Sarnia police Chief Derek Davis has been put on leave.
The city’s police service board announced that he’s been suspended with pay while an investigation into workplace harassment complaints against him takes place.
The formal independent inquiry was revealed in a statement from the police service on Tuesday.
“This suspension is a standard administrative procedure to ensure a fair, transparent, and unbiased investigative process and does not imply any determination of wrongdoing,” the police service said.
Deputy Chief Michael Van Sickle will take over as acting chief of police during this time.
Kelly Ash, chair of the Sarnia police service board, told that they received “more than one” complaint about Davis but did not provide specifics on how many or what the complaints were about.
The internal complaints reached the board a few weeks ago and relate to alleged workplace issues since Davis took over as chief, she mentioned. These do not involve claims of sexual misconduct or violence.
Davis became chief in May 2022. Earlier this year, in February, the police service board extended his contract through 2032.
“We take these matters very seriously, as any organization should regarding workplace harassment,” Ash stated on Tuesday.
“We’re currently finalizing an agreement with a law firm that specializes in workplace harassment and has no prior connection with the Sarnia Police Service. Once that’s completed, we can share the name of the firm we’re working with.”
The findings from the investigation will be made public, though it’s unclear how long it might take to complete.
“I can’t even guess how long we’ll be dealing with something like this. They’re usually lengthy processes that need to be done properly,” Ash noted.
“It’s challenging because you can’t share too much information while trying to be fair to everyone involved, and you also don’t want the public thinking we’re hiding anything. We aim to give everyone respect they deserve.”
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