Barrie police inspector faces Police Services Act Tribunal for alleged discreditable conduct

Appearing before a Police Services Act Tribunal, Barrie police Insp. Valarie Gates stands charged with discreditable conduct.

Barrie Police Service confirmed the charge against the 26-year Barrie police officer was laid following an investigation conducted by the Ontario Provincial Police Office of Professionalism, Respect, Inclusion and Leadership.

Chris Lewis, CTV public safety analyst and former OPP commissioner, said discreditable conduct could mean various things.

"It's obviously very serious because the penalties on the Police Act are anything from an admonishment, a letter to your file, reduction in rank or termination."

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Lewis said any punishment upon conviction depends on the circumstances of the case and stressed the allegations against Gates had not been proven.

Gates, along with her legal counsel, the prosecution, and high-ranking Barrie Police Service officials, appeared by Zoom Tuesday before Retired OPP Superintendent Morris Elbers, who is authorized to perform the duties of Hearing Adjudicator in the Police Services Act proceedings.

"Very experienced, and he will call it as he sees it. So, it doesn't mean there's going to be a conviction. It means there's going to be a fair process to determine whether or not there's guilt here," Lewis noted.

Gates is married to Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston.

According to Barrie police in a media release provided to CTV News on December 1, the alleged conduct by Gates stems from "an on-duty, internal incident."

The hearing comes while another veteran Barrie police officer is in the midst of criminal proceedings.

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Bruce Gardiner, an 18-year member of Barrie police, was charged in 2022 with criminal harassment and extortion, which the police service says is about events that occurred while off-duty between 2016 and 2018.

Barrie police confirmed that the criminal charges against Gardiner stem from conduct towards another service member.

Court documents revealed Gardiner, who had preliminary hearing proceedings earlier this month, is alleged to have - without reasonable justification or excuse and with intent to obtain compliance - threatened to release sensitive photographs of the complainant.

It is unclear whether the criminal charges against Gardiner and the Police Services Act charge against Gates are related.

Gates has appeared at the Barrie Courthouse while Gardiner's proceedings were underway on several occasions.

"We have to let the process run its course. And that's the only fair thing to the people of Barrie, to the service and Inspector Gates," said Lewis. "I haven't seen very many cases, if ever, where discreditable conduct without a criminal allegation has ever resulted in termination."

Requesting further disclosure of the allegations against her, Gates is back before the tribunal in late February.