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A Snapshot Of Police Corruption In Canada
Pubdate: Sun, 02 May 2004
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Note: The Toronto section contains police corruption related to drugs
A SNAPSHOT OF POLICE CORRUPTION IN CANADA
Vancouver - Vancouver police Chief Jamie Graham fired two officers on Jan.
28 for beating up three people in Stanley Park and suspended four others
without pay. The provincial government's police complaints commission is
also investigating 59 allegations against members of the VPD made by the
Pivot Legal Society. The complaints include torture, illegal search and
seizure, use of excessive force and 'starlight tours,' in which officers
drive people out of the Downtown Eastside and dump them.
WINDSOR - A 'sickened' Chief Glenn Stannard described it as 'the darkest
day of my career as chief' when staff informed him in early December 2003
that a Windsor police department vehicle had been used to ferry stolen
property away from a burglarized home-and-garden business.
A week later, following public appeals for witnesses and an intensive
internal probe, Chief Stannard, flanked by his top officers, announced the
arrest of Const. Allen Shipley, a first-class patrol constable,
subsequently charged with possession of stolen property, break, enter and
theft, breach of trust and public mischief.
SASKATOON - Controversy has dogged the Saskatoon police service since David
Milgaard was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1970, the full impact of
which will hit the police force this fall when a $2-million public inquiry
begins. Mr. Milgaard, now 51, was 17 when convicted of murdering
20-year-old nursing assistant Gail Miller. He served more than 22 years
before being freed in 1992 by the Supreme Court of Canada. In 1997, DNA
evidence proved his innocence.
More recently, an RCMP task force was created in 2000 to look into
allegations of police involvement in the freezing deaths of several
aboriginal men.
REGINA - Problems with the Regina police service have primarily involved
the conduct of three officers.
Currently, a veteran officer remains suspended with pay, pending the
outcome of fraud and forgery charges against him. Const. Ken Neufeld, 45,
faces charges of fraud exceeding $5,000 and that he knowingly used a forged
document.
The charges are not related to his work as a police officer.
Const. Neufeld's case comes on the heels of the conviction in January of
former constable Thomas Edward Abrook, who was found guilty of stealing a
citizen's personal computer in 2001. Finally, a 29-year-old constable
pleaded guilty in October 2003 to a charge of driving while his
blood-alcohol level exceeded the legal limit.
Trenton Wayne Struble was fined $600 and prohibited from driving for a
year. He remains on the force.
TORONTO - In the past four months, 13 officers, including two police union
officials, have been hit with criminal or provincial Police Act charges for
a host of questionable practices.
Six drug squad officers charged in January are accused of doctoring their
notes, lying about evidence, dealing drugs and extorting money from dealers.
This week, seven officers were charged in connection with two separate
internal affairs probes.
The allegations are that four officers were associated with a confessed
drug addict and former car salesman with ties to biker gangs.
In the second probe, three officers allegedly ran a protection racket for
downtown clubs, had links with Toronto organized crime figures and received
sexual favours from transvestite prostitutes.
CALGARY - The way police Chief Jack Beaton has it figured, this city's
police service has avoided systemic officer corruption because it weeds out
the bad apples before they spoil the bunch. 'You can't afford to start off
with a bad apple in your organization and then hope you catch him,' said
Chief Beaton, top cop for more than three years. 'You've got to weed him
out before he gets there.' Calgary is one of a select few forces across
North America that use a polygraph, or lie detector test, on possible
recruits. The lengthy procedure, which often runs more than three hours, is
mandatory for candidates. It's not as though Calgary's roughly 1,450-strong
force hasn't seen its fair share of police misconduct. Dozens of officers
have been terminated over the years for excessive use of force, drunk
driving and various other illegal activities. Others, Chief Beaton said,
are given the 'gentleman's way out' -- an option to resign from duty
instead of getting the boot. In 2003, Calgary police received 51 formal
complaints by citizens.
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