December 19, 2014 – Vol

December 19, 2014 – Vol. 19 No. 51 Researchers link psychological problems to ‘lone wolf’ attacks

Dec 11 2014 WINNIPEG - Manitoba has introduced legislation that would create a First Nations safety officer program to help prevent crime in remote communities while also enforcing band bylaws and specific provincial laws, Justice Minister James Al- lum announced recently. Page 3

Dec 11 2014 TORONTO - A Second World War law used by police to make mass arrests during the G20 summit in Toronto in 2010 was officially scrapped Thursday and replaced with new legislation. Dec 15 2014 Page 5 LONDON - A radical Muslim killed a “lone wolf’’ terrorism. soldier outside Canada’s Parliament. Now academics and law enforcement of- Dec 17 2014 A right-wing extremist opened fire on ficials are working to turn that research into An RCMP officer says not buildings in Texas’ capital and tried to tools to prevent deadly attacks. enough was done to care for burn down the Mexican Consulate. An “It’s never an either-or in terms of ideolo- some members in the wake of Al-Qaida-inspired assailant hacked an gy versus mental illness,’’ said Ramon Spaaij, the shooting deaths of three of off-duty soldier to death in London. a sociologist at Australia’s Victoria University their colleagues in Moncton, Police said all three were terrorists and who conducted a major study, funded by the New Brunswick. motivated by ideology. Authorities and fam- U.S. Justice Department, of lone wolf extrem- Page 9 ily members said they may have been men- ists. “It’s a dangerous cocktail.’’ tally ill. A growing body of research suggests The study preceded Tuesday’s ending of they might well have been both. a 16-hour siege involving a gunman who took Dec 18 2014 New studies have challenged several hostages in a cafe in Sydney. The gunman, MONTREAL - The Montreal Po- decades of thinking that psychological prob- Iranian-born Man Haron Monis, was already lice Department’s plan to mod- lems are only a minor factor in the making of facing charges including sexual assault and ernize its computer system terrorists. The research has instead found a accessory to murder in separate cases, and his touted a budget of $1.65 million significant link between mental problems and former lawyer said the standoff was “not a in 2001, but now it’s forecast to reach $28.4 million by the time it’s completed in 2016, the city’s latest capital works program shows. Page 10 concerted terrorism event’’ but the work of “a terrorists are much more likely to have men- several alleged attacks through sting opera- damaged-goods individual.’’ tal health problems than either members of tions in which agents posed as terror support- With groups like Islamic State spreading the general public or participants in group ers, supplying advice and equipment. Critics violence in Syria and Iraq - and bloodthirsty terrorism. say the strategy can amount to entrapment rhetoric on the Internet - authorities around Spaaij and Mark Hamm of Indiana State of mentally vulnerable people who wouldn’t University studied 98 lone wolf attackers in the world have issued increasingly insistent have the wherewithal to act alone. warnings about the threat posed by lone wolf the U.S. They found that 40 per cent had iden- attackers. tifiable mental health problems, compared Meanwhile, the fundamental question of They can be difficult to stop with a coun- with 1.5 per cent in the general population. whether there is a link between mental health terterrorism strategy geared toward intercept- Their conclusion? Mental illness is not problems and terrorism remains controver- ing communications and disrupting plots. the only factor that drives individuals to com- sial. Solo terrorism “doesn’t take an awful lot mit terrorist acts, but it is one of the factors. The most lethal lone-wolf attacker in of organizing. It doesn’t take too many people Spaaj said mental illness can play a part recent years was anti-Muslim extremist An- to conspire together. There’s no great com- “in shaping particular belief systems and in ders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people plexity to it,’’ London Police Chief Bernard constructing the enemy, externalizing blame in a bombing and gun rampage in Norway in for one’s own failure or grievances onto this Hogan-Howe told the BBC recently. “So what 2011. Breivik was unrepentant. One psychiat- that means is that we have a very short time to all-threatening enemy.’’ interdict, to actually intervene and make sure A second study by Paul Gill and Emily ric report found him to be insane, while a sec- that these people don’t get away with it.’’ Corner of University College London looked ond concluded that he was sane - and judges Police forces and intelligence agencies at 119 lone wolf attackers and a similar num- agreed, sending him to prison indefinitely. are examining whether insights from research ber of members of violent extremist groups The killer was happy with the outcome. by Spaaij and others could help. in the U.S. and Europe. Almost a third of the For Breivik, it was recognition that his views Spaaij said a number of law enforcement lone wolves - nearly 32 per cent - had been were legitimate and not those of a madman. and intelligence agencies have shown interest diagnosed with a mental illness, while only (UK Daily Mail) in his work. In Britain, a police counterterror- 3.4 per cent of terrorist group members were ism unit is using a major study of lone wolf mentally ill. terrorists to develop risk-assessment analysis. “Group-based terrorists are psychologi- A British security official who spoke on cally quite normal,’’ the researchers said. THURSDAY condition of anonymity because he is not They said one reason may be that terrorist DECEMBER 11, 2014 authorized to talk on the record said many recruiters are likely to reject candidates who attackers display warning signs, but that rec- appear erratic or mentally ill. ognizing them is easier in retrospect. He said Mental illness could make lone wolf at- Dec 11 2014 British intelligence officials are studying the tacks easier to foresee: Gill said 60 per cent of OTTAWA - Security officers who guard link between mental illness and lone-actor the attackers he studied leaked details of their the House of Commons were given a terrorism. plans, sometimes telling friends or family. rousing tribute in the chamber they Most people with mental health problems He and Corner are working with a British are there to protect. are neither terrorists nor violent, and mental counterterrorism unit as police try to develop As part of the winding down of business ways of distinguishing genuine threats from illness alone can’t explain lone wolf attack- before the Christmas holidays, Speaker An- ers. Some experts dispute whether there is a hot-headed talk. The unit declined to discuss link at all. the project, but recent cases suggest deter- drew Scheer threw open the doors on Thurs- After Michael Zehaf-Bibeau’s deadly at- mining who really is a threat is fraught with day and allowed dozens of guards on the tack on a soldier Oct. 22 in Ottawa, Jocelyn difficulty. floor of the Commons while MPs cheered Belanger, a psychology professor at the Uni- More than a year before he hacked a and applauded. versity of Quebec at Montreal, told the Ca- soldier to death in London in 2013, Michael He says he wanted to acknowledge the nadian Senate’s national security committee Adebowale’s online extremism drew the at- courage and professionalism of the detail in that “to believe that radicalized individuals tention of Britain’s intelligence services. light of the Oct. 23 attack. are crazy or not playing with a full deck will Domestic intelligence agency MI5 told Scheer says their quick response after a a parliamentary inquiry into the murder that be our first mistake in developing effective gunman stormed Centre Block “most certain- counterterrorism strategies.’’ it uses a range of factors to assess the threat But the new research suggests that solo from potential lone wolves, including an in- ly prevented an even more tragic conclusion ability to cope with stress and anxiety, social to the day’s events.’’ isolation and mental health problems. Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, the gunman, mur- MI5 agents suggested that Adebowale - dered Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the foot of the who is now serving a life sentence in a psychi- national war memorial and then stormed Par- atric hospital - be assessed by the agency’s Be- liament Hill before being fatally shot by se- havioral Science Unit, a team of psychologists curity staff outside the Parliamentary library. ISSN 1704-3913 and social scientists, but the assessment was Copyright 2014 Scheer acknowledged Samearn Son, a 10- Blue Line Magazine Inc. & The Canadian Press never done. The lawmakers’ report called that a missed opportunity, and recommended that year veteran and one of the unarmed guards Permission to reprint may be obtained in advance from who was injured trying to stop the gunman. Access Copyright “MI5 should ensure that the unit’s advice is in- Phone 1-800-893-5777 [email protected] tegrated more thoroughly into investigations.’’ Signals also were misread in the case of Dec 11 2014 Published weekly by Blue Line Magazine, Inc. as an executive Nicky Reilly, a 22-year-old convert to Islam WINNIPEG - The Manitoba Integrat- news briefing service to Canada’s top level law enforcement personnel. who walked into a restaurant in the English ed Organized Crime Task Force has Most information supplied in this publication is from news- town of Exeter in 2008 with a homemade charged 14 people in a long-term in- wire services. As such Blue Line Magazine does not ac- bomb. The device went off in the restroom, vestigation spanning five provinces. cept responsibility for the accuracy of articles as supplied. injuring Reilly and no one else. The arrests, made on Wednesday, came All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, At his trial, jurors were told that Reilly after a 15-month investigation by more than stored in an electronic database or transmitted in any form or by had learning difficulties and had had many 200 police officers in Manitoba, Ontario, Al- any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. One Year Subscriptions years of contact with mental health