Catch and Release Doesn't Work for Drunks

(Aired on October 13, 2010)

If you get picked up for being drunk or passed out in public, you can go to one of two places.  You can go to the emergency room if your medical condition is serious enough.  Or you can go to the drunk tank.

If you are sent to the drunk tank in RCMP cells, you will essentially be left there to sober up.  Every now and then a guard will check up on you, make sure you're doing okay, and give you a meal.  When it's deemed you are back in your right mind, you are released.  It sounds like I know this from personal experience, but in fact, there has been so much made public concerning drunk tank policy lately that we all probably know, whether we've stayed a night in the clink or not.

A deficiency in the drunk tank system is being played out in a coroner's inquest this week, as a jury hears about the tragic demise of Stanley Cardinal after being lodged in cells last year.  The recent sex in cells in controversy also reveals problems with the system. 

What the E.R. and the drunk tank have in common is that they are both "catch and release."  Once you're done, you're done, and off you go.  But a lot of the time, if you get picked up for being drunk or passed out in public, it's not an isolated incident.  You'll be back.  That's why catch and release isn't necessarily appropriate.

Elsewhere in the province, communities have been setting up sobering centres.  At a sobering centre, a person picked up passed out is set up with the programs that will get them on the road to recovery.  I'd like to see this become the norm, rather than a rarity.  Even during fishing season, it sounds a lot better than catch and release.

RCMP Voyeurism Inexcusable

(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.

Pickton Revelation Must Lead to Reforms

(Aired on August 20, 2010)

Some columnists in Kamloops like to tee off on the police, whether it's individual officers or entire forces.  They pile on to any error or abuse of power - whether real or perceived - with hysterical, mouth-frothing fervor.  And while that response is hardly as rational and measured as it should be, a report on the Robert Pickton investigation released today makes it hard to remain calm.

The report stated between the time Vancouver Police forwarded a report on Pickton to Coquitlam RCMP and the time he was arrested, 13 women went missing from the Downtown Eastside.  11 of those were later linked to Pickton's farm.

You may think this is yet another reason to tar the RCMP.  That's partially true, but the review says both police forces are to blame.  It says both forces committed errors that prevented an arrest of Pickton until 2002.  There have long been loud questions as to why police didn't take the Pickton situation seriously much sooner.  Now we have a few more answers to those questions.

RCMP have been taking it on the chin for quite some time now.  And nothing seems to be able to stem the litany of embarrassments for the national force.  Today's announcement shouldn't phase the Mounties; it should be like water off a duck's back.  Vancouver Police looking bad, however, is another story.

If this should teach us anything, it's that there are problems with law enforcement in general - not just the RCMP.  A public inquiry is necessary, followed by sweeping reforms.  It's one thing for four cowboys to zap an exhausted Polish man at an airport with a taser.  It's quite another for almost a dozen women to die thanks to an inter-office foul-up.  Something has to change.

RCMP Not the Root of Policing Problems

(Aired on August 16, 2010)

I think we need to have a long look before we make any hasty decisions about doing away with the RCMP in our province. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association has been touring the province getting input on what to do about the police situation in B.C. The RCMP contract is coming up for renewal and there are many who seem to feel that a 20-year renewal of the contract is not in our best interests. But I say let's have a good look before we move into something that may seem better, but has a lot of potential for failure.

Some who are against renewal say there is no hope of getting confidence back in the RCMP, that the force's brass needs a major overhaul, and that it's time for a provincial force. They would point to a number of complaints against the police handling of cases, excessive force by members and so on. But those complaints would probably not diminish with a provincial force. There are lots of complaints against officers in the Vancouver police force, just as many issues surrounding the handling of crimes and criminals. Is the real problem not the force, but the overall way we handle policing in general in this country?

For every person upset with excessive force, there is at least one more who is upset that the police aren't tough enough on criminals. For every complaint against an RCMP officer, there is a story about what a great job they do.

My impression is that it's a case of the selection committee choosing appropriate officers as opposed to the force itself. And that's the problem with any police force. I don't agree with Stewart Philip of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs very often, but I think he hit the nail on the head when he talked about the fact that some of these older veterans, who have an interest in establishing relationships, are retiring and some of the newer members don't have the same inclination. Relationships are big, and that's what needs to be fostered. If we don't do that, it doesn't matter what kind of police force we have. It won't work.

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.

Circumstances Surrounding Giles' Death Shouldn't Tarnish His Life

(Aired on May 19, 2010)

It may seem odd to you that we are devoting time to reporting on a man's suicide today.  It may seem just as odd that RCMP held a special news conference this morning to address a man's suicide.  Gord Giles took his own life last week, a tragedy that has shocked and saddened the entire community.  I can completely see why the public would feel that the police news conference this morning was inappropriate, and would find the media's coverage the same.  But in fact, the response is the right thing to do.

Police have a general policy against reporting suicides and the same holds true for those of us in the news media.  It's an incredibly sensitive subject and one that is extremely difficult for a family to deal with - even without publicity.

However, circumstances like those that surround Giles' death dictate that it can't be kept quiet.  RCMP had no choice but to talk about the investigation into Giles' activities and the resulting admission of guilt.  The question surrounding the man's death would then become unavoidable.  This morning's news conference dealt with the entire sad situation respectfully and with dignity.  It also did not shy away from the wrongdoing that preceded.  Inspector Yves Lacasse and Mayor Peter Milobar should receive a great deal of credit for that. 

It also must be said that Gord's family wanted the press conference to happen, and participated in it.  They had heard some of the nasty rumours that had started making the rounds and they wisely determined that putting those rumours to rest was the right thing to do.  They will deal with the pain of the public scrutiny today but won't have to endure outrageous rumours ever again.

The rest of us should not let tragic end of Gord's life affect the way we remember him.  Though he did make a mistake, he was a proud and good man, and worked harder than most of us to make Kamloops a community to be proud of.

RCMP Right to Take Caution

(Aired on April 28, 2010)

When an RCMP officer discharges his or her sidearm, it's hard to say what's the more frightening prospect for the officer - the incident itself or the aftermath. 

Yesterday, a Mountie was forced to fire on a suspect after that suspect used a car to ram the officer.  The suspect was hit in the shoulder and was injured.  He'll have to deal with the court system and shouldn't expect an easy ride.  But the officer doesn't simply get to go home and forget about it.  In addition to the emotional trauma of having to shoot at someone in defence of your own life, it's likely this officer will have to relive the tail again and again for the investigators looking into it.

In the interests of impartiality and fairness, local mounties have called in colleagues from Kelowna and Saskatchewan to handle the investigation.  They do it out of an abundance of caution.  After all, there has been no shortage of incidents lately where the Mounties have had to investigate themselves, and impartiality is always a concern.  The RCMP is a brotherhood of sorts, and there will always be the tendency to close ranks around their own.  On the flip side, it would be nearly impossible for police officers to carry out their jobs if they didn't feel their colleagues would have their backs.

The member involved in this shooting may have times during the investigation when he feels like the suspicion is focusing on him - even when he feels he was just doing his job.  But bringing in outside officials to examine this incident is the right move.  Firing a sidearm has to be a last resort for law enforcement officers.  It should be done out of an abundance of caution, and that's also what should be used to investigate it.