Police Issue Gang Warning

The police have issued a public gang warning that was featured on the front page of the Vancouver Sun, the Vancouver Province and the Surrey Leader. After the nit wit was shot in Surrey, the police are now publicly saying that anyone associated with the Duhre and Dhak gangs could be in danger. No kidding. They're selling drugs in the Hells Angels territory. I think the police do mean well, I just think they simply aren't getting it.

We've talked about legal liability and the police's duty to warn the public of known gang members like they would warn the public of a known sex offender. This "warning" doesn't fit the bill. I'll spell it out one more time but it's beginning to feel like banging my head against the wall.

Let's look back at the public rally in Bear Creek Park in memory of Chris Mohan and Ed Schellenberg where they released doves in memory of loved ones lost to gang violence. Eileen Mohan made a public appeal for a web site to identify known gang members. Every time we hear about another gang shooting we hear it's OK the suspect was known to the police. The point is, if they are known to the police they should be known to the public.

Had the police issued a public warning about the Red Scorpions before the Surrey Six murder, that really would not have saved Chris Mohan's life. They didn't know Red Scorpions were living next door. To fulfill the police's duty to warn they have to name members of the gangs.

Obviously everyone on Cheech and Chong's Duhre Dhak list isn't safe. Well who are the members of the Duhre Dhak's drug network? If they are known to the police, they should be known to the public. If I'm told that someone I'm living next door to, or do business with, or someone my daughter is dating is a member of the Duhre Dhak drug network, then I can take measures to prevent being victimized by gang violence. If I don't know who the members of these gangs are, the warning is pointless.

I do think the police are worried about getting sued by gang members. In the printed edition of the Vancouver Province article there was a disclaimer about the police's warning was permitted because of the privacy act. Personally, I think they should put the entire Bar Watch Registry online just like Bait Cars dot com. Unfortunately, that might create law suits. Yet naming an individual and saying he has been charged with drug trafficking is not unlawful nor is it slander.

Darryl Plecas said that although the warning may not be useful to the public, It really is a sign that police are on top of this. Yeah right. Well they sure aren't on top of it when someone says the Hells Angels are no longer a threat to public safety and don't even have chapter status in Kelowna any more. That is so far out of touch with reality it is suspect.

How about a public warning that anyone standing next to Larry Amero or Hal Porteous is in danger of getting caught in the crossfire? If the police claim that the Duhre Daiquiri's are in opposition to the Hells Angels, then it's pretty obvious the Hells Angels are the ones putting the public at risk by shooting at these tools in public.

I say tools because Khun-Khun is an idiot. His own family doesn't trust him for good reason. His fiance mysteriously fell out of the car he was driving and died. He claimed it was an accident and his in laws didn't believe him. So he jumps in front of a truck in a suicide attempt. He said his deceased fiancee let him live and that was a sign. A sign from who? A sign that he's an idiot for jumping in front of a truck. This guy is not a high level drug dealer. The only connection the Duhre Daiquiri's might have to the Kelowna shooting is that they are buying their drugs off of the UN who are a lot more capable than they are.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

The Police's Duty to Warn

A reader asked me what I meant by the police's legal obligation regarding their duty to warn so I thought I'd explain. It's rooted within the Jane Doe VS Metropolitan Toronto Commissioners of Police decision. In that case the police failed to warn the public after they realized a serial rapist was on the loose.

Jane Doe was one of the Balcony Rapists victims after four other women were targeted in similar circumstances. She sued the police for their negligence in warning the public about a serial rapist as well as their statutory duty to protect the public from criminal activity. She won and was awarded $220,000.00 in damages.

My use of the term duty to warn with regards to gang activity was simply a quote when Kim Bolan used the term regarding the recent shooting victim in Surrey. She said: "The 24-year-old has a history of police that stretches back to his late teens. When a gunman opened fire about 9:30 p.m. Friday, he was with others who have been the subject of police “duties to warn” because there are others out there that want them dead. The victim remains in critical condition. He is currently out on bail on trafficking charges."

