December 12, 2014 – Vol

December 12, 2014 – Vol. 19 No. 50 Supreme Court says police have limited right to search cellphones

Dec 05 2014 WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Po- lice Board has passed a motion instructing the chief and his officers to try harder to solve cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women. Page 3

Dec 05 2014 Somewhere in rural Norfolk county, a volunteer is standing at a village intersection with a speed gun so a police officer doesn’t have to. Page 4

Dec 07 2014 Britain’s law enforcement agencies are ill-equipped to confront a fast-expanding and multi-billion- pound cyber-crime phenomenon, according to a survey of police Dec 11 2014 intelligence analysts. OTTAWA - A divided Supreme Court of violated his charter rights when they searched Page 5 Canada has ruled that police can con- his cellphone without a warrant after he’d robbed a Toronto jewelry kiosk. Dec 08 2014 duct a limited search of suspect’s cellphone without getting a search war- The court agreed that the police had in The new commanding officer of fact breached Fearon’s rights, but the evi- Nunavut’s RCMP says he’s happy rant, but they must follow strict rules. By a 4-3 margin, the court said in a prec- dence against him on his cellphone should to be back in Iqaluit. not be excluded. Page 6 edent-setting ruling that the search must be directly related to the circumstances of a per- “The police simply did something that Dec 11 2014 son’s arrest and the police must keep detailed they believed on reasonable grounds to CALGARY - A judge has ruled that records of the search. be lawful and were proven wrong, after a man who killed an Alberta peace It is the first Supreme Court ruling on the fact, by developments in the jurispru- officer who was investigating a cellphone privacy, an issue that has spawned dence,’’ Justice Thomas Cromwell wrote dog complaint is not criminally re- a series of divergent lower court rulings. for the majority. sponsible for the death. “That is an honest mistake, reasonably Page 9 The high court dismissed the appeal of the 2009 armed robbery conviction of Kevin made, not state misconduct that requires ex- Dec 11 2014 Fearon, who argued unsuccessfully that police clusion of evidence.’’ ST. JOHN’S, N.L. - New legislation in Newfoundland and Labrador would allow police to apply to a judge for access to personal records in a missing persons case without having evidence of criminal wrongdoing. Page 9 Cromwell said the court was trying to found nothing more useful on the phone. very dramatic steps forward.’’ strike a balance between the demands of ef- The court said the evidence the officers Pickton was convicted in 2007 of killing fective law enforcement and the public’s right presented in court about the initial search six women and sentenced to life in prison, al- to be free of unreasonable searches and sei- was unsatisfactory. One officer testified that though he admitted to killing 49 women and zures under Section 8 of the Charter of Rights he “had a look through the cellphone’’ and the DNA or remains of 33 women were found and Freedoms. another said he did “some quick checks’’ for on his pig farm in Port Coquitlam. Twenty “In my view, we can achieve that balance about two minutes. murder charges against Pickton were stayed with a rule that permits searches of cellphones Beyond that, the court concluded, the po- following his conviction. incident to arrest, provided that the search - lice “were not able to provide many specifics.’’ Former Liberal cabinet minister Wally both what is searched and how it is searched Still, the high court allowed that evidence Oppal, who headed a public inquiry into the - is strictly incidental to the arrest and that the to stand - upholding Fearon’s conviction - Pickton case, made 63 recommendations police keep detailed notes of what has been and agreed with the original trial judge’s find- in December 2012, including funding a 24- searched and why.’’ ing that excluding it would “would under- hour centre in the Downtown Eastside for sex The ruling laid out detailed criteria to mine the truth-seeking function of the justice workers and starting a transportation service guide police. system.’’ along the so-called Highway of Tears from The arrest must be lawful, and the search Writing for the three dissenters, Justice An- Prince George to Prince Rupert, where wom- must be “truly incidental to the arrest’’ and dromache Karakatsanis said police should need en have gone missing. “based on a valid law enforcement purpose,’’ a warrant in all cases to search a cellphone. Anton said the actions taken by the gov- it said. “The intensely personal and uniquely ernment since Oppal’s report are protecting The ruling defined valid law enforcement pervasive sphere of privacy in our personal vulnerable women. They include legislation as: protecting the police, accused or the public. computers requires protection that is clear, that police help find missing people sooner. That includes preserving evidence and practical and effective,’’ she wrote. She said communication and safety im- discovering new evidence, “including locat- She added the court’s majority ruling had provements along the Highway of Tears con- ing additional suspects, in situations in which proposed an “overly complicated template’’ tinue to be addressed. the investigation will be stymied or signifi- for police to follow. At least 17 women, many of them abo- cantly hampered absent the ability to prompt- “Fundamentally, my colleague’s ap- riginal, have vanished or been murdered in ly search the cellphone incident to arrest.’’ proach puts the balancing decision in the the area along Highway 16 and the adjacent Moreover, the ruling said a phone can be hands of the police,’’ Karakatsanis wrote. Highways 97 and 5 since the 1970s. Most of subjected to a warrantless search if the “na- “I doubt not that police officers faced the cases remain unsolved, though investiga- ture and the extent of the search are tailored with this decision would act in good faith, tors don’t believe a single killer is responsible. to the purpose of the search’’ if police “take but I do not think that they are in the best detailed notes of what they examined on the position to determine ‘with great circumspec- Dec 04 2014 device and how it was searched.’’ tion’ whether the law enforcement objectives KAMLOOPS, B.C. - Four charges, in- That lack of proper note-taking was clearly outweigh the potentially significant cluding attempted murder, have been the one flaw the high court identified in intrusion on privacy in the search of a per- laid against a 36-year-old man ac- Fearon’s arrest, but it said that wasn’t sonal cellphone or computer’’ she added. cused of shooting a Mountie during a enough to exclude the evidence that was “If they are wrong, the subsequent exclu- traffic stop in Kamloops, B.C. gathered from his phone. sion of the evidence will not remedy the ini- The province’s Criminal Justice Branch After police arrested Fearon, they found tial privacy violation.’’ announced Thursday that Kenneth Knutson a relevant draft text message that referred faces charges of attempted murder using a to “jewelry’’ and photographs, including the firearm, aggravated assault of a peace officer, handgun used the robbery. THURSDAY possession of a firearm while prohibited, and “We did it,’’ the text message read in part. DECEMBER 04, 2014 discharging a firearm with intent to wound. Police later obtained a search warrant but Knutson has a history with police and the courts, including a conviction in 2009 after Dec 04 2014 being caught by police wearing body armour VICTORIA - Attorney General Suzanne and with a loaded-and-cocked restricted Anton says British Columbia is a safer weapon in his possession. place for women compared to when Provincial court Judge James Jardine con- serial killer Robert Pickton was prowl- victed him on three criminal charges connected ISSN 1704-3913 ing Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. to the case. Copyright 2014 In March 2002, he was charged with Blue Line Magazine Inc. & The Canadian Press second-degree murder and a report in The Permission to reprint may be obtained in advance from Access Copyright Province newspaper later said the charge was Phone 1-800-893-5777 [email protected] reduced and Knutson pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death. Published weekly by Blue Line Magazine, Inc. as an executive The latest allegations against Knutson news briefing service to Canada’s top level law enforcement personnel. stem from the Wednesday morning shooting Most information supplied in this publication is from news- of Cpl. Jean Michaud who stopped a vehicle wire services. As such Blue Line Magazine does not ac- cept responsibility for the accuracy of articles as supplied. in a Kamloops neighbourhood. An officer in a backup vehicle exchanged gunfire with the All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, suspect, injuring his arm, police said. stored in an electronic database or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, with- She pointed to a report Thursday that Knutson was arrested about 12 hours by out the prior permission of the publishers. One Year Subscriptions states the Liberal government has taken ac- an emergency response team after an intense are $10500 (GST Included). Paid subscribers may make up to four (4) copies of this publication for distribution within their organization. tion on 75 per cent of the recommendations manhunt by police. made two years ago after a public inquiry into RCMP Cpl. Cheryl Bush said three fe- Group Publisher: Morley S. Lymburner Pickton’s murders. males were also arrested during the investiga- PUBLISHER: Kathryn M. Lymburner - [email protected] NEWS EDITOR: Mark Reesor - [email protected] “I do believe B.C. is a safer place now tion, one of whom was taken into custody on Subscriptions: Blue Line Store at www.BlueLine.ca than it was 15 years ago when these tragedies unrelated outstanding warrants. ADVERTISING: 1-888-640-3048 Bush couldn’t say what charges the fe- 12A-4981 Hwy. 7 East, Ste. 254, Markham ON L3R 1N1 were unfolding,’’ Anton said. “We do have Phone: 905 640-3048 eMail: [email protected] supports for vulnerable women. There’s been males might face or how they were connected 2 to the investigation. firefighters, as many have suggested, since 120 hours without pay for using a Taser elec- “Cpl. Michaud remains in critical but sta- they are fighting the same pension battles, the tronic stun gun eight times in about one min- ble condition in intensive care and is expect- report found. ute on a 16-year-old boy. ed to undergo further surgery,’’ she said. “The The report notes police information The teen was passed out in the back of a incredible amount of support being offered to about the coming protest was incomplete, suspected stolen car. Kamloops RCMP and Cpl. Michaud’s family in part because many union groups involved Edmonton police Chief Rod Knecht says is both overwhelming and heartwarming.’’ were not sharing their information, leading the promotion was not an easy decision to Police have said the 40-year-old police to expect a peaceful demonstration. make and required lengthy deliberations and Michaud was shot by someone who sped off They only posted two officers indoors to discussions. in a vehicle. support the 18 city hall security guards, and While not condoning the officer’s past Investigators have seized the vehicle that police forces outside were not guarding the behaviour, Knecht says Wasylyshen is now was allegedly involved in the traffic stop from one entrance. They did not know firefight- leading a stable life and appears to be at the a residence associated with the suspect and it ers (who were characterized in the report as top of his game when it comes to policing. will now undergo forensic examination, Bush “difficult to control”) would be at the protest “The man doesn’t drink anymore. He has told reporters. until 15 minutes before it started. a family now. He’s stable and hasn’t had any B.C.’s police watchdog said it was con- By 6:15 p.m., a crowd of close to 1,000 problems for 10 years. I think, as we look at tacted after the arrest because of the injury to gathered, some blowing horns and lighting anybody else in society, do we punish some- the suspect’s arm, but later said it would not smoke bombs. By 6:39, roughly 150 people body forever? I don’t think you can punish investigate the injury. were allowed in to city hall for question pe- somebody forever.’’ riod, as expected. At 6:40, security guards The Edmonton Police Service released a Dec 04 2014 closed the doors. At 6:41, 30 protesters forced statement Thursday regarding the promotion. MONTREAL - Montreal police had their way in, “including two masked men and “All EPS officers are held accountable poor information on what kind of pro- one Superman without a mask. Papers were for their conduct, and the matters involving test was afoot at city hall on Aug. 18, thrown.” this member have been dealt with previously leading to bad planning and too few At 6:43, the two police officers inside city under the Police Act and are on record as be- police officers on the scene. hall tried to help the security guards close the ing resolved. These matters were also consid- There was no backup plan in case things doors, and succeeded. ered as part of the promotion process. turned ugly. Until 6:44, when protesters forced the The EPS promotion process involves an There was a lack of communication be- doors, shoving security guards, slightly in- in-depth assessment, and includes a written tween central command and the officers -in juring two, and proceeded to run through exam, behavioural interview, as well as a side city hall who were urgently calling for city hall, with 300 people heading to council review by the management team-promotion backup. chambers “with festive trumpets, tambou- board and EPS Professional Standards. This Police on the ground failed to organize a rines, whistles, etc.” Protesters climbed onto member, as well as numerous others, went new game plan in a rapidly deteriorating situ- a terrace and tried to break into Mayor Denis through a fair and balanced process, demon- ation. Police at central control failed to take Coderre’s room, tearing out an air condition- strated their competencies, and proved them- the issue seriously. By the time the backup er and breaking a window. One set off a fire selves ready for promotion.” arrived, the firefighters had mostly left the alarm. By 7:04, they left. Wasylyshen is the son of former Edmon- building. During the rapid devolution, police