Vancouver police officer retires after demotion, suspension for sexual harassment

A Vancouver police sergeant, who was demoted and suspended in May after admitting to sexually harassing five women, has now retired, the force has confirmed.

Keiron McConnell had been the VPD's longest-serving sergeant when he was demoted.

"McConnell has retired and is no longer a serving member of the Vancouver Police Department," the VPD said in an emailed statement. The department provided no additional information.

McConnell was the subject of disciplinary proceedings in the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner earlier this year.

The complaints concerned incidents that took place between 2015 and 2019, including sending unwanted sexualized messages to two female officers who worked under his command when he was one of the leaders of the gang squad.

McConnell — who first joined the VPD reserves in 1988 — was promoted to sergeant in 2004, becoming part of the leadership of the VPD's gang squad while also earning a doctorate that saw him teach at Royal Roads, Kwantlen and Simon Fraser universities.

Three other women, who were students at the universities where he taught, were also targeted by McConnell.

Another female officer, who was the first to come forward, had her complaint dismissed as part of a deal that led McConnell to admit to sexually harassing the five other women.