B.C. police officer criminally charged with breaches of trust

A photo shows the back of a New Westminster police officer's jacket. (Twitter, New Westminster Police Department)

A police officer in New Westminster, B.C., is facing criminal charges after a pair of incidents involving alleged breaches of trust.

The B.C. Prosecution Service announced Thursday that Const. Hardeep Singh Purba has been charged with two counts of breach of trust by a public officer stemming from alleged incidents on May 4 and May 7, 2025.

The allegations were investigated by the Abbotsford Police Department before the charges were laid.

“The charges were approved by an experienced Crown counsel who has no connection with the accused,” the provincial prosecutors office said in a statement. “As these matters are now before the court, the BCPS will not be releasing any additional information or commenting further at this time.”

The New Westminster Police Department said it first became aware of the allegations in May 2025 and immediately suspended Purba with pay.

The allegations were reported to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner, and the department requested that Abbotsford police conduct an independent criminal investigation.

In August 2025, the New Westminster police board amended Purba’s suspension to one without pay.

“Upon becoming aware of the allegations, we took immediate steps to ensure this officer was suspended from duty so he did not have further contact with the public,” Paul Hyland, the New Westminster police chief, said in a statement.

“These allegations absolutely do not represent the values, professionalism, or standards I expect of my staff, and I hope that this doesn’t overshadow the important work they do every day.”

The department said it would not comment further while the case is before the courts.

Purba is scheduled to appear in court on July 22 to answer the charges.