Pubdate: Mon, 04 Jul 2005
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Joey Thompson, The Province

VANCOUVER POLICE DON'T RATE PUBLIC'S FAITH

It's Highly Unlikely Six Officers Alone in Such Actions

Vancouver police are lucky I didn't participate in a recent poll that
asked if citizens had faith in their police force.

Ipsos-Reid pollsters would have got an earful from me given that I had
just read an adjudicator's damning audit of the conduct of the six
cops who organized the Stanley Park punch-up.

Eight out of 10 respondents told the surveyors they believed officers
in the Vancouver Police Department were doing a good job dealing with
crime and safety issues.

With such kudos from cityfolk, there's no incentive for members of the
force to change their unlawful behaviour and act within the confines
of the law.

And while I know there are good cops on our streets, honest officers
with integrity, it would be foolish to assume that the constables who
deliberately misled and fudged facts about the park beatings are the
only ones doing that.

To say that police-complaint commissioner Dirk Ryneveld and
disciplinary judge D.L. Clancy saw room for improvement in the
behaviour of the members of the force who were convicted of three
counts each of assault is to mitigate and mock their findings.

And if you thought Ryneveld's criticism of police Chief Jamie Graham's
lack of co-operation during the investigation of the beatings was
harsh, you ought to read Clancy's take on the morals of two members of
Team 4, constables Duncan Gemmell and Gabriel Kojima.

Some might argue that the worst of their deeds didn't take place
during the inky blackness of night at a deserted section of Third
Beach, but in the weeks and months following when they agreed to
participate in the cover-up.

Clancy made it clear these officers were deliberately dishonest while
testifying under oath.

In other words, he found they repeatedly lied under
oath.

Here are some of Clancy's findings as outlined in the 100-plus page
report: "The evidence of the six officers, without exception, was
self-serving and unsatisfactory. Memories ranged from poor to
non-existent and recollection of events that [they] did have was
frequently contradictory."

The officers were: "Deliberately untruthful, not a credible witness,
not believable, far more likely a deliberate intention to mislead."

He concluded that the cops' conduct was criminal and the assaults on
the three low-life criminals were without justification.

Clancy had even less time for acting Sgt. James Kenney, whom he said
was likely "the most unsatisfactory witness among the officers. [He]
altered the evidence he did give."

He said the general occurrence report filed by Gemmell was riddled
with inaccuracies and contained at least eight misstatements and omissions.

"I have no hesitation in finding that Const. Gemmell signed a report
that was false, misleading and inaccurate and that he did so
deliberately."

Kojima, he said, was also "deliberately untruthful."

All in all, Clancy said the six VPD officers failed to take notes,
failed to file a proper report of the incidents and colluded to hush
up the incident. In other words, they tried to escape detection and
ultimate punishment.

And this is the behaviour of cops that Vancouver citizens are so proud
of? Yikes. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake