A Vancouver criminologist who called Kamloops RCMP a troubled detachment is “out of line and ill-informed,” the detachment’s operations commander fired back Monday.

In fact, the Kamloops RCMP is an example for other police forces in B.C., said Insp. Yves Lacasse, describing it as a model law enforcement organization working hard to prevent crime and protect residents.

Lacasse made the comments in response to Dr. Rob Gordon, an SFU criminology professor, who told a Vancouver newspaper the Kamloops RCMP’s recent history is “concerning.”

“Certainly in the last month there’s been a couple of major events, and that usually amounts to more than simply bad luck, which suggests that there is some sort of structural problem, or supervision problem, or some other difficulty at the Kamloops detachment,” Gordon told The Province.

“I have no doubt that RCMP detachment will be looking at that.”

On Friday, the Kamloops RCMP issued a news release indicating four officers and three civilian staff are under investigation related to allegations they watched as two female prisoners engaged in sexual relations in city RCMP cells.

Earlier this month, two constables shot and killed prolific offender Wilbert Bartley during a traffic stop gone bad. That case remains under investigation by the Calgary Police Service.

And several weeks ago, senior RCMP management announced two other constables had been charged with assault, one in relation to on-duty incidents, the other after becoming involved in a bar fight off-duty.

Lacasse conceded he does not like making announcements related to investigations of police misconduct, but noted no wrongdoing has been proved in any of the cases — all remain under investigation or before the court.

In the meantime, the Kamloops RCMP will continue to do what it has done so well for the past five years, he said — work to make Kamloops safe.

“(Gordon’s) comments are out of line and ill-informed. I would love for him to come to Kamloops and meet with me so I can show him . . . the structure of this detachment is not broken.

“I think his comments are completely out of line. They are unprofessional.”

Lacasse said officers make mistakes, and if allegations of wrongdoing come to light, they are investigated.

“When matters come to our attention, we don’t turn a blind eye,” Lacasse said. “We cannot sweep these things under the carpet.

“If our people do things wrong, (we) will not turn a blind eye. That’s what we have to do, and that’s what we are doing. Our response to any of these (allegations) has been quick and decisive.

“As long as we have humans working for us, people will make mistakes. That is a possibility.”

Kamloops RCMP spokeswoman Const. Cheryl Bush told reporters there is little more she can say about the alleged incident in cells, as it remains under investigation.

There is a possibility of criminal charges in the case, although Bush could not specify the kind of charges possible in a situation such as this.

Senior RCMP managers are currently reviewing the duty status of the seven employees, she said. Kamloops serious crime investigators, with the help of the E division major crimes squad, are looking into the case.

Bush said the probe could take time, as there are many witnesses to interview.

Meanwhile, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association is calling on the Kamloops RCMP to provide better conditions for female prisoners.

The city detachment is contracted by B.C. Corrections to hold female prisoners as they wait for court dates.

“When we were on our northern tour, we heard about abysmal conditions for women in RCMP cells in Kamloops,” said David Eby, executive director of the BCCLA. “No showers, no visitors other than lawyers, no tooth brushing for up to five days in RCMP cells.

“Men get daily showers, family visits, visits from advocacy groups, and running water in (KRCC), a fully equipped facility. We were going to wait for our final report to raise this issue, but given these new developments, we expect the RCMP to act now to at least provide women equal access to services.”

The Kamloops RCMP denied conditions are worse from female prisoners than male prisoners in city cells, noting all are treated equally and have the same access to services.

Gordon said if true, the allegations regarding police voyeurism in city cells are serious.

“That violates so many basic rules about the maintenance of order in cell blocks and the oversight of the conduct of not only prisoners but also officers,” he also told The Province.

rkoopmans@kamloopsnews.ca