A veteran Waterloo Regional Police officer who was charged with a dozen counts of misconduct has seen those charges stayed because she resigned from the organization.

Const. Deborah Bourne was suspended from active duty in November 2012.

She was charged with nine Police Services Act offences, including one count of corrupt practice, as well as two counts apiece of discreditable conduct, neglect of duty, deceit and insubordination.

Among other allegations, police claimed that Bourne had a personal relationship with somebody involved in an investigation, failed to advise her supervisor of the relationship and/or failed to complete an occurrence report, and deceived supervisors and/or failed to prepare material for court.

Further charges of discreditable conduct, insubordination and neglect of duty were eventually added to the tally, in relation to a police allegation that Bourne lost a USB drive containing evidence.

At no point was she charged with any criminal offences.

Bourne worked for Waterloo Regional Police for 25 years, a spokesperson for the organization said.

That association came to an end Aug. 2, when she resigned her position – just three days before a scheduled hearing into her case.

As a result, all 12 charges were stayed.

They could be reinstated if Bourne is hired to work as a police officer in the next five years – but otherwise, the truth of what Bourne did to merit the laying of the charges will likely never come out publicly.

“If you’re no longer a police officer … the legislation no longer applies, so the process dies right there,” explains Chris Lewis, CTV’s public safety analyst and a former commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Bourne isn’t expected to face criminal charges either. If police believe there is reason to lay criminal charges against an officer, those charges are typically laid around the same time as the Police Services Act ones.

“Police officers are held to a higher level of accountability … and as such they are accountable to the Police Services Act, which is separate from criminal charges,” said Waterloo Regional Police spokesperson Alana Holtom.

Potential penalties under the Police Services Act include loss of pay, suspension, demotion and dismissal.

Typically, Lewis said, Police Services Act charges laid without accompanying criminal charges are sign of infractions “less serious” than criminal ones.

“If you … yelled and swore at somebody you were dealing with as a police officer, you could be convicted under the Police Services Act,” he said.

Between the start of her suspension in November 2012 and her resignation earlier this month, Bourne sat on paid suspension.

During that time, Waterloo Regional Police say, she received $260,940.49 in salary and $69,772.55 in benefits.

Police chiefs, including Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin, have lobbied the provincial government to allow for suspensions without pay to be levied at a chief’s discretion.

Critics of that proposal have argued it could allow chiefs to wield undue influence over the disciplinary process.

Deborah Bourne, who was never charged with criminal offences and whose resignation pre-empted any conviction or acquittal under the Police Services Act, declined to comment for this story.