THUNDER BAY – Leaving his police-issued handgun in his unlocked vehicle could cost a 30-year veteran of the city police force about $6,000, which was described by the prosecuting lawyer as a “serious financial penalty.”
Thunder Bay Police Service Sgt. Jim Glena on Friday pleaded guilty to discreditable conduct under the Police Services act, following the theft of his semi-automatic Glock 26 pistol from his vehicle in October 2015.
Lawyer Bob Edwards, serving as the prosecution on behalf of the chief of police, is seeking discipline that would result in Glena forfeiting up to 120 hours, which would amount to about $6,000.
“A senior officer made a serious mistake and there must be serious consequences,” Edwards said at the Police Services Act hearing, held at the Oliver Paipoonge municipal office.
On Oct. 10, 2015, while off-duty Glena left the firearm and three magazines – each with 10 rounds of ammunition – in his unlocked personal vehicle which was parked overnight in his south side driveway. The next morning he intended to go hunting and discovered the backpack was missing.
Police policy is for off-duty officers to safely secure their firearms at the detachment, unless they have permission from the chief of police to bring the weapon with them.
Upon discovering the weapon missing, Glena immediately alerted senior officers and an investigation commenced.
Edwards said the ensuing search expended “significant resources” from the police service.
Three days after the theft was reported the gun and one magazine was turned in to a local lawyer, who returned it to police. The two remaining magazines have never been recovered.
The OPP conducted an investigation and in February 2016 laid criminal charges of careless storage of a firearm and breach of firearms regulations against Glena. Late last year he pleaded guilty to the careless storage count and received an absolute discharge, meaning there was a finding of guilt but no conviction was registered.
Thunder Bay Police Association president Greg Stephenson, who represented Glena at the hearing, said the discipline sought by Edwards was appropriate and acknowledge the offence was serious.
But he also said Glena has “learned dearly” from the incident, which left him “embarrassed and ashamed.”
“This one unfortunate incident should not tarnish his otherwise exemplary career,” Stephenson said.
The 52-year-old Glena was hired by the police force in May 1987 and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2000. He is currently the vice president of the police association. In 2012 he was among a number of Thunder Bay police officers to receive the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Stephenson said Glena spent a decade as the police force’s domestic violence coordinator and was instrumental in the formation of a full-time domestic violence unit. Glena served as the lead of that unit for the first three years of its existence.
The hearing was overseen by former deputy police chief Andy Hay, who retired at the end of last year. A Police Services Act hearing must be heard by either a current or former police officer with a rank of inspector or higher, or by a sitting or retired judge.
Hay said he expects to reach a decision on the extent of the discipline within the next month.