sta- ton police chief Bob Wasylyshen. All of these factors contributed to the tioned outside failed to move to block the (CHED) sacking of Montreal’s city hall on Aug. 18 as doors, as they had been told to do. Police roughly 300 irate municipal workers, mostly inside asked at 6:33 for central command to Dec 05 2014 firefighters protesting changes to their- pen send backup, but the controllers there down- WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Police sion plans, stormed the doors and ran ram- played the situation thinking it was still a Board has passed a motion instruct- pant. Montreal would receive worldwide calm protest. By the time they realized the ing the chief and his officers to try negative media publicity, six firefighters gravity of the situation, it was 6:51 and too harder to solve cases of missing and would be fired, 57 municipal employees sus- late. When backup did arrive, central com- murdered aboriginal women. pended without pay, another 44 arrested on mand told them not to go inside for fear of criminal charges, and relations between the provoking protesters. city and many of its employees would sour “The situation was poorly evaluated and significantly. the risks of an outbreak were not anticipated,” Montreal police presented their report to the report reads. “Then from the moment the the city’s public security committee Wednes- protesters forced their way in to city hall, eve- day on what happened that day, detailing how rything fell apart.” their inaction contributed to the crisis, and (Montreal Gazette) presenting recommendations on how it could have been avoided. Four police managers were sanctioned FRIDAY for improper handling of the situation, as well DECEMBER 05, 2014 as four police officers. The motion requires progress reports “There were problems with the management from Chief Devon Clunis and sensitivity and Dec 05 2014 of operations during the start of the city coun- cultural awareness training for officers. cil meeting because it happened very quickly,” EDMONTON - An Edmonton police Police board chairman Scott Gillingham Montreal police chief Marc Parent told journal- constable who has both a criminal says the motion isn’t meant to be critical of ists. “It was 30 minutes from their entry into city and disciplinary record has been pro- the police service. hall to the ransacking inside. Essentially, there moted to sergeant. He says everyone needs to be involved in were issues with the taking of decisions and how Mike Wasylyshen pleaded guilty to two the stepped-up effort. our chain of command worked.” assault charges and was fined $500 for a The board, for one, plans to set up an in- The police force is using it as a learning drunken, off-duty assault of a man on crutch- digenous advisory council on policing and experience, Parent said, and has formulated es and a swing at a security guard in 2005. crime prevention. nine recommendations to stem a recurrence. Wasylyshen was also found guilty in Manitoba is one of the provinces with There was no collusion between police and 2012 of excessive force and suspended for the highest number of missing and murdered 3 aboriginal women in Canada. of policing,” Mr. Mukherjee said. problem recruiting unpaid civilians to drive “The motion does recognize that the po- “There are some lessons to learn in how police cars from one division to another, lice service has significant initiatives already they do budgeting, how they have used clean the fleet and take fingerprints at crime in place,’’ Gillingham said after meeting with technology, how they have maximized their scenes. All of this frees up front-line officers Clunis on Friday. resources.” to do work that only a police officer can do. “But this has to be a collaborated effort. Mr. Mukherjee’s views have caused his And that specific work - arrests, inves- The service will do its part, the board will do once-friendly relationship with the Toronto tigations, crime prevention - is being evalu- our part. Community agencies - and individu- Police Association to deteriorate. That show- ated in unprecedented detail. Simon Bailey, als -need to do their part as well.’’ down has captured the Canadian police com- the chief in Norfolk, talks about his service “This is a resolution that we’ve come to munity’s attention. as if he is the CEO of a multimillion dollar with an overwhelming desire to do a better “I can tell you with absolute certainty that company. job, collectively, all of us,’’ Gillingham said. every police service board in Ontario - and “I know exactly what the flow of my “And it’s a call for all of us to do a better job I would think not a stretch to imagine every business looks like. I know what my emerg- in addressing this critical issue of indigenous police board in Canada - is fixated on what’s ing threats are and I’m able to adopt strategies women and girls who need to be protected.’’ happening in Toronto,” said Cal Corley, a for- and policies based on the best evidence there (CJOB, The Canadian Press) mer assistant commissioner with the RCMP is to tackle those challenges.” who now runs a private consulting firm. For example, Norfolk had a problem with Dec 05 2014 Mr. Corley counts himself among the sick days, which meant paying for expensive VANCOUVER - A sexual-assault con- group that believes that the costly Canadian overtime staff. An investigation determined a viction that prosecutors in British police system is unsustainable. A September, small group of “frequent flyers” were calling in Columbia have acknowledged was a 2014, report from the Fraser Institute found around the holidays. So Chief Bailey sent them “miscarriage of justice’’ has been over- that between 1986 and 2012, per capita po- a letter, he says: “In recent years we’ve noticed turned by the province’s highest court. lice costs in Canada climbed by about 45 per that you’ve taken time off every Christmas. Is Gurdev Singh Dhillon was imprisoned cent. Over the same period, crime per officer there anything we can do to help you this year in 2005 for four years and deported back to dropped by 37 per cent. In Toronto alone, the to make sure you don’t?” Sickness-related ab- India for the sexual assault and assault on a police budget has ballooned by $240-million, sences fell below 3 per cent. woman in a basement suite in the Metro Van- or 34 per cent, in 10 years. In another case, Norfolk was clocking couver city of Surrey. That said, Canadian police services are high vehicle-repair bills. Staff identified the After his deportation, forensic reports lean compared with Britain, which spends problem drivers and sent them on a course. were discovered, including two that were not significantly more on policing per capita, “If people know their driving is being given to the defence before the trial, showing even though officers - at least in urban areas - monitored, you start seeing reduction [in ac- DNA profiles that did not match Dhillon. are paid less. (A Toronto police constable tops cidents],” Chief Bailey said. “I don’t think Crown prosecutors called it a miscarriage out around $90,000, while the average officer there’s a great secret to this.” of justice, the RCMP apologized and the case in London makes about $80,000 (Canadian) At London’s Metropolitan Police Ser- ended up in the Supreme Court of Canada, despite that city’s high cost of living. This is vice, commonly referred to as “The Met,” of- which sent it back to the B.C. Court of Appeal. due to the fact that police officers can’t union- ficers no longer randomly patrol the city. There, Justice Anne MacKenzie has con- ize in Britain.) When the 20-per-cent deadline “We do something called ‘predicative sidered the new evidence, overturned the con- is up next year, the British government has policing,’” Deputy Commissioner Craig viction, and stayed the proceedings against signalled they will be asking for another 25 Mackey said. The Met recently began using a Dhillon, saying another trial would “perpetu- per cent. computer program that models the algorithm ate an injustice and undermine the integrity of Over the past four years, British forces used to predict earthquakes to analyze crime our judicial system.’’ already found nearly $4.5-billion (Canadian) data and pinpoint areas and times when crime Two other men are awaiting trial accused in savings. is likely to occur. of the same sexual assault. The early days of austerity went as ex- But one of the most controversial post- pected: Civilians were downsized or offered austerity developments was purely symbolic. Dec 05 2014 voluntary severance, buildings were sold off In 2012, the British home secretary The- Somewhere in rural Norfolk county, a and expensive management ranks were gutted. resa May named Thomas Winsor as Britain’s volunteer is standing at a village inter- But it still wasn’t enough. Chiefs were forced Chief Inspector of Constabulary - the coun- section with a speed gun so a police to get creative to make the numbers work. try’s law enforcement watchdog. Mr. Winsor, officer doesn’t have to. Today, in many areas of England, police a commercial lawyer by trade who spent five In other parts of England and Wales, un- officers no longer go to crime scenes for mi- years as Britain’s rail regulator, is the first ever paid civilians are unlocking stations in the nor occurrences such as bicycle theft. Instead, non-police officer to hold the office. The gov- morning, gardening outside divisions, exer- reports are taken over the phone, sometimes ernment received 20,000 letters of protest. cising police dogs, even handling basic fo- by civilians. It was Mr. Winsor who, between 2010- rensic work at crime scenes. Some of the most significant savings 2012, completed an extensive review of In October, 2010, the recession- ravaged came from contracting out administrative police compensation and career structures, British government dropped a bomb on law services. For example, the Cleveland police which resulted in pay cuts, an increased pen- enforcement in England and Wales. (North- force in northeast England hired a European sion age, mandatory annual fitness tests and ern Ireland and Scotland are different juris- company called Steria to run its finance, changes around promotions. Effective this dictions.) All 43 services were ordered to cut human resources, procurement, fleet and past fall, police officers can be hired directly 20 per cent from their budgets within four facilities departments. Other forces choose into a management rank of inspector, rather years, and they had to do it without reducing to partner with neighbours, which was the than starting out as a constable and working the number of uniformed officers. Depending case in Norfolk and Suffolk counties. The their way up. (This is not allowed in Ontario.) on who you ask, the results are either reckless two police services combined all of their Last week, Mr. Winsor’s office published a or genius. back-office administrative functions, as well 251-page report card on the state of policing in Toronto police board chair Alok Mukher- as traffic, homicide and forensic teams. It’s England and Wales. As part of the review, Mr. jee falls in the latter camp. also commonplace to share divisions and Winsor’s office evaluated all 43 services and “If we are to bring the cost of policing other resources, such as vehicles. graded them on efficiency and effectiveness. In under control, as we need to do, we have to Volunteers have always played a role a recent interview with The Globe at his Lon- be as innovative as we can and ask funda- in British policing model, but they’ve now don office, Mr. Winsor doesn’t try to soften his mental questions about the traditional model become essential. Chiefs say they have no contempt for certain aspects of police culture. 4 “There is a great deal of inefficiency in Asian services. That’s part of an ongoing dia- The officer has been suspended with pay the police, bred principally by poor supervi- logue among police officials around the world, from the Altona Police Service. RCMP did sion and leadership,” he said. looking for ways to be efficient and effective not release his name or rank or say how long According to Mr. Winsor, the key to last- in what we do,” Chief Blair said. “I think eve- he has been a police officer. RCMP said they ing savings is threefold: High performers ryone worldwide is facing certain challenges are not releasing his name in order to protect need to be rewarded, inefficient officers need in terms of economic sustainability.” the identity of the victims, who are under the to be retrained and everyone needs to have Toronto’s chief says he’s certainly inter- age of 17. the right technology. Filing out paper forms ested in adopting what the Brits have done The Winnipeg RCMP’s major crime unit is inefficient. Going back to the station to re- with technology, but he notes that the fund- and the RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation Unit search is inefficient. ing differences would make amalgamation assisted Altona police in their investigation. “Most of the time, what matters is not between forces challenging. (Winnipeg Free Press) ‘How many cops have you got?’ but ‘what do “It might make more sense to partner they do?’ . A police officer, well motivated, with [Toronto city hall]” in terms of admin- being eager and energetic, creative, imagina- istrative departments, “which we already do SUNDAY tive and so on, can perhaps achieve in one shift in some areas.” DECEMBER 07, 2014 much more than two or three police officers The president of Toronto’s police union, who frankly just clock on and don’t do much.” Mr. McCormack, has a harsher view. Critics of the British model are quick to “It’s not working,” he said, citing a survey Dec 07 2014 point that out there are key differences Britain conducted by the Police Federation of England Britain’s law enforcement agencies are and Canada. and Wales that showed officers feel overworked ill-equipped to confront a fast-expand- For one thing, the funding model is dif- and that they believe communities are not being ing and multi-billion-pound cyber-crime ferent. The central government funds the well served. phenomenon, according to a survey of police in England and Wales. Local commu- If the board tries to bring in a chief who police intelligence analysts. nities kick in a very small percentage of the will go this route, Mr. McCormack said they The study found that less than a third of key total budget. In Canada, police funding comes won’t sit idly by. staff had the skills or technology to address a from the associated level of government. To- “We’re about safe communities and we will threat