Kerry Benjoe realized a Regina police officer had accessed internal police files about her, and she reported it. Now, she and a delegation of about a dozen people are calling for an inquiry into how such breaches occur. 'Police officers, the ones we go to just to protect us, are the ones using that information to target us and that shouldn't happen,' Benjoe told media outside of Regina Police Service (RPS) headquarters on Tuesday.
Background of the Case
Former RPS Sgt. Robert Semenchuck was charged with and convicted of breach of trust and unauthorized use of a computer. Court heard he used police systems to obtain confidential information and pursue intimate relationships with Benjoe and other vulnerable women under a false identity between 2011 and 2023. Semenchuck, who pleaded guilty, resigned after the charges were laid and received a two-year conditional sentence to be served in the community.
Privacy Commissioner's Recommendations
In December, the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner released a report about another Regina police officer allegedly involved in a data breach. Const. Clinton Duquette now faces a non-criminal charge under privacy laws for accessing information about a former partner and others. He was suspended for one day and is expected to make a court appearance in June.
The report was part of Tuesday's Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) agenda. Regina Police Chief Lorilee Davies spoke to the board about how the department is implementing seven of the watchdog's nine recommendations. One of the recommendations involves requiring officers to input a reason each time internal records are accessed. Davies said the department has reached out to the vendor of the management system to add that feature. Davies noted Duquette's access to the police database won't be permanently revoked, as access is required for regular policing duties.
Call for Consultation with Victims
Regina resident Trish Elliott co-authored an online open letter with nearly 200 signatories calling for 'justice for women victimized by Regina police.' She said BOPC only added the report to its agenda upon her request. Elliott, who registered to speak at the board meeting, demanded a 'sweeping' independent inquiry that includes consultation with victims. She urged the board to do so by using its powers to summon witnesses and compel evidence. Elliott said she's in touch with one of the people said to have been impacted in Duquette's case, who wanted to stay anonymous due to fear of police retaliation but wrote a letter shared with the media.
'It is the Board of Police Commissioners that's ultimately responsible. That's where the buck stops,' said Elliott. The group vowed to continue pressing for accountability: 'We're not going to stop asking.'