On that subject, the only people I remember the police issuing a public warning about was the Bacon brothers and that came from the Port Moody Police so I am keenly interested in who the others the victim was with that were subjects of a duty to warn and are still loose in the community. Jonathon Bacon is dead. Jammie Bacon is in prison and I have no idea where Jarrod Bacon is. Who these other friends that were with the victim that have been the previous subject of a police duty to warn is clearly a matter of public safety. The police should not be withholding that information from the public.

What if someone living next door to them is not aware of the warning? What if one of their family members is shot dead in the cross fire when the gangs come looking for their neighbour? That family shouldn't have to sue the police for a wrongful death and for being negligent in their duty to warn. The police should do it because it's the right thing to do.

In the police's defense I will concede they are likely worried about their legal liabilities from both sides. More so from the criminal suing them then the law biding citizen suing them which happens much more often. The person who was shot in Surrey is well known to police and has was released on bail for drug trafficking. Releasing that name to the public is not a breach of his privacy rights. If he has been charged with a crime, it is not unlawful to state so. Gordon Campbell was charged with DUI in Hawaii. It is not slander to say that.

The fact that this drug trafficker was shot at in Surrey and the people he was with were the subject of a police duty to warn because people out there wanted them dead and they are now at large, that increases the legal liability ten fold. The citizens of Surrey should not have to file a class action lawsuit against the police for failing to maintain their duty to warn. The police should do it because it's the right thing to do. How can the police build bridges of trust with the community when they are still knowingly alienating them? That is why I say we have come one step forward and two steps back. If find it profoundly disappointing.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Diary of a Vancouver beat Cop

There's been a few stories in the news about a new blog by Steve Addison called Diary of a Vancouver beat Cop. It's being billed as a new voice for the Downtown Eastside.

He claims Members of the Vancouver Police Department have a history of being on the cutting edge when it comes to using media to educate and inform people about the tragic and wasted lives on the Downtown Eastside. Indeed they have.

Sgt. Toby Hinton, (Ret.) Const. Al Arsenault and the rest of the Odd Squad led the way with Through a Blue Lens, produced in 1999 by the National Film Board of Canada. The officers carried video cameras on the beat to document the existence of several Downtown Eastside residents and their fight to survive.

I think highlighting the problems of East Van is a good thing. I don't think handing out free crack pipes to mental patients on the street is the humane solution to closing down mental institutions.

The other extreme I'd like to cite is the concept that some police claim that the 'Void' in drug underworld cause of biker war in Winnipeg. Just as the VPD want to highlight the social problems in the Downtown East side, I want to highlight the misconceptions that enforcement is wrong and being enablers is right. That is absurd.

The biker war between the Rock Machine and the Hells Angels support clubs was not because the police cracked down on the Hells Angels and the Zig Zag crew. It was because the Hells angels killed one of their own to let the Ontario Hells Angels take over the drug trade in Thompson Manitoba. That created an internal rift where Hells Angels members crossed over to the Rock Machine and fought back.

It had absolutely nothing to do with making Hells angel and Rock Machine arrests. If the Hells angels hadn't killed one of their own, they all would still be working for the Hells angels even after the Zig Zag crew were arrested.

Enforcement is not wrong. It is a civic duty. When you see the problems of the Downtown East Side you can see that enabling addiction is not humane. Giving an alcoholic alcohol is not the answer. Neither is letting the Hells angels have a monopoly on the drug trade and profit from all that exploitation.

The Hells Angels are recreating the social problems in the Downtown East side in smaller communities across the province and across the country. This greed driven exploitation needs to stop. We need to pull together to address the problem and over come it. It all begins with enforcement. That is the New York model. Letting crack dealers sell crack in public is morally wrong. We need to target the dealers not the addicts.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

RCMP Officer accused of sexual assault

The other article in the Vancouver Province I was commenting on was the Mountie Sex Suit where a high ranking RCMP officer, Staff-Sgt. Travis Pearson, has been accused of sexually assaulting a female officer. It is frighteningly familiar to the Colonel Wing Nut case and many others where someone in a position of authority abuses that position to pressure someone vulnerable into a sexual relationship.