expected to expand over the next three ronto city council sets the city’s police budget, be doing anything that we need to do to ensure years. which means forces can find themselves taken that the safety of our communities aren’t jeop- Researchers uncovered a pattern of “tribal” hostage by local political infighting. ardized for somebody a) politically grandstand- behaviour, with police and agencies protecting Secondly, it is illegal for police officers to ing or b) the sake of numbers - someone who their own sources and techniques in a fractured unionize. The pay scale is set by the govern- wants to say they cut the police budget.” response to an area of crime that has been iden- ment. (All officers across the country are paid (Globe and Mail) tified as a key national security threat. the same, although there are cost of living top Despite apparent flaws in police investiga- ups depending on the service.) In Canada, if tions, the report said it was a “timely opportu- the union and police board can’t agree, it goes SATURDAY nity” to press for greater powers for police and to arbitration. In that scenario, the police are DECEMBER 06, 2014 security services to track suspects’ email and almost always awarded an increase. As such, internet use. when the British government wanted to cut Dec 06 2014 The Government has focused its œ650m, the rate for a new constable, reduce bonus pay four-year cyber security strategy on protecting and extend pension age, it was able to make TORONTO - Toronto police are de- infrastructure and defending the country’s na- those controversial changes without real op- scribing an alleged baby kidnap- tional interests from attacks by states and hos- position. That would never fly in Canada. ping attempt by two young people as tile groups. “It’s hard to compare apples to apples,” “alarming’’ and “unique.’’ More money should be diverted to polic- said OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes, who Authorities allege a 12-year-old girl and a ing, according to the study, which is based on was part of a delegation of Canadian police 14-year-old boy tried to abduct an infant from responses from analysts in 48 different police officials who travelled to Britain in 2012 to her 29-year-old mother. bodies. They include the National Crime Agen- see some of the reforms. “Their number of Inspector Art Little says a psychiatric cy, home to the national cyber crime centre. police officers for population ratio is very evaluation of the two suspects has been or- “The police are becoming more aware of high to begin with. Back in the ‘90s and early dered, their mothers have been contacted and the cyber threat, but remain behind in terms 2000s, we went through that whole exercise children’s aid is involved. of their own technology, knowledge and intel- of reducing numbers.” The youngsters allegedly grabbed the wom- ligence,” said an anonymous analyst who re- Commissioner Hawkes said there abso- an from behind as she was walking with her in- sponded to the study. “You only find something lutely are ways to improve the current system. fant late Thursday and demanded she hand over when you look for it - and we have only just The OPP, for example, is overhauling how it her daughter, her money and her cellphone. started looking.” measures officer performance. They’ve also Little says the woman, who suffered mi- The author of the report, security expert already introduced citizen self-reporting for nor injuries, was assaulted, punched, kicked Nick Newman, said it was troubling that police minor crimes. “You can imagine the distanc- and knocked to the ground. were “nowhere near equipped” to deal with the es we’d have to send officers to deal with a The baby wasn’t hurt. threat, despite a cyber-crime programme that is stolen chain saw . that’s only being filed for The young duo are also suspects in a will train 2,000 detectives in new techniques by insurance purposes,” the commissioner said. purse-snatching that took place earlier Thurs- April next year. But simply picking up the British model day night. He added that analysts were forecasting a and dropping it here wouldn’t work. Dec 06 2014 A Manitoba police officer trebling of cyber crime over the next three years Toronto’s outgoing chief agrees. Chief has been charged with child-pornography but that “only one third” of police had the skills Blair noted that next year he’ll be travelling to offences. needed to combat it. London to speak at conference on the future The 33-year-old member of the Altona The report calls for a fundamental rethink of policing. The government is keen to learn Police Service was arrested Thursday and is about police recruitment to tackle cyber crime. how he manages to police a city of nearly three charged with voyeurism, making child por- Police and the intelligence agencies are all million with a little more than 5,000 officers. nography and possessing child pornography. struggling to recruit enough high-calibre tech- “I think there are very innovative policing He was released from custody and is sched- nology experts, many of whom are able to com- models in the United States, in many places of uled to appear in Altona provincial court Jan. mand higher salaries in the private sector. the U.K., in many European services and many 26, Manitoba RCMP said in a news release. (The Independent) 5 Dec 08 2014 She says police continue to work on the WHITBY, Ont. - Police say there have case in preparation for upcoming court dates, MONDAY been six suspected drug-overdose but Knutson remains the only person charged DECEMBER 08, 2014 deaths in Durham Region in the past in relation to the shooting. three weeks and are warning users of street-level narcotics to be careful. Dec 08 2014 Dec 08 2014 Investigators say they’re working with KELOWNA, B.C. - The union repre- HALIFAX - Nova Scotia’s Justice De- the coroner’s office to determine the exact senting B.C. nurses says a doctor was partment is reviewing the premature re- cause of the deaths, which are undergoing severely beaten and left for dead dur- lease of another inmate from the Central toxicology analyses. ing an attack inside a hospital psychi- Nova Scotia Correctional Facility. But police say evidence suggests illegal atric unit. At around 6 a.m. today, an offender serv- narcotics were involved. The Interior Health authority confirms ing an intermittent sentence at the Halifax jail Durham police say it’s too early to deter- there was a “serious incident’’ involving a was released from custody 12 hours early. The offender was located and taken into mine whether the deaths are linked to a bad patient and a doctor Friday night at Pentic- custody about four hours later. batch of heroin in Toronto late last month that ton Regional Hospital, ending in the arrest of His sentence, which is for a breach of caused a number of overdoses and one death. a patient, though the agency isn’t providing recognizance for failing to attend court, re- Investigators are reminding users that details. quires that he report to the jail on Saturdays at street-level drugs mixed with dangerous ad- The B.C. Nurses’ Union says a patient 8 p.m. with a scheduled release on Mondays ditives can be deadly. walked out of a closed-door session with at 6 p.m. a physician and announced that the doctor The Justice Department has launched an Dec 08 2014 might be dead. internal review to find out what happened. The union says the doctor was found se- This latest mistaken release comes a MONCTON, N.B. - Newly released court month after the jail mistakenly released a man documents reveal that Justin Bourque verely beaten and unconscious but is expect- facing charges including attempted murder. was suffering from sleep deprivation ed to survive. and felt depressed about his life in Union president Gayle Duteil says the Dec 08 2014 the days before he shot three Mount- incident shows there is a dangerous lack of TORONTO - A Toronto police officer ies dead and wounded two others in security in the province’s psychiatric facili- who was found guilty of assaulting a Moncton, New Brunswick. ties and is demanding an investigation and protester during the G20 summit four A court-ordered psychiatric report and changes to improve safety. years ago is appealing his conviction. a pre-sentence report are among a number The health authority says the safety of Const. Babak Andalib-Goortani was con- of exhibits that were made public after the staff members is a priority, and it is is in- victed last September of assault with a weap- Court of Queen’s Bench ordered them re- vestigating the incident with the RCMP and on for using excessive force during the arrest leased on Friday. WorkSafeBC. The documents shed light into Bourque’s of protester Adam Nobody on June 26, 2010, Dec 08 2014 on the lawn of the Ontario legislature. family history, social interests and the mo- He was sentenced to 45 days behind bars, ment he reached his - quote - breaking point The new commanding officer of Nu- though he was almost immediately granted bail. before the June 4th shooting rampage. navut’s RCMP says he’s happy to be His lawyer, Alan D Gold, says the officer Bourque’s assessment, prepared in July, back in Iqaluit. was in a fluid and dynamic situation where he concluded he was fit to stand trial. didn’t have the opportunity for calm reflection. But it shows signs of strain between Gold says the trial judge didn’t adequate- Bourque and his family, particularly his ly consider the mental state of his client dur- mother, who home-schooled him and disliked ing the incident, which lasted about a minute. his passion for video games. The trial judge found Andalib-Goortani Both that document and Bourque’s pre- hit Nobody several times with his baton while sentence report say his life unravelled in the he was already on the ground, surrounded by two weeks before the shootings. other officers in the process of arresting him. They say he was sleep-deprived, working The trial judge had also said the officer 15-hour days and couldn’t afford marijuana - something Bourque said helped him cope had shown no remorse and noted his name tag Chief Superintendent Mike Jeffrey worked and badge weren’t visible during the arrest. with his negative thoughts. Bourque is serving a life sentence with no as the detachment commander in Iqaluit just over a decade ago. He also served in the North- Dec 08 2014 chance of parole for 75 years. west Territories and Clyde River. Three weeks ago, he returned as the top SASKATOON - Two men are facing Dec 08 2014 mischief charges after a sandwich or- cop in ‘V’ division. der sent them into a hissy fit at a Tim KAMLOOPS, B.C. - The RCMP says a Jeffrey is a 28-year veteran of the force. Hortons restaurant in Saskatoon. 40-year-old officer who was shot- dur He says he plans to consult with communities and government before setting the goals Police say the 20-year-olds began argu- ing a traffic stop in B.C.’s Interior is now conscious and speaking to his family. for his term. ing with an employee because they wanted “At the end of the day, what it’s about is their onions diced. Cpl. Cheryl Bush says Cpl. Jean Michaud remains in hospital in intensive care follow- changing behaviours,” he says. “If you can The argument got worse, and one of the change a person’s behaviour by getting them men pulled a snake from his friend’s pocket ing the early morning incident last Wednes- to do some kind of restorative justice program and threw it behind the counter. day in Kamloops, B.C. or something else instead of going before the Officers called to the scene were able to The shooting led to a 12-hour manhunt courts or sending them to jail, that’s great.” quickly locate the snake and determined it and the arrest of 36-year-old Kenneth Knut- Jeffrey says he believes education and pre- was non-poisonous. son, who has a long rap sheet and is now fac- vention are the key to policing, as well as support from the community. The two men were arrested nearby. ing four charges, including attempted murder. Michaud suffered critical injuries in the “The police can’t work in isolation. We Police have found a temporary home for can’t be everywhere and know everything. It’s the snake until it can be released into the wild incident and has since survived two surgeries. Bush says Michaud’s medical progress is so important that communities support the po- next spring. lice and tell us what the priorities are.” uplifting news to his colleagues and support- (CBC News) ers in the public. 6 Dec 08 2014 One morning, Bowers sent an email Dec 09 2014 WINNIPEG - Handwritten traffic tickets with an attachment. It was a video, intended CALGARY - An Alberta man who ad- are becoming a thing of the past in for Ford’s daughter, which showed Bowers mits he caused the death of a bylaw Manitoba as RCMP have begun issu- masturbating. officer told police he thought the ing e-tickets. “When he sent the attachment and I real- 62-year-old former Mountie was trying When motorists are pulled over, the traf- ized what it was, I had to shut it off because I to steal his dogs. fic officer scans the person’s driver’s licence could feel my blood boiling inside me know- Trevor Kloschinsky said he eked out a into a computer inside the officer’s vehicle, ing what this guy’s intentions were,” Ford said. living selling the blue heelers he bred just and prints off the ticket. Ford decided to take the material he had outside of Calgary and Rod Lazenby had RCMP said it will reduce the amount of gathered to police in Toronto, who carried jeopardized that. time it takes to issue a ticket and make the job on the ruse and continued communicating Lazenby, who enforced bylaws in the safer for officers. with Bowers. Municipal District of Foothills, died after go- The system has already been implement- Eventually Toronto police contacted local ing to Kloschinsky’s property to investigate a ed in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia. authorities and the FBI in Akron, and a joint dog complaint in August, 2012. Currently, there are 40 police vehicles investigation began on both sides of the border. Court heard an autopsy found Lazenby equipped with the e-ticket system in Manitoba. The FBI arrested Bowers on Jan. 14, was strangled and had 56 abrasions, contu- The RCMP said when the roll out of the finding USB keys, computers and CDs that sions and numerous lacerations in addition to program is complete, there will be 100 vehi- contained child pornography. The investiga- internal injuries. cles ready to issue the e-tickets. tion soon revealed that Bowers was a primary Kloschinsky, who is 49, told officers he Winnipeg police said they’re examining player in a