services. berta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. are $10500 (GST Included). Paid subscribers may make up to four In 2003, he talked to a psychiatrist about mak- As part of the operation dubbed Project (4) copies of this publication for distribution within their organization. ing a bomb. The information was passed on to Distress, officers also raided six residences in Group Publisher: Morley S. Lymburner the police, who judged that Reilly wasn’t a Manitoba, including five in Winnipeg. PUBLISHER: Kathryn M. Lymburner - [email protected] serious threat. Some of the items seized include six kilo- NEWS EDITOR: Mark Reesor - [email protected] American authorities, in contrast, have Subscriptions: Blue Line Store at www.BlueLine.ca grams of cocaine, eight kilograms of metham- ADVERTISING: 1-888-640-3048 been accused of being too aggressive in pur- phetamine and smaller quantities of other drugs. 12A-4981 Hwy. 7 East, Ste. 254, Markham ON L3R 1N1 suit of lone attackers. The FBI has foiled Phone: 905 640-3048 eMail: [email protected] Officers also seized 17 long-barrelled guns, 2 three handguns, ammunition and $70,000. Dec 11 2014 ing would be decided through consultations. Ten of the individuals charged were from VANCOUVER - Two Vancouver police The provincial program will supersede Winnipeg, including Ray Ulasy, a city coun- officers have been sent home from the federal program in terms of administra- cil candidate in the Transcona ward in the last hospital after being struck by a car late tion and oversight, such as the training of of- civic election, who now faces two charges of ficers, according to Allum. Thursday afternoon. “We envision a much more rigorous train- firearms trafficking. Police said that shortly before 5 p.m., the ing program, which we’ll design with each RCMP officials say the investigation tar- two on-duty constables were crossing West of the affected First Nations. We’ll enhance geted organized crime and drug trafficking Broadway when they were both struck in the the training and make sure that First Nations and used wiretaps to record more than 80,000 crosswalk by a westbound car. safety officers have the skills and training conversations and communications. One of the officers underwent x-rays and they need to not only do law enforcement, but (CJOB) a CT scan, but they showed no serious inju- crime prevention and connecting people with ries or broken bones. The other officer is be- social service agencies,” he said. Dec 11 2014 ing treated for what are believed to be minor Allum stressed that this will not replace injuries. Both are now recovering at home, ac- the RCMP, but build a partnership between MILTON - An OPP officer alleged by the reserve and the federal police force. the Crown to have fabricated evidence cording to spokesman Const. Brian Montague. Stone said having an officer who is a part to receive kickbacks from tow truck The driver remained at the scene and is co- of the reserve and knows and understands the companies has been found not guilty operating with police. people who live there, is a benefit. of breach of trust. The Vancouver police department colli- “It’ll help screen out all the problems Superior Court Justice Dale Fitzpat- sion investigation unit will be looking into the that we’re having right now,” he said, not- rick, on Thursday found OPP Sgt. Dennis cause of the collision. ing the program is also a step towards greater Mahoney-Bruer not guilty of three counts of (Vancouver Sun) autonomy for the 210 people that live at the breach of trust and three counts of attempting reserve. to obstruct justice. Dec 11 2014 Once the current band constable program ends, the federal government is expected to The hearing at a Milton courthouse lasted WINNIPEG - Manitoba has introduced contribute $1.4 million to the province for just over five minutes. Fitzpatrick said he will legislation that would create a First the safety officer program. According to a provide written reasons next week, but made Nations safety officer program to help provincial spokesperson, it’s expected the a point of directly addressing Mahoney-Bruer. prevent crime in remote communities province will invest a similar amount into the “I do want you to consider yourself ex- while also enforcing band bylaws and program, but the exact figure won’t be known tremely fortunate that the evidence generally specific provincial laws, Justice Minis- until details of the program are finalized. allowed you the benefit of the court’s doubt,” ter James Allum announced recently. (Sun Media) Fitzpatrick told Mahoney-Bruer. He told the officer not to interpret the Dec 11 2014 verdict as an “endorsement” of his actions MONTREAL - A sergeant-detective and gave him “a very clear warning,” that he with the Montreal police department might not receive the same benefit if he finds is facing several charges, including himself in court again. uttering threats against Municipal Af- “It will never happen, Your Honour,” said fairs Minister Pierre Moreau. Mahoney-Bruer, wearing a dark suit and pur- Police in Terrbonne confirm that a wom- ple tie. an made a complaint against the officer Mon- “Good luck, sergeant,” Fitzpatrick responded. day night, alleging assault and death