Pubdate: Wed, 30 Oct 2002
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Dene Moore, Canadian Press

POLICE ABUSE AUTHORITY, LEGAL ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS

City police routinely break the law and abuse the very rights they are 
supposed to protect in the country's poorest neighbourhood, says a report 
released Tuesday.

The conduct of Vancouver police in the Downtown Eastside meets the legal 
definition of abuse of authority and, in 12 cases, meets the United Nations 
definition of torture, according to the Pivot Legal Society.

"A police culture that ignores, if not permits, police misconduct makes us 
all potential victims and condones police practices that demean both the 
victims and the officers themselves," said John Richardson, executive 
director of the society, a legal advocacy group based in the area.

Of 50 sworn statements collected by the society over nine months, six 
people said they suffered broken bones or teeth at the hands of police. 
Eight others said they were beaten after they had surrendered or were in 
handcuffs.

Thirty-six people said police used unreasonable force and seven said they 
were subjected to illegal strip searches.

Seven people said police ordered them out of town or out of a specific 
area, playing "judge and jury right on the street."

Detective Scott Driemel, spokesman for the department, said the force has 
not received a copy of the report and could not comment on the allegations.

He would not say how many complaints the department receives annually.

"Just because some of these people have signed an affidavit, of course, an 
investigation would reveal whether or not, in fact, those complaints are 
bona fide or not," Driemel said.

Pivot's Richardson said the criminalization of drug addiction is partly to 
blame.

"You see someone lying in the street, you know in your gut that they're 
sick but you've got to arrest them. You send them to jail and they're back 
shortly after and they're in exactly the same situation," Richardson said.

"That's got to breed frustration and the mere fact that they're required to 
enforce these . . . archaic laws against people I think has a serious 
effect on the peace officers themselves."
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