Mayor thinks office 'bugged'

Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson has gone to police over fears his office in city hall might have been bugged — behaviour called out as "paranoid and delusional" by one of his city council colleagues.

Mounties confirmed the complaint was received. They said the investigation is closed and no charges are being recommended.

Hamer-Jackson said he became suspicious his office had been bugged after Coun. Bill Sarai sent him a short audio clip — a sound bite the mayor says is from an argument the two had at city hall nearly two years ago.

The argument happened in January of 2023 and was overheard by some city employees, sparking a third-party investigation which concluded Hamer-Jackson was disrespectful or demeaning to certain staff members.

Hamer-Jackson claimed Sarai sent him the sound clip in late September of this year, before telling the mayor “he was glad that somebody forwarded him the audio.”

Hamer-Jackson told Castanet Kamloops he believed the phrasing used by Sarai suggested the office was bugged by someone who had then obtained a recording of the January argument.

He said he asked Sarai three times whether the mayor’s office was bugged and didn’t get an answer.

“I don't know if the city staff have a copy of it," he said.

"At that time, I'm thinking somebody bugged my office — because he wouldn’t tell me if my office was bugged, and he clearly said that somebody forwarded the audio. Well, we were the only two in the office."

Mayor goes to Mounties

Hamer-Jackson said he went to the police about it, concerned a criminal offence had taken place.

“I filed the file, because I'm like, ‘Holy man, you know, my office is bugged or what?’ So even though I'm the mayor and the CEO and I'm a peace officer as the mayor, Coun. Sarai told me that somebody forwarded that audio,” he said.

In a statement emailed to Castanet Kamloops, RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley said an investigation was carried out after a complaint was received by police in late September “related to concerns about the interception of private communications from an incident which occurred in January 2023.”

Pelley did not name any individuals involved in the complaint, citing privacy legislation.

“The investigation has been completed and no charge recommendations will be forthcoming as a result," the statement reads.

"The details and reasoning related to the investigation’s conclusion have been discussed with the parties involved.”

'Paranoid and delusional'

When reached by Castanet Kamloops, Sarai said he had been made aware that Hamer-Jackson filed a complaint with police about the mayor's office being bugged.

“He's asked me a few times if it's bugged. I have no idea, nor should I know — and I highly unlikely think it's bugged. I think he's just paranoid and delusional lately,” Sarai said.

“I don't know what to say. I'm not wasting any more time trying to figure out what he's thinking or what he's saying.”

Sarai would not comment further. He said there are “better things to talk about.”

Hamer-Jackson told Castanet Kamloops he still thinks his office might be bugged.

“I think there’s a possibility that a lot of things could be happening here,” he said, adding he thinks people are going in and out of his office.

“I had the locks changed and stuff like that, but there's still people going in and out of my office — and I'm not getting any answers to who's going in and out of my office.”

The mayor's office is in the process of being moved to the basement of city hall, which councillors say is necessary to protect staff from bullying and harassment.