DISGRACED COP CASE RARE SAY RCMP

When Kelowna RCMP obtained information about theft by one of their own,
they took a rare and bold step to catch him.

Information obtained by the police that six-year-member Chris Wytrwal had
been stealing while on the job went right to the top, court was told at his
sentencing last month.

To find out the truth of the allegations, special permission was sought
from RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa to set up a sting or an integrity test,
says Kelowna RCMP Insp. Bill McKinnon.

Wytrwal was dispatched to check out the hotel room of a drug dealer where
police knew the exact amount of cash in the room and he pocketed all $45.

In another instance, he collected a Palm Pilot and some change on another test.

McKinnon says fortunately such actions aren't often needed because such
complaints against RCMP members are rare.

"Police officers must be held accountable to a higher level than anyone
else in society because of the position they hold and the number of
opportunities they would have during regular duties to breach that trust,"
he said.

As in any case, police couldn't have created the integrity tests without
reasonable and probable cause.

For Wytrwal, it means he will, in all likelihood, be fired from a $60,000
per year job for a little over $200 worth of cash, will have a criminal
record and receive a three-month conditional sentence from the courts.

McKinnon said the case sends a clear message to the public and to other
police officers that this type of conduct by police officers won't be
tolerated.

"It is unfortunate that he was convicted of these matters because he had a
promising career with the RCMP. He disgraced himself as well as the
organization," he said.