Olympic RCMP officer charged

An RCMP officerassigned to security duties for the Winter Olympics has been charged with theft under $5,000 in connection with an allegedshoplifting incident in Burnaby, B.C.

Charged was Staff Sgt. Suzanne Martel, a 19-year RCMP veteranstationed in Ottawa who had been temporarily seconded to the Integrated Security Unit, the combinedforce performing security duties for the Games.

The charges against Martel were confirmed lateFriday by Robin Baird, aCrown counselwith B.C.'s Justice Branch.

The theft allegedly occurred Feb. 11 at a Winners clothing store in Burnaby.

The officer was among 11 members of theIntegrated Security Unit (ISU) in Vancouver who have been relieved of their duties. Mostof themhave beensent home for unspecified disciplinary infractions, including two who remain under investigation by the Vancouver Police Department.

Police have not released details about most of the investigations or the identity of the officers involved, but last week it was revealed six members of the ISU were removed from the Olympic unit, including two RCMP members and four Canadian Forces personnel.

On Friday, ISU spokesman Sgt. Mike Cote confirmed that five more police officers have since run into trouble and been sent home, bringing the total to 11, including the two still under investigation.

But Cote bristled at the suggestion ofdiscreditable behaviour by officers who are billeted aboard cruise ships docked in Vancouver.

"I'd like to make it clear right here, right now, there's been allegations of sex-trade workers being brought on the ship and so on. I can emphatically state today that is absolutely not true. None of those incidences ever took place," he said.

He said it has been "disturbing" to have the unit painted with such a brush.

The ISU is made up of about 3,000 police officers from Metro Vancouver and about 6,000 police officers and military personnel from out of town who are lodged on the ships for the duration of the 2010 Winter Games. The cost of the force is about $1 billion.

The Games wrap up in Vancouver and Whistler on Feb. 28.