A disciplinary hearing hands Hamilton police Sgt Helena Pereira her punishment

Sergeant Helena Pereira should get the chip off her shoulder if she wants her Hamilton police career to continue, that’s according to the adjudicator in her police service act proceeding. More than two years after she was found guilty of professional misconduct under the police services act, Pereira was handed her punishment.

She’ll remain a sergeant but Pereira will be officially reprimanded; she has to take remedial use of force training and she’ll lose 74 hours of vacation time. She is on a medical leave and did not hear her punishment in person.

The years-long process was based on two incidents from 2013. She was guilty of discreditable conduct because she didn’t avoid a conflict of interest when her cousin was arrested on drug charges. She was also guilty of using too much force when she interceded in a situation being handled by other officers and pushed a drunk prisoner into a cell. In that case she was also guilty of insubordination because she wasn’t in uniform or clearly wearing id.

Morris Elbers said Pereira came across as stubborn and didn’t express any remorse or apology for the actions that led to her discipline. She believes she’s being unfairly targeted because of a previous, unrelated complaint against the service. The Police Association, which represented Pereira, disagrees.