threats. Sgt. Dennis Mahoney-Bruer was arrested The officer was arrested and appeared in in May 2009 after an investigation by the “The federal government unilaterally court in St-Jerome, Que., on Tuesday. Ontario Provincial Police Professional Stand- terminated the program and that will be ef- He is expected back in court for a bail fected March 31, 2015, so rather than sit idly hearing on Friday. ards Bureau. by, we felt it was our obligation to step for- His charges stemmed from three incidents ward with a new bill establishing the First The officer faces charges of harassment, in May 2009. One involved a driver charged Nations safety officer program,” said the uttering threats and assaulting the woman with speeding. The other two involved driv- minister. “Really, it’s not just a replacement who filed the complaint. ers charged with speeding 50 km/h over the program, it’s really designed to enhance the He is also accused of uttering threats limit, or “stunt” driving. band constable program.” against two minors, and assaulting one of the During Mahoney-Bruer’s September The federal government’s Band Consta- minors. 2013 trial, the Crown alleged he fabricated bles Act was created so that there were first Finally, he faces two additional charges evidence so as to give tickets to drivers and responders in communities that might be too of uttering threats. One of the alleged victims far away from an RCMP detachment. There on these charges is Moreau. was motivated by the kickbacks he received are 31 communities currently served by the from towtruck drivers. band constable program. A spokesperson for Terrebonne police (Toronto Star) “It’s extraordinarily important for First said the threat was not necessarily made di- Nations to have this program,” said Allum. rectly to Moreau, but rather was mentioned Dec 11 2014 “We’re responding to the very needs identi- by the woman who filed the complaint with The final tally of policing for the three- fied by First Nations, not only around law en- police. month occupation of Oppenheimer forcement, but also in terms of crime preven- Labour Minister Sam Hamad commented Park in Vancouver last summer was tion and making sure that First Nations safety Thursday on the alleged threat. $200,000, the Vancouver police said officers play an important role connecting “That surprised me. It’s not acceptable, law with social service agencies. It’s more and I hope that it’s [isolated],” he said. this week. than just law enforcement, it’s an enhanced The encampment ended when a court in- program across the spectrum.” Montreal police say they’re aware of the junction was finally enforced and city work- Allum said when the program was intro- charges but will not comment for now. ers dismantled the tents and other structures, duced, it was done so as framework legisla- (CBC News) with the assistance of police and firefighters. tion in order to use negotiations with First Police arrested five people who allegedly Nations in refining and developing it. Dec 11 2014 refused to leave the park and attempted to in- While the proposed amendments to the CALGARY - A trafficking investigation terfere with city workers dismantling the tents, Police Services Act would enable the estab- by Calgary RCMP and the organized but they were later released without charge. lishment of the safety officer program, specific crime team has led to the seizure of a (Metro Vancouver) enforcement powers, crime prevention goals, large quantity of drugs and cash. training and other aspects of on-reserve polic- 3 4 Police confiscated over a pound of crystal 18-month conditional discharge with condi- deaths in the Vancouver suburb. meth and approximately $120,000 in cash in tions to stay at least one kilometre away from Justice Catherine Wedge also ruled Hae- northeast Calgary on Dec. 9. shale gas exploration activities and protests. vischer will serve 18 years and Johnston 20 Three people were arrested and are facing The RCMP say he is also to have no years to be served concurrently for a conspir- charges of possession for the purpose of traf- contact with the RCMP officers named in acy conviction, but the time was cut to about ficking and possession of the proceeds of crime. the charges and must complete 30 hours of one-third after time served. All three are scheduled to appear in Cal- community service. Wedge says the planned murders were gary provincial court on Dec. 12. highly risky, callous and cruel and that pub- “Crystal methamphetamine is a highly Dec 12 2014 lic violence must be met with the sternest re- addictive stimulant that is smoked by a user. RICHMOND, B.C. - Fourteen people sponse from the courts. It has become more popular in Alberta where who were rescued from a boat that hit The murders took place when the men it is the next most prevalent street drug be- a rock wall in the Fraser River in Rich- went to an apartment building to kill one rival hind marijuana and cocaine,” RCMP said in mond, B.C., were in training to save drug trafficker, but they ended up killing five a statement. others in a similar situation. others to eliminate potential witnesses. According to police, the quantity of drugs John Horton, captain of the search and