B.C. Mountie tells hearing that 'dark humour' in group chats was to relieve stress

An RCMP epaulette is seen in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

A B.C. RCMP officer says he showed a “lack of judgment” and regrets comments he made in police group chats, but using “dark humour” was a way to vent frustrations about the stressful job of policing.

Port Coquitlam RCMP Const. Ian Solven is one of three officers from the detachment facing allegations of discreditable conduct and workplace harassment over comments made in group chats on officers' personal phones and on police messaging terminals.

His comments included remarks about a fellow officer’s weight and about a woman who was at a transitional housing shelter during an investigation, although Solven says he couldn’t recall exactly what he said about her.

Solven and fellow Mounties Mersad Mesbah and Philip Dick deny the allegations against them at the code of conduct hearing that began in Surrey, B.C., last month.

Solven says in his testimony on Monday that a superior spoke to him about comments made on RCMP mobile data terminals, with the officer hinting about using personal phones rather than the terminals.

The constable says policing is a stressful job and first responders often use “different” humour that he’s not proud of, “and it’s unfortunate that it’s come out in this way.”

Solven says there was a running joke about new group chats being created regularly between members using encrypted messaging applications on officers' personal phones, and he believed the chats were a “private space” where officers talked about work, beer, sports and news events.

This report by Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press, was first published March 10, 2025.