B.C. RCMP officer testifies about venting frustrations over group chats

RCMP Constable Philip Dick leaves an RCMP code of conduct hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

An RCMP member stationed at the Coquitlam, B.C., detachment says he regrets making “stupid” and “ugly” comments in group chats with other officers that included stereotypes about Asian drivers, slurs about gay people and inappropriate remarks about Crown prosecutors. 

An RCMP code-of-conduct hearing being held at a hotel in Richmond, B.C., continued Wednesday, with Const. Philip Dick being questioned by his lawyer Anita Atwal about his reasoning for comments made over police data terminals and in an encrypted group chat.

Dick says the term “goldfish” was used to describe poor drivers who got into accidents after driving carelessly, and it “morphed” into a nickname for Asian people, who in his experience were involved in a “high percentage of” collisions.

He says the term wasn’t meant to be derogatory or malicious, but it was inappropriate and he regretted using it. 

Dick has testified that he believed the chat group with fellow officers, including Constables Ian Solven and Mersad Mesbah, was a safe and private space to share freely with friends and colleagues. 

The three officers face possible dismissal over alleged discreditable conduct for their comments in the group chats, which include allegedly sexist, racist and homophobic language targeting other police officers and members of the public. 

Atwal walked Dick through excerpts of comments made in the chats and over the data terminals, including a derogatory reference about Crown prosecutors. 

Dick replied that he was frustrated over charges not being laid, including in a case where an officer was injured, and another where a homeless person spat in the face of a city hall employee, and later breached his conditions, yet prosecutors declined to charge him. 

He said his comments were not reflective of how he conducted himself on duty. 

“When I did my job, I was always calm. I was in control. I always maintained a level of professionalism and control, but I mean at the face value when you look at these messages, it doesn’t convey that, which is very disappointing to me because I’ve let myself down in that regard.”

Dick later testified under cross-examination from a lawyer with the RCMP conduct authority, who asked about Dick’s police training. 

“Would you have learned that reputation is something that can take years to build, but can be lost in an instant?” 

“Yeah, definitely,” Dick replied. 

The hearing is scheduled for the remainder of this week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2025.