VANCOUVER — Fifteen male officers and civilian employees at the Vancouver Police Department have been caught sending or viewing inappropriate material including pornography.

Supt. Jeff Sim says the images range from something you might see on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine to something you would have to search for on the Internet -- but none of it was illegal.

Sim says sending and receiving such emails breaches the department's internal and Internet policies.

Chief Jim Chu says the officers in the organization should be concentrating on work and shouldn't be using department computers for distractions or inappropriate emails.

Chu says some of those involved have already been disciplined, with punishments ranging from written reprimands to transfers and suspensions.

Police began their investigation last August after stumbling onto the issue while looking for the source of a police leak to the media.