seized was roughly 5,000 individual doses. rescue vessel that belongs to the Canadian Dec 12 2014 (CBC News) Lifeboat Institution, says high winds and DES MOINES - Iowa is looking to cre- heavy rain swept the boat sideways and ate the nation’s first smartphone driv- Dec 11 2014 slammed it onto the rocks on Thursday night. er’s license with an app that can co- exist with the traditional plastic card. TORONTO - A Second World War law Horton says five people were rescued by The director of the state’s Department used by police to make mass arrests another boat that belongs to the group while of Transportation gave Gov. Terry Branstad during the G20 summit in Toronto in nine others were plucked to safety by members an update on the project Monday. Andrea 2010 was officially scrapped Thursday of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Henry, a spokeswoman for the DOT, said the and replaced with new legislation. Rescue and the Canadian Coast Guard. app is in currently development for iOS and The Public Works Protection Act was He says everyone was taken off the Ste- Android phones and is expected to be free. secretly revived by the Liberal government veston Lifeboat about 45 minutes after it hit Despite news reports about a 2015 release, prior to the G20, and then used by police to the wall but the vessel was not in jeopardy the department isn’t sure on timing in part “kettle” or detain large groups in the streets, of sinking though half of it is now sitting because of “concerns about privacy” and security, she said. and to arrest 1,100 people during the summit underwater. One concern is how a police officer of world leaders. Horton says the volunteers have taken would interact with someone’s smartphone. Ombudsman Andre Marin concluded it part in 36 rescues this year. For instance, what would happen if someone was opportunistic and inappropriate to use a Royal Canadian Marine Search and Res- who was pulled over received an incriminat- “war measure” to give police extra authority, cue spokesman Rob Duffus says the trainees ing text while the officer was checking the li- and said police compounded matters by mis- were shaken up but not hurt. cense on the app? Henry believes the app will representing the reach of their new powers work in a way so that “the phone never leaves during the G20. Dec 12 2014 your hands.” Users could hold up the phone “Apart from insiders in the government MONTREAL - The Crown will use a so that police or Transportation Security Administration officers can scan the license of Ontario, only members of the Toronto Po- streamlined process to deal with an assault charge against a Montreal po- electronically, rather than handling the phone. lice Service knew that the rules of the game Another issue Iowa is looking to address had changed, and they were the ones holding lice officer who gained notoriety during Quebec’s student protests. is finding a way to hide smartphone notifica- the ‘go directly to jail cards,” Marin wrote in Const Stefanie Trudeau earned the moni- tions so that an officer doesn’t see them while a special report. ker “Officer 728,’’ after videos surfaced on checking a license. Iowa is also working on The law designed to protect electrical the Internet of her allegedly roughing up stu- ways to prevent fakes. One feature might generating facilities from Nazi saboteurs in dent demonstrators during the spring of 2012. have the photo on the license move slightly the 1940s was replaced by a new bill, given Trudeau’s badge number was 728. so that it is distinguishable from a screenshot. final reading Thursday, that enhances security Later that year, she was accused of hurt- The new app will be another convenience ing a bystander in an unrelated incident that for drivers in the same way that Department at courthouses, electrical generating stations of Motor Vehicle websites have become, the and nuclear power plants. started with her demanding ID from someone who was sipping beer by an apartment build- American Association of Motor Vehicle Ad- ing doorway. ministrators said. The trade association, which Allegations from that incident resulted in represents motor-vehicle officials, said “Io- FRIDAY a charge of assault in February 2013. wa’s innovative pilot will explore new oppor- DECEMBER 12, 2014 The Crown indicated Friday it would pros- tunities,” but also noted the need for security. ecute Trudeau by way of the summary convic- The company building the app, Morpho- tion process rather than as an indictable case. Trust USA, formerly L-1 Identity Solutions, Dec 12 2014 The summary process means the case is has worked on driver’s-license technology for nearly a half-century. It counts among MONCTON, N.B. - RCMP say a 73-year- dealt with more quickly because there is no hearing to determine if there is enough evi- its achievements creating the first driver’s li- old Saint John, N.B., man has pleaded dence to proceed to trial. cense with a photo in 1958. Jenny Openshaw, guilty to three charges in connection The maximum sentence is also lower on a a vice president with the Massachusetts- with shale gas protests in the fall of 2013. summary conviction. based company, said it is discussing smart- The Mounties say Gregory Morton Cook Trudeau returns to court Feb. 4, 2015. phone driver’s licenses with more than 20 appeared in court in Moncton on Wednesday other states. (Wall Street Journal) and pleaded guilty to assaulting a peace of- Dec 12 2014 ficer, obstructing three police officers and VANCOUVER - Two British Columbia Dec 12 2014 dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. gangsters have been sentenced to life B.C. police forces have undergone a The charges were laid following an inci- in prison with no chance of parole for “sea change” in the two years since dent in September 2013 near Rexton. 