We can't discuss this case because we don't have the evidence before us but we can discuss the article because it raises several important points. Here we have a female RCMP officer claiming she was raped and pressured into a relationship by one of her superiors. Those allegations are either true or false. Either way it is very disturbing.



Seemingly the VPD investigated the case but the VPD investigator concluded the evidence did not support the complaint and no charges were laid. The victim claims the VPD detective failed to contact relevant medical experts or adequately consider evidence about alleged inappropriate conduct by Pearson in connection with two other female officers, and several municipal employees, including an alleged relationship “which had elements in common with [Gastaldo’s] complaint.”



If that is true it does indeed establish a pattern of abusive behavior. Her lawyer claims “When you have police officers investigating police officers there is always issues that are held up, and really this is the type of thing that needs to be investigated by a civilian arm.”



That is basically what we have been saying all along. We need a civilian agency to monitor police complaints. However, this case does raise a dilemma. Can civilians investigate criminal charges? After all, if someone wants to press criminal charges against anyone, the police must be involved to investigate. Can civilians investigate criminal charges? It is indeed very problematic.



I completely agree we need a civilian agency to investigate police complaints. Yet all police complaints would likely involve criminal activity. If they have been accused of using excessive force, that would constitute assault. In this case, if someone is accused of rape, that would also involve criminal charges.



Obviously civilians do not have the power to lay criminal charges. They do however have the authority to make recommendations to the crown and they can over see disciplinary courts. When the Delta police investigated the Kelowna mountie who kicked the suspect in the face when he was on his knees, they recommended criminal charges be laid. That is the same thing a civilian agency could do.



It is possible that the VPD did a thorough investigation and sincerely did believe that there was not enough evidence to pursue charges. The victim was married. The complaint surfaced when her husband found text messages of a sexual nature on his wife's phone. No doubt the defense would argue they were in a consensual relationship i.e. she was having an affair and told her husband she was raped. Possible but no more possible than the possibility that she was indeed raped and her eventual submission “was directly related to his authority over her and the command culture of the RCMP.”



Indeed the command culture of the RCMP is something that needs to be looked at. Yet if the guy was raping her, you'd think he wouldn't be texting her incriminating evidence. Unless he was just another wacko that got off on weird stuff. I'm certainly not going to minimize the case and say the victim is lying because she might not be. If what she says is true and her allegations are supported by other witnesses who experienced similar abuse then that does need to be investigated by a civilian agency. In fact it is. A civil court is investigating the matter. Hopefully due process will prevail.



I still don't think this case is enough reason to disband the RCMP. Create a civilian agency yes. Examine the command culture of the RCMP yes but disband it no. We don't disband the education system because a teacher sexually assaults a student. Likewise, we don't dissolve transit because a bus driver has an accident under the influence.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Regional Police Force

Locally, John Ferry wrote an article in the Vancouver Province calling for a Metro police force that he hopes will solve all the world's problems. Obviously, that's going to generate a knee jerk reaction from the RCMP. Personally I don't see a metro police force in BC being the solution to anything. Point granted it works in Ontario. But this isn't Ontario. Ontario has a much larger population base.



Take Surrey for example. We don't have City police in Surrey, we have the RCMP. In fact, the RCMP musical ride is part of our historical tradition in Surrey. For us to give up the RCMP would be like trading in a longstanding historical tradition for a mall cop. I don't think we want a Regional police force in Surrey.



Although there is merit in the concern that our current system is fragmented, let's think about how it got that way. Vancouver wanted it's own police force. So they made one. The same with Delta and New Westminster. They wanted more control over their own policing so that is what they decided to do. I don't think those cities want to give up their control over their own police forces.



Then comes the issue of unionization. Some people love unions, some people hate them. The feeling that I get from the RCMP is that they prefer not to be unionized. That is their choice. Just like it's Vancouver's right to chose unionization.



Personally, I'm an idealist. I support the historical tradition and the values portrayed within the RCMP. I'll be the first one to agree the RCMP needs help. Everyone likes to cite the taser incident at the airport over and over and claim that is proof why we need a regional police force. But it's not. VPD has had it's share of police brutality complaints. The use of force instructer in New Westminster got drunk and robbed a newspaper deliveryman with two of his buddies.



