Another cop into the sauce, and while on duty, no less. It’s about time this sort of thing started making the news.

VANCOUVER — The RCMP’s top B.C. spokesman blames an “internal communications breakdown” for his unit’s failure to learn until yesterday that yet another officer is facing impaired driving charges, and that he cannot be sure other officers in the province are not in similar legal difficulties.

The department had said in recent weeks that three Mounties were facing impaired driving charges. Meanwhile, officers from New Westminster and Vancouver police have also been charged.

But Sergeant Tim Shields, who is in charge of the strategic communications section for E Division, covering British Columbia, said the division’s professional standards branch told him yesterday there was one more case, stemming from an incident in October of 2007.

During a press briefing, Sgt. Shields said an “internal communications breakdown” fouled up the Mounties’ commitment to let the public know about officers in serious trouble.

“I found out about this incident today …. As soon as it was brought to my attention, I immediately started writing a news release and here I am standing before you three hours later,” he said.

“As the member responsible for communication for the RCMP in all of British Columbia, I personally take this very seriously and I want to ensure I do whatever is possible to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Sgt. Shields noted in a subsequent interview that the physician in charge of the force’s health-services section had told him of 51 members in recent years who had been treated for issues involving alcohol abuse at a residential treatment program that had a 100 per cent success rate.

B.C.’s Solicitor-General called the situation an “internal communication matter” for the Mounties, but said the force must properly disclose such matters.

“It is important that all police agencies be as transparent as possible in order to maintain public confidence and I am confident that the RCMP will ensure that they do that,” John van Dongen said in a statement to The Globe and Mail.

The new case involves Constable Kulwant Malhi, a 10-year member of the force facing charges of impaired driving, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.

Early on Oct. 20, 2007, an unmarked police car rear-ended a car in Richmond and fled the scene. About 30 minutes later, a motorist reported an impaired driver on a highway and followed the car to a home in Delta because no RCMP units were available to respond. Police from Delta arrested the male occupant of the vehicle.

Sgt. Shields said yesterday that Constable Malhi, 41, had finished a late shift in a plainclothes unit and was driving home in the police vehicle when the incident occurred.

He is suspended with pay, and appeared yesterday in Provincial Court in Richmond. His case was put over to Jan. 15, which is the day when another Mountie is to appear in court in connection with allegations of impaired driving related to a collision that left a 21-year-old motorcyclist dead in Tsawwassen on Oct. 25.

Sgt. Shields said there was a system of internal briefing notes to inform his section “as a matter of routine” about officers facing serious charges so that the media could be informed about them.

“There was obviously an internal communications breakdown where the communications section, the very unit responsible for communicating publicly was not informed about this incident. It’s very disappointing to me,” he said.

Check out the full story here.