Blue Line Magazine April 2010
Taking a sober, deep look at Canadian policing
We have heard very little about the progress of changes to the RCMP recommended by the Brown Task Force since its report was released more than two years ago.
In fact, getting RCMP HQ people to even call us back with good news has been a challenge in my office. So much so that for the past year we have had to dig up our own good news about the Mounties from our own sources. That is why I was pleased to see Thin Bruised Line, a new book by Doug Clark, if only to stir things up.
The pride and the challenge
!/issues/april_2010/cover.jpg!‘Olympic effort’ is an over-worked cliche that seldom reflects the true nature of an endeavour, but no phrase is more apt to describe policing the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
The Integrated Security Unit (ISU) swelled to some 10,000 police and military members, with an operating budget of about $900 million. Some 120 police agencies and military units from across Canada flowed into Vancouver to ensure the safety of athletes and the public.
RCMP members from detachments across the country made up the bulk of the police presence, along with officers from Montréal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Newfoundland, Charlottetown and many other agencies, including just about every municipal force in British Columbia.
Evidence excluded because officer didn’t know law
A police officer’s ignorance of a law he should have known and the resulting violation of an accused’s rights is a breach which must be treated seriously, BC’s highest court has warned.
In R. v. Reddy, 2010 BCCA 11 an officer was dispatched to a report of two “suspicious males,” one in an older Dodge and the other in a newer Mercedes, who had parked on a street for several hours. The caller thought they might be selling drugs. The officer saw two vehicles matching the description; the Dodge was parked behind the Mercedes and two men were in the front seat.