What we do need in BC is a civilian agency that monitors police complaints. That is a given. It needs to oversee all policing in the province not just one force. The taser incident in the airport is over rated. Yes it was an absolute tragedy. Yes the police misused the taser. Remember it's the airport. With all this terrorist frenzy it isn't surprising the police over reacted in a call to make the peace in the airport.



Saying that a regional police force would have prevented the Vancouver riot is somewhat absurd. Yes the police were under prepared. We just came off the Olympic high. We didn't really think the mob would flip to the other extreme so fast over something so senseless. That certainly doesn't mean we want to march around with the SS breaking into homes and removing civil liberties. Jim Chu is a good man. I still think he would be perfect at the head of the RCMP if he so chose. Yet perhaps a better choice would be to promote someone from within. Having a civilian lead the RCMP is kind of like having a civilian be a general in the army.



I like the idea of speaking with an RCMP officer in Surrey from Quebec. I like the idea of an RCMP officer from Surrey serving in Quebec as well. One of the problems with a City police force is stagnation. I think working main and Hastings for your entire career could get you down after a while. I think having the option to transfer out would be good and I think giving other officers the chance to work Main and Hastings would be a eye opener for them as well.



Perhaps the best way to over come the fragmented system is to have the various agencies work together. Imagine that. As long as there is the threat of doing away with the RCMP or having VPD give up it's control of it's policing, all the agencies get territorial and protective. Let's keep the status quo and encourage more interaction between the forces.



Ontario's Biker Enforcement Unit came out to Langley when the Whiterock Hells Angels had a party there. Why can't RCMP officers go on an exchange with VPD officers and visa versa. By building those kinds of relationships you break down the walls of ignorance and stereotypes and you promote interaction. It's like I've got a friend in the VPD I trust so I can share information with him or visa versa.



I think we should preserve the RCMP. I do think Stephen Harper spending millions on promoting the RCMP "brand" while at the same time cutting funding for the RCMP and the Gang Task Force is hypocritical and bizarre. Yet preserving good traditions helps us carve out and retain our unique identity as a nation.



It's like Paul Gross in the TV Series Due South. Ya gotta love that optimistic Dudley Do Right naivety the character portrayed. Seeing the RCMP on police boats in Pitt Lake was inspiring. It's like the adage of how the Mountie always gets his man. It reminded me of seeing a police presence in Surrey Central complete with volunteers, a mobile command center and auxiliary police officers on quads for chasing down suspects in Surrey parks. That was awesome. Let's preserve our heritage and not trade it in for mall cops. This is our home. That makes it worth fighting for.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Pat Fogarty: Which side is he on?

For someone who is in charge of the BC Gang Task force, this guy is making some pretty outrageous statements. He told the Kelowna Daily courier that "There is no Wolf Pack. I don't know where people get that type of information. Probably the real truth is they were holidaying up there."



We know where that information came from. Kim Bolan doesn't report something unless she is confident in the reliability of the source. The denial is puzzling. That's not the only outrageous statement Pat Fogarty has made.



Patman claims "The Hells Angels chapter has almost dismantled now. They don‘t even have club status any more. Our biggest fear here in our province is actually the ones that aren‘t named."



"We‘ve pounded them here (Lower Mainland). Most of the RCMP resources initially were here and that was coupled with more competition, less market share. It‘s almost like the big wigs survive in Vancouver area and push out other ones or factions of bigger groups start up field offices elsewhere because they can make additional money."



The Gang Task force has done absolutely nothing to curb or curtail the Hells angels drug trade in East Vancouver. Nothing. Last night I saw two Harley's parked in from of the Black Door and the Bulldog cafe which the police let the Hells Angels operate freely. The Hells angels are taking the profits they make in East Van and live the good life in Kelowna as a result.



They also expand their drug trade into smaller communities like Vernon, Kamloops, Prince George and Dawson Creek. The drug trade in these smaller towns is controlled by the Hells angels. This leader of the gang task force is lying. It reminds me of that retired police officer from Vancouver Island who kept sending in letters to the editor saying what wonderful people the Hells angels are. They just beat Dain Phillips to death with baseball bats and hammers for God's sake.



If we are going to pay the gang task force with tax dollars to stop the gangs in BC, we need a new leader of that task force. Either that or change the members of the gang task force who are giving him that false information. If we don't, we're never going to make a dent in the gang war.



You don't solve the gang war by going after all the hells angels competition and let them control everything. Letting them torture addicts for drug debts is wrong. No wonder the VPD thought the security of the AG's office was compromised.



The Jones brother's indictment and the Robert Shannon conviction show that the Hells angels control all the grow ops and all the crack dealers in the cross border pot for cocaine drug trafficking ring. Focusing on the ones who are not named will not stop the ring because they will just find another mule. It's the Hells angels who control and profit from it.



One blog reader pointed out that J Edgar Hoover said there was no mafia. Turned out he was being blackmailed by them.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Night Club Racism

This three part documentary is from Calgary but I've heard similar stories here. I find it very disturbing. Private businesses are allowed to be racist? That just isn't right. The police are being paid by the nightclub to enforce racism. Insane. This clip is of a cop punching a black guy in the head when he is on the ground, handcuffed and not resisting arrest. These acts diminish us as human beings.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

The RCMP Pension Scandal

I'm trying to understand the nature of the RCMP Pension scandal. A lot of political posturing and accusations have been thrown back and forth but it's important to get to the root of the problem in order to fix it. It is essential to do so if we are to restore and preserve the integrity of the RCMP.

CBC reports that several years ago the RCMP tried to privatize or outsource the administration of it's pension and insurance fund to "save money." OK that's a big red flag right there. A reoccurring problem of fraud is revealed whenever government uses the word privatization to circumvent public accountability. Enron is the prime example. Likewise, the privatization of the RCMP Pension was met with similar misappropriated corruption. Every big corporation wants to get it's greedy little mitts on it's employees pension.

CTV claims the RCMP's human resources branch may have improperly diverted some of the money from the members' insurance fund to shore up other budgets. One blogger claims the RCMP has never been accountable to the public.

If we are going to restore and protect the integrity of the RCMP we need to do so by making it publicly accountable. That doesn't mean make a verbally abusive civilian the RCMP Commissioner. Civilian agencies created to investigate police complaints are essential. Yet a civilian commissioner is like having a civilian general. It doesn't make sense. Elliot is stepping down this summer. John McKay would make a good replacement as would Jim Chu.

To restore and protect the RCMP's integrity we need to:

1) Fix the pension. If money was wasted or borrowed to cover other budgets, replace those funds and report budgets to the public so that kind of misappropriation of funds doesn't happen again.

2) Fix the abusive nature of the administration. The obsession for cover up and the firing of whistle blowers needs to stop. Four officers charged with perjury in the Taser incident is not acceptable. Four officers facing criminal charges relating to one officer's inappropriate relationship with a witness is not acceptable.

3) Implement a civilian agency to monitor police complaints so the few bad apples that are consistently giving civilians the boots get replaced with officers who understand the motto to serve and protect.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Preserving the Integrity of the RCMP

The charges against some of the officers investigating the Surrey Six murder trial are making big news. As a result some are questioning whether or not we should renew our contract with the RCMP. I believe there is no question we should.

Without question the RCMP have taken public hits to their credibility. The Taser death at the airport and the subsequent perjury charges are one. The Kelowna officer kicking a suspect in the face while he was kneeling on the ground is another. That is the same officer who assaulted a driver who he thought was stealing a boat when in reality he was employed to repossessed it. He was driving the company truck but the officer took no time to hear him out.

Although there is a huge problem with a lack of accountability the police have to the public, that problem is by no means limited to the RCMP. The VPD gave the wrong guy the boots. Why the VPD let the Hells Angels sell drugs in East Van is also suspect. The New Westminster use of force trainer was caught abusing his authority while he was drunk off duty and assisting other officers from the Delta and West Van PD beat and rob an innocent victim.

Giving someone like Gordon Campbell his own private army is as frightening as giving someone like Stephen Harper his own private army. It is demonic. Before we make any drastic changes to the status quo we need one conclusive change. We need to implement the civilian agency.