25 years for their roles in the execu- a civilian-led unit was put in charge The Mounties say Cook ignored direction-style murders of six people in a of investigating police-involved tions from police and drove through a road- Surrey, B.C., highrise. block towards a second roadblock of police A BC Supreme Court judge delivered deaths and serious injuries, says vehicles, coming to a stop near the cruisers. the automatic sentence to Cody Haevischer the man in charge of the Independ- The police say Cook was sentenced to an and Matthew Johnston seven years after the ent Investigations Office. 5 But the road to a new system that is mov- Simioni ran unopposed in the last election. the “shotgun” robberies of the past to more ing away from police investigating other He has served as a police officer for 35 years. sophisticated offences involving data and cy- police has not been smooth, former U.S. In a press conference Friday where he bercrime, and says that police need to catch up. prosecutor Richard Rosenthal acknowledged criticized city council for lack of police fund- Hogan-Howe’s intervention comes amid in his report to a committee of B.C. MLAs ing, Simioni made multiple references to real concern among the leadership of the Yard Thursday. The office started up in the fall of 2012 plans to retire. and London government about the level of with 36 investigators, about half and half ci- “It’s likely my last year as a police offic- cuts proposed, which could result in the capi- vilians and former police officers. Its mandate er,” he said. “And so, you know, I’m looking tal losing in total one-third of its budget. was to move to all-civilian investigations, and forward to newer challenges in the future and Police chiefs across the country fear the Rosenthal said progress has been made, with I’ll likely be involved in some way.” scale of the cuts to come could decimate two thirds of staff in the two investigative (CBC News) neighbourhood policing, vital to preventing teams being people who have never worked crime. Privately they fear a potential return as police officers. to “1980s”-style policing, of responding to This year four former officers were SUNDAY emergencies and little else. fired from the IIO, and five more resigned, (The Guardian) Rosenthal told the committee. Two civilian DECEMBER 14, 2014 staff also quit this year after three civilians resigned in 2013. Another former officer was “separated from the organization” in 2012, Dec 14 2014 MONDAY Rosenthal said. NEWMARKET, Ont. - At least a couple DECEMBER 15, 2014 He cited three reasons for the high turno- of appeals are being planned in the ver: “cultural conflicts,” the struggles of a case of a Toronto-area woman con- Dec 15 2014 new organization and evolution of jobs that victed of masterminding a phoney causes people to look for something new. home invasion that left her mother OTTAWA - Ottawa police have laid A one-time Los Angeles deputy district dead and father severely wounded. more than 250 charges against 27 attorney who worked on the 1999 Rampart people after a months-long crack- case involving violence and drug dealing in A lawyer for Jennifer Pan says his client the city’s police force, Rosenthal set up in- intends to appeal her conviction on charges down on gun and drug offences linked dependent police oversight in Portland and of first degree murder and attempted murder. to alleged gang activity. Denver before coming to B.C. Pan wept yesterday as the jury convicted The arrests were made during two cam- He was asked about a survey of his op- her and three co-accused, including her boy- paigns, called projects Karma and Calamity, eration that referred to a lower-than expected friend, Daniel Wong, who has also signalled that began in June. case load. Rosenthal said that was done be- plans to appeal. Project Karma, which ran until the end of fore the office dealt with four fatal officer- All four were convicted of first degree November and targeted street gangs and “bra- involved shootings in less than three months. murder, which carries an automatic life sen- zen’’ firearms violence, resulted in 14 arrests, “I don’t believe there is a single person in tence with no chance of parole for 25 years. 