CHATHAM, Ont. - Two high-ranking police officers have been demoted and disciplined failing to disclose how much alcohol they were bringing back to Canada from the U.S.

Chatham-Kent Police Service staff sergeants Jeff Littlewood and Brian Biskey both pleaded guilty last month to discreditable conduct under the Police Services Act after for bringing the alcohol across Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ont., on Dec. 3, said deputy chief Clare Wiersma.

"The penalty for this misconduct was being removed from the inspector's promotional list and forfeiture of 40 hours of pay or time off," he said.

He added consequences of the penalty included Littlewood being removed as the acting inspector in charge of community patrol and being reassigned as a platoon staff sergeant. Biskey remains as a platoon staff sergeant although he had been slated to move to the professional standards section, Wiersma said.

Wiersma said the officers went to Michigan on Dec. 3 while they were off duty. While there, he said they bought 40 bottles of alcohol and two cases of beer and tried to bring them back into Canada.

Wiersma said that during their interaction with the border services officer at the primary inspection booth, they identified themselves as Chatham-Kent police officers but failed to make full disclosure about the quantity of alcohol they were importing.

Wiersma said a third party, who he didn't identify, brought the incident to the attention of the local police service in mid-December.

"People outside this service became aware of it," he said. "It brought discredit upon our service."

Both Littlewood and Biskey declined to comment.