Windsor

Windsor police officer charged with criminal harassment, suspended with pay

A Windsor police officer has been arrested and charged with harassment related to off-duty communications, Windsor police said Wednesday.

Smith is the second Windsor police officer to have charges made public in 2 days

A building with that says "Windsor police headquarters."
Windsor police headquarters in downtown Windsor is seen in a file photo. (Mike Evans/CBC)

A Windsor police officer has been arrested and charged with harassment — just a day after it became public another officer was charged in an off-duty incident.

Const. Joshua Smith was arrested on Monday, Sept. 25. He has been charged with criminal harassment, indecent communications and harassing communications, Windsor police said in a media release Wednesday. 

Police say Smith and the victim are known to each other and the alleged harassment occurred off-duty.

Smith has been suspended with pay while under investigation, police said.

Smith has been a member of the Windsor Police Service for five years. Police say they will not release further information on Smith's arrest, and did not specify when the alleged harassment occurred. 

Smith is expected to appear in court on Nov. 3. 

It comes after Windsor police Sgt. Deler Bal was charged over the weekend with three counts of assault related to an off-duty incident while members of the force were in Ottawa over the weekend.

At an unrelated press conference on Wednesday morning, Drew Dilkens, Windsor mayor and chair of the police services board, said he could not comment on Bal's charges. 

"Clearly there is a matter before the courts that involves an officer and I am not able to speak to that," Dilkens said.

When pressed, Dilkens said the police board has not met since the alleged incident involving Bal.