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B.C. judge to review police handling of Surrey constable caught drunk driving

Aug. 30, 2023, Victoria, B.C. – The Office of British Columbia’s Police Complaint Commissioner has ordered a review of the case of a Surrey Police Service officer it says asked to be let off when he was caught driving while impaired.

It says an investigation by Surrey police confirmed two allegations of discreditable conduct and another of corrupt practice against Const. Rajbir Thaper, but proposed discipline amounting to five days of unpaid suspension was inadequate.

The notice of review from Commissioner Clayton Pecknold’s office says Thaper was off duty when he failed a breath test in nearby Delta, B.C., last August.

It says the constable indicated he was a Surrey police officer and asked to be let off with a warning, saying the failed test would “ruin his life.”

The notice says Thaper was served with an immediate 90-day driving ban and his vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

The Surrey Police Service recommended Thaper receive an unpaid five-day suspension for driving while impaired and a concurrent three-day suspension for seeking preferential treatment, as well as a written reprimand for driving with an expired license.

The commissioner’s statement says the proposed discipline doesn’t adequately address the seriousness of the constable’s conduct and a review is necessary in the public interest.

Retired B.C. Supreme Court justice Elizabeth Arnold-Baile will adjudicate the review, which has yet to be scheduled.