Statement from Assistant Commissioner Dennis Daley, Commanding Officer of the Nova Scotia RCMP, in response to RCMP member charged with Indecent Exposure
On December 12, 2022, the Eskasoni RCMP Detachment Commander became aware of allegations of sexual misconduct made against Cst. Justin Sanford, 34, who was posted to the Eskasoni Detachment at the time. The matter was immediately referred to the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), and I suspended Cst. Sanford from duty.
As a result of SiRT’s independent investigation, on February 28, 2023, Cst. Sanford was charged with Indecent Exposure under Section 173 of the Criminal Code. He’s scheduled to attend Sydney Provincial Court on April 28, 2023.
The RCMP takes all allegations of misconduct seriously; our employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that not only meets, but exceeds, the rightfully high expectations of Canadians. These criminal charges are disturbing and Cst. Sanford, who’s been an RCMP member for 5 years, remains suspended from duty. An internal code of conduct process has also been initiated.
Media release issued by SiRT:
The province’s independent Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) has laid one charge against a member of the RCMP – Eskasoni FN Detachment.
SiRT was contacted on December 13, 2022, by the RCMP concerning an investigation they were conducting in relation to Indecent Exposure that was alleged to have occurred in 2021. SiRT commenced an investigation into the matter and has deemed that a charge is appropriate in the circumstances.
Cst. (Terrance) Justin Sanford will face a charge of Indecent Exposure contrary to Section 173 of the Criminal Code. Cst. SANFORD is scheduled to appear on April 28, 2023 at 9:30am at the Sydney Provincial Courthosue.
The Serious Incident Response Team is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia.
The team can independently begin an investigation after a referral from a chief of police, the head of the RCMP in Nova Scotia or the Minister of Justice. It can also investigate after a complaint from the public.
The Police Act requires the director to file a public report summarizing the result of the investigation within three months after it is finished.
Source: Release