Edmonton police officer reprimanded for inappropriate texts to sexual assault complainant

A woman is speaking out after she says an Edmonton police officer hit on her in text messages.

The officer was the same one investigating her complaint of a sexual assault.

“Is this really happening right now? Is this a fever dream?” she said, describing how she felt when she received the texts this spring.

“It kind of reactivates some of the trauma of the assault.”

CityNews is not identifying the woman because the sexual assault case is still before the courts.

The officer, in texts reviewed by CityNews, said to the woman: “Good looking and intelligent. You’re a double threat!!!” The texts remark that the woman has “great genes,” later adding, “I’ll stop before I get into trouble.”

The woman said the officer’s comments made her feel powerless, depressed, fearful and unsure of how to set boundaries with him because of his role.

“I didn’t know how it would affect my case … This is a man with a lot of power. So, my mind kind of went to all the places – is he going to get upset with me?” she said. “It’s just a scary situation to be in. And who do you really turn to when it’s the police who are doing this?”

The interaction, she said, makes her fearful about reaching out to the police for help in the future.

“I think that for him sending a text message and shooting his shot, it was just another day for him, but for me, it’s going to have a long-lasting impact on my life.”

The officer who sent the texts is Det. Troy Forester with the Edmonton Police Service. When CityNews called Forester for comment, he hung up.

Forester did not respond to follow-up texts or a voicemail seeking his response.

Professional standards complaint

The woman speaking with CityNews filed a formal complaint with police about the interaction earlier this year. She received a response from the Professional Standards branch.

CityNews has seen the complaint and the response from EPS.

EPS, responding to the woman’s complaint, recommended Forester receive counselling from his superiors. This option is available in section 6 of Alberta’s Police Regulations when “an action of a police officer is not of a sufficient nature” that requires it be dealt with under the more formal disciplinary procedures set out in Alberta’s Police Act.

The woman was disturbed by the results of her complaint. She reached out to CityNews after seeing CityNews’ recent coverage of a different case of police misconduct.

She hopes coming forward could push EPS to change how it handles complaints like hers in the future.

Criminologist reacts

Dan Jones, a criminologist and former Edmonton police officer, said the text messages are inappropriate.

“This individual has already been victimized sexually. So you know there’s a vulnerability, there’s a trauma that’s been there,” Jones said. “Making comments about their looks and their intelligence to someone who’s just been traumatized … police need to be trauma-informed, understand that their words and presence can have an impact on somebody.”

Edmonton police officers working in the sexual assault section receive trauma-informed interview training.

Jones is the chair of Justice Studies at Norquest College in downtown Edmonton. He disagrees with the way the complaint was handled.

The interaction was particularly inappropriate, he said, because of the power dynamic between the officer and complainant and the type of crime that was being investigated.

He also disagrees with the practice of expunging an officer’s disciplinary record after five years.

“We already know that people don’t call the police in sexual violence because they are afraid to be judged,” Jones said. “They’re afraid to be asked what they were wearing, what they were drinking, and all the different things that come along with rape myths. this situation doesn’t lend itself to confidence in the investigator if you’re the victim in one of these crimes.”

How complaints about police are handled in Alberta is changing.

The Alberta government recently announced the new Police Review Commission to replace the current complaint process with a single independent body to receive complaints, conduct investigations, and oversee disciplinary hearings.

Police chief: complaint followed proper process

Edmonton police Chief Warren Driechel, asked about the text exchange, said he was not involved in the complaint process at the time but says it followed the proper procedure.

“Now, having said that, doesn’t mean the behaviour is totally appropriate. Right?” Driechel told CityNews.

“If we have a complainant, they’re vulnerable. It’s not appropriate for a police officer to interact in any kind of fashion like that. There needs to be that professional relationship. And I think in this case — I’m not minimizing the activity. I think the section 6 was felt to be appropriate for … that text message.”

EPS said the counselling decision from Professional Standards remains on an officer’s file for an indefinite period.

Forester is currently on active duty in an investigative role, according to EPS.