoured to be a drug dealer. Evidence at his disciplinary hearing showed he had previously run the man’s last name through the police computer system.

Bargh was acquitted on two counts of discreditable conduct related to his association with the man and an allegation that he had referred to another officer “using derogatory and profane language while in the presence of a member of the public” while off-duty.

Bargh was alleged to have made more than 200 unauthorized computer checks — using names and licence plate numbers to check on a lover, friends, police colleagues, family and himself — over three years starting in 2005.

The practice is forbidden for several reasons, including violation of privacy and other rights, along with fears that sensitive police and other information could fall into criminal hands or be made public.

Earlier in the trial, Ottawa Police Service prosecutor Lynda Bordeleau said that Bargh should be demoted to a fourth-class constable.

Bargh’s defence lawyer, Bill Carroll, had argued that his client should be sentenced to a maximum penalty of three to six months at the second-class rate of pay.

Bargh has been a member of the Ottawa Police Service since April 2004.

mhurley@thecitizen.canwest.com

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