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A Calgary officer has paid the price for losing a police rifle, ammo, and notepads containing sensitive material.

Const. Stephan Baker is back on the street, but Calgary police union boss Howard Burns said the officer has been dropped within the local service in terms of rank and salary.

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“His matter’s over so there’s really no good reason why he wouldn’t be out there,” Burns said.

Baker could have been fired, Burns said, but the decision was made to cut his status and pay instead.

The rifle and ammo, along with five notepads containing public members’ information were stolen from the officer’s vehicle outside the Crowfoot Schanks bar late April 4, 2015, while the three-year veteran was inside the establishment.

The rifle — a Colt C8 semi-automatic — was recovered from a northeast Calgary home April 15.

“You spend hundreds of thousands of dollars — taxpayer dollars — training these people. Is it anyone’s best interest to fire them for a one-off mistake? No, it’s not,” Burns said.