A veteran Regina officer is facing criminal charges for allegedly using internal police databases to pursue personal and intimate relationships with multiple women over a lengthy period of time.
Sergeant Robert Eric Semenchuck, 53, was arrested on Tuesday on Criminal Code charges of breach of trust and unauthorized use of a computer. Regina police have released a photograph of Sgt. Semenchuck, and are urging anyone with additional information to come forward to the service’s Professional Standards investigators.
Regina police have released a photograph of Robert Eric Semenchuck, and are urging anyone with additional information to come forward to the service’s Professional Standards investigators.Regina Police Service
“Some of the affected people or witnesses out there may not know him by his name, but they may recognize him by his face,” said Regina Police Chief Farooq Sheikh, speaking at a news conference in Regina on Thursday morning.
Chief Sheikh said the investigation into Sgt. Semenchuck began after a member of the public came forward in 2023, prompting an extensive investigation and, ultimately, the criminal charges. Chief Sheikh wouldn’t say exactly how many women are affected, but that he expects more may come forward with the release of Sgt. Semenchuck’s photograph.
He said in some cases Sgt. Semenchuck may have made contact with the women through a call for service, “but majority of them, I don’t think he knew them.”
Chief Sheikh said he didn’t want to go into much detail before the court case. “There are multiple people that are affected by this.”
Sgt. Semenchuck’s first court appearance is slated for April 22.
Sgt. Semenchuck grew up in Regina, but started policing with the Calgary Police Service. He worked in Calgary for five years before moving back to Saskatchewan to join the Regina Police Service in early 2003. A newspaper story about police recruits at the time quoted Sgt. Semenchuck saying he’d moved back to Regina to be closer to his family.
“I had a lot of opportunities out there, personally and careerwise, however in the big picture, family was more important than staying there,” he was quoted as saying.
Sgt. Semenchuck was promoted to sergeant in 2014, and received the Police Exemplary Service Medal from the Governor-General in 2018. At the time, then-Regina Police chief Evan Bray said the medal was awarded for 20 years of police service characterized by “good conduct, industry and efficiency that serves as a model for others.” He described the officers who received the medal as, “Leaders, all.”
Police say Sgt. Semenchuck spent a large portion of his career at the Regina Police Service in plainclothes investigative units that handle complex investigations, including auto theft and robbery.
Chief Sheikh said Sgt. Semenchuck has been suspended with pay since the allegations were brought forward two years ago, and also lost access to all police databases at that time.
“He’s still a member at this moment, like I said earlier. I’m going to be sitting down with my senior leaders and the legal team to review the entire case now that he’s been charged, to consider what things are open to us as a police service, going forward,” he said.
He said no other police officers are implicated in the allegations against Sgt. Semenchuck, but that the situation led to the introduction of new audit systems last May, which include random checks and a warning that officers have to read about accessing database information for unlawful purposes.
“You know, police services around the country and around the world have seen similar instances like this,” he said, noting the recent case of Calgary Police Service officer Brett Singer, who is wanted on the same charges. “So it has happened before, but we’re making sure here, as an organization, that we really tighten up on all our audits, our random checking, so it doesn’t happen again.”
He said police also want to reassure the public that they take every complaint seriously.
“And if it means that we have to charge a member and put them before court, we’re willing to do that, like we’ve done here today,” he said.