(Aired on September 1, 2010)
Four RCMP officers. Three city employees. Two women having sex in the drunk tank. One of them apparently HIV positive.
As many times as I go over it, the math doesn't add up. Why would seven professionals, all tasked with a role in maintaining public safety, simply watch on video as two cell block occupants put themselves at risk? As much as these seven men may have been turned on by what they saw, or giggling like school children at what was unfolding before their eyes on closed circuit video cameras, it doesn't make sense.
If all of the multitude of investigations find the basic facts as reported are accurate, then all of the culpability should be placed on one man - the 20-year-veteran watch commander who was in charge when this was happening. As of this recording, the corporal's identity has not been made public. But whoever he is should have known better. He should have known to break up the party as soon as he realized what was going on. The RCMP have a pseudo-military structure, meaning junior members look to those who outrank them for leadership and decision-making. The three constables involved combined don't have as much service time as the corporal. He needed to make the call immediately, not seven minutes into the show.
RCMP E-Division says a question exists as to whether the sex was consensual. But even if it appeared consensual, the sobriety of the participants muddies the issue. If the sex had been halted before it started, the criminal investigation into whether one of the participants disclosed her HIV status would not be necessary.
Being a Mountie is a tough job. Controversies surrounding excessive force in arrests, taser use, or undercover officers shooting a man all deserve careful consideration. This case does too, but it's in another realm. Taking a break and gathering your buddies around for a little voyeurism is completely inexcusable.
Showing posts with label Kamloops RCMP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kamloops RCMP. Show all posts
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Lay Off Local RCMP on Police Shooting
(Aired on August 4, 2010)
I think people are perhaps being a little too hasty in condemning our local police for not releasing information yet regarding the shooting of a man in North Kamloops last Friday night. I've seen all sorts of comments from people asking me if we had a couple of cowboys shooting up the city, if the police were holding back because they were trying to hide things. We've had them all in the past few days.
But let's put things in perspective. This is a homicide investigation. Someone died. In any homicide, there's an investigation, and in many cases, information doesn't come out in any great detail for the first few days. Police are still looking for witnesses to interview. The pieces of the puzzle certainly aren't in place yet. And because police are involved, the situation becomes even more complicated. They want to make sure every base is covered before things are released.
And the fact is, an outside police team, including forensic investigators, have been called in to make sure the investigation is transparent. But let's get one thing clear - it's Calgary's investigation. They're the ones who are putting everything together, not the Kamloops detachment. Other than securing the scene the night of the shooting, local mounties have not been involved in this investigation. People who suggest the Calgary police shouldn't be doing the talking on this are wrong. The fact is, they are the ones who should be talking, if anyone is.
I think we have to be a bit patient here. Local police have done a lot to make themselves more transparent. It wasn't very long ago that they held a news conference to come right out and say that two officers had been charged with assault in separate incidents. They're trying to be open and honest. And I, for one, am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt. When all the facts are known and released, then let's make our judgments. It's a little early to be condemning them right now.
I think people are perhaps being a little too hasty in condemning our local police for not releasing information yet regarding the shooting of a man in North Kamloops last Friday night. I've seen all sorts of comments from people asking me if we had a couple of cowboys shooting up the city, if the police were holding back because they were trying to hide things. We've had them all in the past few days.
But let's put things in perspective. This is a homicide investigation. Someone died. In any homicide, there's an investigation, and in many cases, information doesn't come out in any great detail for the first few days. Police are still looking for witnesses to interview. The pieces of the puzzle certainly aren't in place yet. And because police are involved, the situation becomes even more complicated. They want to make sure every base is covered before things are released.
And the fact is, an outside police team, including forensic investigators, have been called in to make sure the investigation is transparent. But let's get one thing clear - it's Calgary's investigation. They're the ones who are putting everything together, not the Kamloops detachment. Other than securing the scene the night of the shooting, local mounties have not been involved in this investigation. People who suggest the Calgary police shouldn't be doing the talking on this are wrong. The fact is, they are the ones who should be talking, if anyone is.
I think we have to be a bit patient here. Local police have done a lot to make themselves more transparent. It wasn't very long ago that they held a news conference to come right out and say that two officers had been charged with assault in separate incidents. They're trying to be open and honest. And I, for one, am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt. When all the facts are known and released, then let's make our judgments. It's a little early to be condemning them right now.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
RIH Saboteur No Prophet
(Aired on June 2, 2010)
The fact that police haven't caught the person who deliberately sabotaged surgical tools at Royal Inland Hospital is unfortunate for several different reasons. First, the crime itself is serious. Had the tools made their way into the surgical theatre, they could have caused an infection. That infection could have had serious health consequences for the patient. Of course, the likelihood of that actually happening is extremely remote.
