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Saskatoon’s Police Chief says the recent suspension of six police officers is an unusual occurrence, and a suspension of this magnitude has not happened for some time.

Police Chief Cam McBride says five of the officers were suspended following an incident from mid-September, and the sixth officer was suspended after an unrelated incident the SPS learned of last week. All six officers were off duty at the time of the events.

The officers are now on a day shift, working from home, and are to be accessible should they be needed. They will be paid for the duration of their suspensions.

“Suspension with pay because the investigation is currently being conducted internally, and without a proper and full understanding of the circumstances and the facts, that is what I believe is appropriate.”

McBride says one of the allegations that arose from the September incident was believed to warrant input from the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team, a unit responsible for investigating serious incidents involving police officers in Saskatchewan.

“They did take on that one aspect of the circumstance, and they hold carriage of that part.” He would not divulge details of the aspect.

McBride wants to reassure the public that he is committed to ensuring the Saskatoon Police Service Code of Ethics is upheld, and there are processes currently underway to assess officer conduct.