We need a civilian agency that oversees police complaints that is accountable to the public. Smaller agencies have a tendency of forming exclusive old boys clubs. That's not to say the old boys club can't exist federally either. Large cities can and do have their own police force. I personally don't think a Regional Police force is the answer to the accountability problem.

Don't get me wrong, something does need to change. Public accountability needs to be introduced. Before we change from a federal police force to a regional police force we need to establish a civilian agency that overseas all policing in the province. That is conclusive.

I despise the fact that Harper the Liar is cutting funding for the RCMP and the Gang Task force while spending millions on advertising promoting the RCMP brand. It is hollow and hypocritical. Yet I do believe the RCMP have a noble history worth restoring and protecting. We do that through a civilian agency not through a Regional Police force with no public accountability.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

RCMP probes G8 spending

I don't want to be cynical of everyone, much, but I find it interesting that the RCMP would make news investigating the lavish spending of the G-8 fake lake party after the Harper government has dramatically cut funding for the RCMP.

Nevertheless, it doesn't change the fact that spending a vast amount of tax dollars on the lavish G-8 exclusive party is somewhat bizare when they then turn around and dramatically cut funding for the RCMP and the gang task force. In fact, I'd go far as to say that cutting funding for the RCMP and the gang task force after campaigning on a tough on crime platform is simply fraud.

Taking police officers off the street then spending $33 million on advertising to promote the RCMP brand is absolutely bizarre. Welcome to the Harper majority. We will say we told you so because we didn't vote for him.

The RCMP probe appears to be in the President of the Treasury Board's riding Tony Clement. His riding got all the handouts. Yet Clement claims the RCMP probe is just a Liberal PR stunt. Well cutting all the funding for the RCMP wasn't a Liberal PR stunt. The Harper government did that all by themselves. Comparing those cuts on one hand with lavish spending on the other hand is called public accountability and has merit when considering future elections.

The Tories claim they have done nothing wrong but I beg to differ. Cutting funding for the gang task force and taking police officers off the street then spending that money on an exclusive party and advertising is clearly a misappropriation of funds. Didn't Jack Layton say he would spend more money on more police? Isn't it ironic that someone Harper calls a socialist would be tougher on crime than he is. That sounds more like Lyin Brian to me.

What ever happened to that RCMP probe over the $9-million contract for Parliament Hill renovation that was tied to the Hells Angels? Did that ever go anywhere or did they just promote another one of the accused to the Supreme Court?

The RCMP were probing the nature of the relationship between construction firm LM Sauvé and long-time Conservative organizer and business adviser Gilles Varin. Investigators are focusing on lobbying rules and anti-corruption laws. I'm not concerned about the insider trading about how another Conservative insider got another government contract. I'm concerned about what another conservative insider is doing involved with the Hells Angels.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

RCMP and Sheriff Cut Backs

Sheriff cut backs have resulted in trial delays and adjournments. "Just days after Attorney General Barry Penner claimed there was no money to pay for more sheriffs for B.C. courts, several cases were adjourned in both Surrey and Vancouver Provincial Courts Monday because of staff shortages."

As one poster pointed out, this is the same time the RCMP are spending more money on advertising to promote their "brand." That sounds so corporate. Cut down on services and spend more money on advertising. Sounds familiar.

The California prisons are in complete turmoil. As a result of the three to a bunk over crowding the courts there ordered them to release one quarter of their prisoners. Only they can't remember who's in for what and aren't releasing the nonviolent offenders first they're accidental releasing violent offenders into the public.

So if our prisons are over crowded and if we are cutting down the services provided by the RCMP, how can we afford to send more people to jail for nonviolent crimes like possession of pot without raising taxes? If we spend that money on sending nonviolent criminals to jail, how can we possibly afford to imprison violent offenders and people who traffic hard drugs like crack or meth?