local child pornography ring that felt Lazenby had a “vendetta’’ against him. the technology. traded pictures and videos of minors online. Kloschinsky was living in a recreational (CTV Winnipeg) “I was just trying to protect my daugh- vehicle on the property and had 34 dogs when ter,” Ford said. “I had no idea there would be the attack on Lazenby took place. Dec 08 2014 other victims.” In an agreed statement of facts, Kloschin- TORONTO - Like so many parents, Bowers was charged with a host of child sky admitted causing the death of Lazenby Toronto dad Cliff Ford just wanted to pornography-related charges, including re- but has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first- keep his children safe online. ceiving, distributing and possessing visual degree murder. depictions of minors engaged in sexually ex- He has also acknowledged dropping the plicit conduct, transferring obscene material officer off - handcuffed and unconscious - at to a juvenile and enticement. a police station in southeast Calgary. Ford travelled to Ohio to testify against Lazenby was an RCMP officer for 35 the man who tried to lure his daughter online. years and often worked undercover in Van- Bowers later pleaded guilty, and last couver before retiring in 2006. week was sentenced by a U.S. federal judge to more than 20 years in prison. Dec 09 2014 “Attentive parents and swift law enforce- VANCOUVER - A crowdfunding cam- ment action has ensured that Mr. Bowers will paign launched by two Vancouver po- not be trolling for minors on the internet,”said lice officers to help a young family re- He had no idea that his efforts would FBI special agent Stephen Anthony, who build their lives after a fire destroyed eventually help U.S. authorities bust an on- helped investigate the case. their family home has nearly doubled line child exploitation ring based in Ohio. “This international collaborative law en- its goal. It all started in January, when Ford’s forcement effort demonstrates that preying on The Edwards-Cyrus family - which in- daughter received an email from a stranger our most precious commodity, our children, cludes dad Jason, mom Fay, six-year-old with the subject line, “Hey sexy.” will not be tolerated.” Zahiem, and four-year-old Isaiah - lost eve- He saw it immediately, as her emails are (CBC News) rything when a Dec. 1 fire ravaged their Ren- forwarded to his cellphone - Ford requires his frew Street home. children to provide him with access to all of The fire was started after Isaiah acciden- their email and social media accounts. TUESDAY tally knocked over a candle. Fay and Isaiah “If I need to, I can spot check and make DECEMBER 09, 2014 were the only ones in the home at the time, sure they are safe,” he told CBC News. but the two were able to escape, and suffered

Ford’s daughter had been innocently Dec 09 2014 only minor smoke inhalation. messaging with a stranger in an online chat Two Vancouver police officers who as- BEAUMONT, Alta. - An Alberta man room in the days before she received the un- sisted the family in the aftermath of the fire was taken down by a police dog after settling email. were so touched by the family’s situation that brazenly trying to mark his territory on She told him about the conversations, and they spearheaded a GoFundMe crowdfund- an officer’s cruiser. instead of cutting off the contact, Ford decid- The 22-year-old man and several others ing campaign to help raise funds to get the ed to pose as his daughter and see if he could were drinking outside a bar in Beaumont, family back on its feet. get more information. Alta., just south of Edmonton, when they The Edwards-Cyruses moved to Vancou- Ford carried on the charade over three were approached by police after a tip from an ver from Montreal just over a year ago. Fay days, and managed to find out the mysterious Alberta liquor inspector. works at a fast-food chain, and Jason works messenger’s name and address - even what Police say one of the men urinated on the as a full-time mover. model car he drives. driver’s door of the squad car and then ran Their rental suite was not insured, and Ford discovered that the emails were away from the scene. even the clothing Fay and Isaiah wore during coming from 30-year-old Nicholas Bowers, The K-9 unit was called and with the as- the escape had to be destroyed due to con- sistance of a local taxi, officers and the dog who lives just outside Akron, Ohio. located a suspect. tamination. Over their back-and-forth conversation, Dany LaFrance of Edmonton faces charg- “Isaiah left the hospital wearing a paper Bowers’s messages became increasingly sex- es of mischief, assaulting a police officer and bunny suit as all of his clothes were lost,” ual in nature. resisting arrest. read an initial update from Vancouver police. Bowers’ wrote things like, “I want to hold LaFrance is scheduled to appear in pro- But just one week later, the campaign has you and kiss you,” and, “It turns me on a lot vincial court on Dec. 11. already reached nearly $18,500, far surpass- now knowing you are 12.” (CHED) ing its initial goal of $10,000. 7 “We just want to say ‘thank you all from “This is nothing more than another des- the bottom of our hearts,’ “ read a message perate attempt to drive me from my position from Fay posted to the campaign site. THURSDAY on the Board and distract from the serious “My family and I really appreciate all the DECEMBER 11, 2014 work we have to do. It’s time for us to focus donations to help us rebuild our lives and our on moving forward and stop this campaign of home. Thanks to all who donate to give our Dec 11 2014 harassment,” says the emailed statement. kids a merry, merry Christmas. “People in senior positions of public ser- “Words can’t express how much it means TORONTO - The premier’s office con- vice have to be very careful and have to set a to my family and I.” firms a search warrant was served at higher standard when it comes to their Face- The VPD also posted an update to Fa- an Ontario government cyber security book postings and so on,” Tory said. cebook on Tuesday, thanking the public for branch in Toronto last month related Asked about Mukherjee’s contention that their support and help. to the $1.1 billion gas plants scandal. the complaints are all about harassment, Tory (The Province) The OPP are investigating the deletion of said: “Well, there’s certainly no harassment emails in the office of former premier Dalton coming from me ... if there no more Facebook Dec 09 2014 McGuinty on the Liberals’ decision to cancel postings, I won’t have any more comments.” gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga. PRINCE GEORGE - Police in Prince Police union president Mike McCormack The search warrant seeks the entire George say a Mountie has been not only called for Mukherjee’s resignation electronic mailbox and its backup tapes for stabbed, as well as the man he was but also sent letters of complaint to the may- McGuinty’s former chief of staff, David Liv- trying to arrest Monday. or, premier and the Ontario Civilian Police RCMP say two officers stopped three ingston, between May 1, 2012 and Feb. 11, Commission, which has the power to remove people on foot at about 11 p.m. Monday, and 2013 - the day Kathleen Wynne was officially board members if an investigation and hear- found one man had several outstanding