Senior Vancouver Police officer investigated for potential PRC data leaks

Investigators in British Columbia probing Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) breach

Consul General Tong Xiaoling showed continued interest in Vancouver municipal election candidates, a 2022 CSIS report says. In 2020, she spoke to CBC about Canadian media reporting on the Coronavirus.

An officer from British Columbia’s Organized Crime Agency has investigated a senior Vancouver Police officer in relation to police data-base breaches and concerns that sensitive information could have been passed to Chinese officials, according to confidential sources and records examined by The Bureau.

Questions surrounding the Vancouver officer emerged in connection to a complaint to RCMP of suspected misuse of CPIC, according to a source with direct awareness. CPIC is the tightly-regulated Canadian police database the RCMP is responsible for stewarding.

The investigation emerged in B.C. political circles in January 2024, and has included questioning of Vancouver-area politicians, according to records and sources with awareness.

Questions include whether Vancouver police officers could have accessed CPIC to gather private information on Vancouver municipal politicians, and whether this data could have been shared with Chinese officials in connection to recent elections.

Other questions that have come up include whether the senior Vancouver officer in question could have abused their position of authority and relationships with Chinese Consular leaders.

Records show an investigation into Vancouver police officers in this case involves B.C.’s Office of Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC.)

“You may wish to contact the OPCC to obtain accurate information about the status [of] a police oversight matter, however we do not have any information to share,” Vancouver Police Sgt. Steve Addison stated in response to The Bureau’s questions about the CPIC misuse investigation.

OPCC spokesman Cameron Loveless said “very strict confidentiality provisions,” prevent the office “from disclosing that an investigation has been or may be initiated or releasing any information.”

“No further comment will be provided at this time,” Loveless told The Bureau.

Aside from the senior Vancouver officer facing questions in this case an unidentified Vancouver Police constable was also identified, records show.

The Bureau will not identify the senior Vancouver officer given the stage of the investigation.