But maybe the more disappointing aspect of the story is that the person who did this is probably thinking that the point was made without any consequences. It's clear that this was done to make a point. Maybe about access to the central sterilization department or maybe about the failure to replace archaic equipment. It doesn't really matter, because there is a way to make a point, and there is a way not to make a point. RCMP and hospital authorities refuse to disclose how the tools were contaminated, presumably because whatever happened would have reinforced the culprit's objective. Credit to the police for doing that because now the point is lost in the method of delivery. All we know is that it was a criminal act that theoretically could have caused serious harm.
It looks like the culprit here has essentially gotten away with sabotaging surgical equipment. If anything can temper the disappointment, it's that the person responsible looks less like a protester or a prophet and more like a pinhead.
The fact that police haven't caught the person who deliberately sabotaged surgical tools at Royal Inland Hospital is unfortunate for several different reasons. First, the crime itself is serious. Had the tools made their way into the surgical theatre, they could have caused an infection. That infection could have had serious health consequences for the patient. Of course, the likelihood of that actually happening is extremely remote.
But maybe the more disappointing aspect of the story is that the person who did this is probably thinking that the point was made without any consequences. It's clear that this was done to make a point. Maybe about access to the central sterilization department or maybe about the failure to replace archaic equipment. It doesn't really matter, because there is a way to make a point, and there is a way not to make a point. RCMP and hospital authorities refuse to disclose how the tools were contaminated, presumably because whatever happened would have reinforced the culprit's objective. Credit to the police for doing that because now the point is lost in the method of delivery. All we know is that it was a criminal act that theoretically could have caused serious harm.
It looks like the culprit here has essentially gotten away with sabotaging surgical equipment. If anything can temper the disappointment, it's that the person responsible looks less like a protester or a prophet and more like a pinhead.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Hounding the Dealers that Dog Our City
(Aired on May 31, 2010)
When RCMP Inspector Yves Lacasse made a comment a few months back that a particular North Shore property was going to become his "personal project" in an attempt to clean up the neighbourhood, there were many people extremely happy that the police were making a crackdown on a property that was the scene of many problems relating to drug and alcohol abuse and trafficking. I don't know where Yves' mission stands right now, but I hope it's ongoing. In fact, I would recommend that other officers take on "personal projects" of their own.
Residents of another North Shore neighbourhood are up in arms about the high number of drug complaints in an area around Hilltop Avenue and Clapperton. Residents say police are always on the scene there, trying to deal with a number of complaints. And maybe this is another area that should be looked at. Maybe we should be hounding these drug dealers until they eventually get the message, if that indeed is possible. But at least hounding them incessantly will curb some of the use of drugs in those neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, it's not only the high crime areas that need attention. Even areas of the city which have low crime rates have pockets where police are constantly surveilling homes to find out who is dealing and who the customers are. It's a sad part of the increasingly prolific volume of trafficking that goes on. Years ago, police knew all the dealers and most of the customers, but the numbers are growing by leaps and bounds, as more and more people get involved in the gangs that control the drug trade, and those who get addicted. Police resources are slim, and unfortunately, taking on areas as "personal projects" are not going to be the norm.
While police can work at ridding certain neighbourhoods of some of the problem, it won't be entirely eliminated. As people are put behind bars, more people start to get involved. It's a vicious circle. Police are doing their best, but it's a never-ending task, and one that, unfortunately, is going to be tough to eliminate.
When RCMP Inspector Yves Lacasse made a comment a few months back that a particular North Shore property was going to become his "personal project" in an attempt to clean up the neighbourhood, there were many people extremely happy that the police were making a crackdown on a property that was the scene of many problems relating to drug and alcohol abuse and trafficking. I don't know where Yves' mission stands right now, but I hope it's ongoing. In fact, I would recommend that other officers take on "personal projects" of their own.
Residents of another North Shore neighbourhood are up in arms about the high number of drug complaints in an area around Hilltop Avenue and Clapperton. Residents say police are always on the scene there, trying to deal with a number of complaints. And maybe this is another area that should be looked at. Maybe we should be hounding these drug dealers until they eventually get the message, if that indeed is possible. But at least hounding them incessantly will curb some of the use of drugs in those neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, it's not only the high crime areas that need attention. Even areas of the city which have low crime rates have pockets where police are constantly surveilling homes to find out who is dealing and who the customers are. It's a sad part of the increasingly prolific volume of trafficking that goes on. Years ago, police knew all the dealers and most of the customers, but the numbers are growing by leaps and bounds, as more and more people get involved in the gangs that control the drug trade, and those who get addicted. Police resources are slim, and unfortunately, taking on areas as "personal projects" are not going to be the norm.
While police can work at ridding certain neighbourhoods of some of the problem, it won't be entirely eliminated. As people are put behind bars, more people start to get involved. It's a vicious circle. Police are doing their best, but it's a never-ending task, and one that, unfortunately, is going to be tough to eliminate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
