A veteran Winnipeg police officer, who was charged with several offences late last year, is now facing more charges after a 16-month long investigation found he trafficked illegal drugs, distributed a photo of a dead female and disclosed confidential information, police allege.
Const. Elston Bostock, a 22-year member of the Winnipeg Police Service, was charged on Wednesday with criminal offences including committing indignity to human remains, trafficking of a control substance, obstruction of justice and knowingly distributing an intimate image.
“These are very serious allegations which go directly against the values of the Winnipeg Police Service, tarnishing our reputation and eroding the public’s confidence within our service,” Chief Gene Bowers told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.
“We take this very seriously and I guess we take it personally,” the police chief said. “It’s a very sad day for the service.”
The charges against Bostock stem from an investigation triggered after other members of the force reported concerns regarding breach of trust in early 2024.
Bostock and two other officers were arrested in November, and charged with offences including breach of trust. Bostock was also charged at that point with theft under $5,000, unlawfully being in a dwelling and obstruction of a police officer.
He was released on an undertaking, and police continued their investigation with a warrant to search Bostock’s phone and house.
That investigation found five new incidents and led to 10 more charges, Deputy Chief Cam Mackid said.
“This is not a proud moment for our service,” he said.
More than 80 illicit drug transactions: police
The charges laid against Bostock on Wednesday relate to incidents, both on- and off-duty, over a period of time stretching back to 2016.
Investigators believe Bostock conducted about 84 illicit drug transactions between January 2016 and Nov. 6, 2024, according to Mackid. The drugs trafficked included cocaine, oxycodone and amphetamine, police said.
Cocaine and psilocybin were seized from his locker at the East District station, according to police, but Mackid said there’s no indication drugs were sourced from Winnipeg police stores or that Bostock was involved in any highly organized level of drug trafficking.
“There’s not a whole lot of policy gaps or policy or regulations we could bring in that would prevent this sort of activity,” he said. “It’s just poor decisions.”
Bostock has also been charged with causing indignity to human remains after he went to a home on Osborne Street in response to a sudden death on May 21, 2021.
Police allege he used his cellphone to take an intimate photo of a dead female who was partially clothed and later distributed the image to another officer.
Chief Bowers said he met with the family of the woman to offer apologies and express the service’s “dismay” at the allegations against Bostock.
Accused of voiding traffic tickets, stealing ammunition
In addition, Bostock is accused of obstructing justice by attempting to get traffic tickets issued to other people voided between Feb. 17, 2016, and Aug. 23, 2024.
He’s also accused of accessing confidential police information on Nov. 2 last year and giving it to unauthorized people. Mackid said the information was provided to members of the public, and there’s no criminal aspect to them receiving it, but he declined to comment on why it was shared.
Police also allege Bostock stole ammunition and gave it to a friend on three occasions after he attended several firearm training days between Sept. 27, 2019, and Oct. 31, 2024.
WATCH | Winnipeg police detail charges at Thursday news conference:
Winnipeg police Chief Gene Bowers and Deputy Chief Cam Mackid share details on charges.
Another officer, Const. Vernon Strutinsky, a 15-year member of the force, was also arrested on Wednesday, police said. Both he and Bostock are accused of breaking and entering to commit extortion, as well as breach of trust, while they were partnered.
Police say they went to the 300 block of Mountain Avenue on March 16, 2023, in a marked cruiser and in uniform, and entered the home, where they evicted the residents in the unit without authorization on behalf of someone Bostock knew, according to Mackid.
He said at this point, police do not anticipate laying any more criminal charges against Bostock, “barring anything unforeseen coming to light.”
Bostock is being held in custody following his Wednesday arrest. Strutinsky has been released on an undertaking.
Both have been removed from duty. When asked by reporters, Bowers declined to comment on whether either officer is still being paid while they are on leave.
Chief pitches publication of disciplinary actions
Bowers said the police service is taking action to ensure accountability among its members, including adding three investigators to its professional standards unit to ensure allegations against officers are investigated.
“[The] trust, we can’t just ask for it,” Bowers said. “We have to show it by action.… The actions that we’ve taken show that we will hold our members to account in criminal offences and other misconduct.”
Currently, the unit investigating professional standards complaints has six members, and the investigation into Bostock went beyond what that unit could handle, Mackid said.
Officers from other areas had to be seconded to assist the team, a “recurring theme” with larger investigations the force is dealing with, he said.
“They’re just short staff there,” Mackid said. “The addition of a supervisor and two investigators will help.”
Bowers has also sent a letter to Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe asking for Manitoba’s Police Services Act to establish a code of conduct for officers.
He has also asked Wiebe to change the legislation to require the publication of disciplinary actions against officers who commit misconduct.
Winnipeg is one of the few jurisdictions left in Canada that doesn’t publish that information, due to a bylaw prohibiting the force from doing so. A change to the legislation could override the bylaw, Bowers said.
Wiebe would not commit to making the change when asked by CBC News on Thursday.
In a statement, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said he supports the call for a code of conduct, and for a requirement to publicly disclose disciplinary actions.
“These are important steps to strengthen accountability,” Gillingham’s statement said.
Coun. Markus Chambers, who chairs the Winnipeg Police Board, said it has already considered the release of disciplinary outcomes in the past. The board would be supportive of the change in the interest of “accountability and transparency,” he said.
But Bowers said the majority of police service members “do the right thing.”
“My message to the citizens of Winnipeg is you can be reassured that the majority of our members … they truly care about this community,” he said.
A 22-year veteran Winnipeg Police Service constable has been charged with numerous offences, including drug trafficking, stealing police ammunition, sharing police information, breaking and entering to commit extortion, trying to convince other police to dismiss traffic tickets, and taking a semi-nude photo of a dead female and sharing it.
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