It really looks like the Harper government has it's priorities somewhat confused. Since the Harper government got elected on a tough on crime promise and since they bungled the anti crime bills and instead introduce an unpatriotic act that removes civil liberties while they cut funding for the RCMP, the Sheriffs and the Gang Task Forces, does that mean we can sue them for breach of contract? Didn't Jack Layton say he'd spend more money on more police? Isn't that ironic.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Mountie shared crime data about the Hells Angels

Speaking of security breaches, the Vancouver Sun and the Province both ran a rather bizarre article coming gout of Ottawa today about a Manitoba Mountie. Seemingly an RCMP officer did some unauthorised security checks on his wife and the Hells Angels. He claims he didn't share the information with the Hells Angels but he admitted he shared the information with his wife. Who, get this, is a Hells Angels Associate.

It gets weirder. The reason he got caught was because his wife was crossing the border and admitted to a customs agent she had former business dealings with an outlaw biker and admitted she still visits him in prison. I kid you not. US customs fond out her husband was an RCMP officer and they checked what kind of criminal database enquiries he made. Turns out he was looking at info about his wife and the Hells Angels.

Giving the guy the benefit of the doubt it's remotely possible he was checking his wife's criminal history. That is something I'd likely do myself since they just met in 2009. If she admitted to a customs agent she had previous business dealings with a Hells Angel then she must have admitted that to her husband as well.

The police and US customs would be in a better position to determine what kind of information he was looking at which would more likely answer the why but the flaming question is what is an RCMP officer doing married to a women who is a Hells Angels associate and currently visits a Hells Angel in prison. If that is not a flaming red flag, I don't know what is.

If her friend is in prison then it's most likely part of the Zig Zag Crew bust that was all drug related and involved Sean Wolfe among others. Saying that she had business dealings with drug dealers in the past and still visits a drug dealer in prison is somewhat concerning.

It's reminiscent of Ian Grant who was caught with confidential RCMP documents about the Hells angels and all of their rivals in his home. Ian Grant was from Manitoba. The article in the Sun goes a bit further to explain the officer claims he did the checks to protect himself and the force. Sharing the information with his wife could have been more like confronting her with her past.

There is a big difference between checking out if the women you just met and are going to marry has a criminal past compared to giving the Hells angels confidential information as was found in Ian Grant's home.

One would think that if he found 185 documents about his wife and the Hells Angels then that might be a bit of a red flag. Her continued friendship with a Hells Angel in prison certainly is.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Jeffrey Klassen convicted of assault

Jeffrey Klassen has finally been convicted of assault. He was the use of force trainer that beat and robbed a newspaper delivery man with two other cops when they were off duty in Vancouver.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

To Serve and Protect

Another problem we are clearing seeing in Canada or at least in B.C. along with the police brutality is the sheer arrogance that goes along with it. The underlying mandate of to serve and protect has been completely lost.

Of course not all police officers in Canada are bad. Yet the documented problem is much worse than a few bad apples. I had a conflict with an off duty police officer not long ago myself. He was a confrontational bully who bold faced lied about something to get his way. I was shocked. It reminded me of the New Westminster use of force trainer who got drunk before assaulting and robbing a newspaper delivery man in Vancouver. His recollection of the events was a complete contradiction to the victims recollection and two witnesses observations.

Being a bully and assaulting someone is bad enough but lying in court. Coming from a peace officer that is shocking which once again brings us to the lost mandate of serving and protecting the public.

When the use of force trainer is caught red handed beating the tar out of an innocent victim then using his station as a use of force trainer to intimidate a younger police officer from pressing charges, that use of force trainer cannot be the use of force trainer any more. To continue to do so would be to mock the public interest and demonstrate further arrogance and disregard for public safety.

It is past time for a civilian agency.

By kaniamazdar with No comments

Geoff Mantler: Another Public Betrayal

This latest shameful decision is more proof we need a civilian agency to monitor police complaints. Constable Geoff Mantler got off charges in the Jeremy Packer case even though he had physical evidence included a lost tooth. Seemingly this was Mantler's third documented offence. There was another case involving Manjeet Singh Bhatti as well.



Before we spend undisclosed amounts of tax dollars to fill our over crowded drug infested prisons with more people for minor offenses, we need to establish a Civilian Agency and we need to clean up the prisons that we do have.

By kaniamazdar with No comments