New Westminster police spokesman Sgt. Ivan Chu says the public was not notified about an officer being charged and suspended because the alleged offences happened in another jurisdiction. (CBC)

A New Westminster police officer has been suspended with pay after being charged with assault and unlawfully being in a dwelling, a police spokesman said Monday.

Const. Sukhwinder Dosanjh was off duty when the alleged offences occurred four months ago in Port Moody, B.C., New Westminster Police Service spokesman Sgt. Ivan Chu said. He did not give further details of the alleged crimes committed.

"The reason we've come public with it now is that we have media enquiries since the latest impaired driving event involving police officers in the Lower Mainland," Chu told CBC News in a telephone interview.

"The media also found out that we have a current police officer under suspension so they want to know why."

Chu said the public was not notified about the case earlier because the police department does not comment on criminal investigations, and the alleged offences happened in another jurisdiction.

Last week, the media reported that a female officer with the New Westminster Police Service is facing a charge of impaired driving following a single-vehicle accident nearly three weeks ago in North Vancouver.

Const. Tomi Hamner, 47, was driving an unmarked police vehicle on Oct. 18 when it struck a sign on Highway 1 near Westview Drive. She was off duty when the crash took place.

The police vehicle was "damaged and not driveable," and the officer was asked to provide two breath samples, RCMP Cpl. Peter Thiessen said last Thursday.

Hamner was released on a promise to appear in North Vancouver Provincial Court on Dec. 17.

She was the school liaison at New Westminster Secondary School but has been re-assigned. Her new position is not known.