war- sworn in as premier. ing determine there was misconduct or they rants for his arrest. It also seeks the email box and backup are unable to perform their duties. Police say one of the Mounties was then tapes of former McGuinty deputy chief of McCormack claimed Mukherjee’s po- stabbed while the officers were taking the staff Laura Miller for the same dates. lice-related post showed “bad judgment.” man into custody. In a previous court document, police al- “All we are looking for is objective, un- During the altercation, the RCMP say the leged that Miller gave her computer tech biased discussions and treatment of police man being arrested also sustained what ap- boyfriend, Peter Faist, access to files in the around very important issues on policing in pear to be self-inflicted injuries to his neck. premier’s office that were wiped clean. the city, and our membership feels they can no The Mounties say both the injured officer The Liberal government ordered a legis- longer trust Mukherjee,” McCormack said. and the man were taken to hospital, and the lative committee to write its report without (Toronto Star) knife was seized as evidence. agreeing to opposition demands to have Mill- (Vancouver Sun) er and Faist appear to face questions about the Dec 11 2014 deleted email accounts. MONTREAL - A sergeant-detective with

Dec 11 2014 the Montreal police has been arrested WEDNESDAY for allegedly making death threats DECEMBER 10, 2014 TORONTO - Toronto Mayor John To- against the minister of municipal affairs. ry’s first meeting next week as a mem- “We can confirm an employee has been ber of the Toronto Police Services arrested,” was the official response by the Board is likely to become a showdown Dec 10 2014 SPVM at 8 a.m. as the board’s chair is embroiled in The police officer was arrested for alleged COQUITLAM, B.C. - Mounties have controversy over Facebook posts. charged a 17-year-old British Colum- threats against Pierre Moreau, TVA reported. bia boy with extortion and public mis- Moreau is the man in charge of implementing chief over allegations his fake emer- Bill 3, the contentious pension reform bill af- gencies set off an intense response fecting such municipal employees as firefight- by police in Florida. ers, police officers, bus drivers and blue- and The teen is in custody and accused by white-collar workers. the Polk County sheriff’s office in central The man is expected to hear his charges Florida’s Fort Meade of “swatting,’’ or call- on Friday in the St-Jerome courthouse. (Montreal Gazette) ing in a fake emergency to police and watch- ing the large response. Dec 11 2014 The county sheriff’s department says Tensions began Friday, when the Toronto ST. JOHN’S, N.L. - New legislation in it suspects the same person called a high Police Association called for his resignation Newfoundland and Labrador would school to say he’d shoot everyone there and over a post compared American deaths at the allow police to apply to a judge for then sent an email saying he’d blow every- hands of police to deaths by Ebola and ISIS. access to personal records in a miss- one up. More criticism, including from Tory, came ing persons case without having evi- In a third incident, a caller told a police Wednesday, after the National Post reported dence of criminal wrongdoing. dispatcher he was in a Florida home, had just that Mukherjee had posted a joke alluding to killed his parents, and would shoot any of- Premier Paul Davis says the Missing marital violence in April 2013. Persons Act is intended to help police move ficer who arrived. The meme said: “Marriage is like a deck RCMP say the same teen, whose iden- more quickly on investigations where it is of cards. In the beginning all you need is two known that a person is missing. tity is protected, has pleaded guilty to hearts and a diamond. By the end, you wish criminal harassment in 2012 involving two Currently, police must have evidence of you had a club and a spade.” criminal wrongdoing before being granted incidents where he harassed young women “Violence against women is never a he met online. access to medical, financial, telephone or laughing matter,” Tory said in a statement via other personal information. A Polk County news release says police email. “This is unacceptable - especially from in Canada seized a computer from the teen’s The legislation would allow police to someone who holds public office.” apply to a judge for a search order or a re- home in Coquitlam and that he’s a suspect in Mukherjee released a statement that said other cases in Canada and the United States. cord access order where a person has been he didn’t recall the post from “almost two reported missing. years ago.” Applications would be made in cases 8 where a person may be in danger but police cannot obtain an order under the Criminal Code because there is insufficient evidence to believe a criminal wrongdoing has occurred. Davis says the information would only be gathered when a missing persons investigation is underway and only be divulged for the purpose of furthering the investigation. The provincial government says similar legislation has been introduced in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Nova Scotia.

Dec 11 2014 CALGARY - A judge has ruled that a man who killed an Alberta peace officer who was investigating a dog complaint is not criminally responsible for the death. Trevor Kloschinsky was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Rod Lazenby. But Judge Beth Hughes ruled that Kloschinsky, 49, did not realize that what he was doing was wrong. “Wrong means morally wrong judged by the everyday standard of the ordinary person. It does not mean legally wrong,’’ she read Thursday from her decision. “I find the evidence establishes that it was more likely than not that Mr. Kloschinsky’s mental disorder made him incapable at the time he caused the death of Mr. Lazenby of knowing the act was wrong.’’ Doctors testified at Kloschinsky’s trial that they found him “actively psychotic.’’ Lazenby, 62, died in August 2012 after going to Kloschinsky’s rural property south of Calgary to investigate an animal complaint. Lazenby was a retired RCMP officer who was responsible for enforcing bylaws in the Municipal District of Foothills near Calgary. An autopsy found Lazenby was strangled and had 56 abrasions, contusions and lacerations to the face, head, neck, body and back. He also suffered numerous internal injuries. Kloschinsky admitted he caused La- zenby’s death. He acknowledged dropping the officer off, handcuffed and unconscious, at a southeast Calgary police station, where he told officers he had appre- hended a “dog thief.’’ Kloschinsky eked out a living selling blue heeler dogs he raised on his property. Court heard how he thought Lazenby was corrupt and trying to steal his animals. Lazenby was an RCMP officer for 35 years and often worked undercover in Van- couver. He once bunked with child killer Clifford Olson and went after dangerous drug dealers on Vancouver’s skid row. Lazenby joined the drug squad after he served as a military policeman. He had retired in 2006 and moved to High River, Alta., to be closer to his daughter and her children. His daughter said Wednes- day that the years following his death have been difficult and that he “did not deserve to be taken from us so cruelly.’’