137 charges laid and four firearms as well as the office who would say that today,” he said. and drugs and $5,000 seized. Rosenthal said video cameras for police During the nine month trial, prosecutors dog handlers, general-duty officers and police contended that Pan hatched the plan after her Project Calamity, which ran until August, Tasers would help in some cases, but that is parents forced her to choose between them targeted people in the drug trade who were a decision for police services due to cost and and Wong. suspected of having access to or using fire- privacy concerns. Pan claimed during the trial that she hired arms to commit offences. The B.C. government committed to a someone to kill her - not her parents. Police say 13 people were arrested, 117 civilian-led agency after a string of incidents A fifth person charged in the case will be counts of charges laid and three guns seized involving RCMP and city police forces. The tried separately. as a result of that campaign. office was recommended by inquiries into They also say they seized more than 400 the 2007 deaths of Polish immigrant Robert Dec 14 2014 rounds of ammunition, drugs and $45,000 in Dziekanski at Vancouver airport, and Frank Paul, who was removed from the Vancouver Large cuts to police and other servic- Canadian and U.S. cash. Police drunk tank in 1998 and left uncon- es will endanger public safety unless Dec 15 2014 scious in an alley. the next government pushes through The 2005 gunshot death of Ian Bush at radical structural reforms to cut back- NEWMARKET, Ont. - The investiga- the RCMP detachment in Houston, B.C. was office costs, Britain’s most senior po- tion into the slaying of a Toronto-area another case that pushed the B.C. government lice officer has warned. woman and wounding of her husband to end the practice of police incidents being Scotland Yard commissioner Sir Bernard continues even after their daughter investigated by other police forces. The inde- Hogan-Howe, writing in the Guardian, gives and three accomplices were convicted pendent office also brought B.C. RCMP offic- his sternest warning yet about the potential ef- ers under civilian oversight. of first-degree murder in the assassi- fects of forthcoming cuts, with police prepar- nation plot this weekend. The B.C. Police Complaints Commis- ing to be told this week of even more to come. sioner is continuing to handle public com- Police are still seeking one of the three The Metropolitan police commissioner men who allegedly took part in the Nov. 8, plaints against police forces in the province. says he expects further reductions in budg- (Terrace Standard) ets whoever wins the 2015 general election. 2010 attack that killed Jennifer Pan’s mother He argues for reforms including mergers of and left her father on the brink of death from Dec 12 2014 individual forces, which would rip up the a bullet to the head. EDMONTON - Tony Simioni has been historical landscape of policing, to lessen the A jury in Newmarket, north of Toronto, voted out as head of Edmonton’s potential damage. found Saturday that Pan, 28, was the master- police association, CBC News has “There’s a bigger risk to public safety if mind behind the hit, which was disguised as a learned. we don’t take radical action,” Hogan-Howe robbery. She was also convicted of attempted writes, adding: “We’ve saved hundreds of “I’ve enjoyed my run, but yeah, I think murder. millions already, but from 2016 onwards it Pan’s co-accused - Lenford Crawford, this is it,” he told reporters at a press confer- will be much harder.” ence before the vote. In a move that clashes with Conservative David Mylvaganam and her on-again, off- Simioni, who has served two terms as party policy, he calls for the culling of more again boyfriend Daniel Wong - were found the president of the association since being than 30 forces in England and Wales, to cre- guilty of the same charges. All four face an elected in 2009, lost in a close vote to Sgt. ate nine super-forces, based on the regional automatic life sentence with no chance of pa- Maurice Brodeur, who works with the Whyte boundaries. role for 25 years. Avenue beat team. He warns that criminals are moving from Prosecutors said during trial that neither

6 Wong nor Crawford were at the Pan home exempted patients from a massive that night, but acted as middle-men for her overhaul of the system. and the men who carried out the killing. New rules were introduced earlier this TUESDAY Mylvaganam was alleged to be among year that prohibited home growing and in- DECEMBER 16, 2014 the intruders, as was a fifth co-accused, Eric stead shifted production to commercial

Carty, who will be tried separately after his operations, but a group of patients is chal- Dec 16 2014 lawyer fell ill. lenging that regime in a case expected to be heard in the new year. KITCHENER, Ont. - A 12-year-old girl Dec 15 2014 A Federal Court judge issued an injunc- is facing several charges - including MONTREAL - Montreal’s police and tion in the spring that allowed patients who dangerous driving - after police say a fire departments have temporarily were authorized to grow and possess mari- vehicle with two girls inside crashed pulled the plug on a new radio com- juana under the old system to continue to do into a pole following a pursuit in Kitch- munication system. so until their case is resolved. ener, Ont. Police say the incident occurred around Firefighters began using the system in The government appealed, but the Ap- 3 a.m. Monday when officers saw a vehicle September with first responders and said it peal Court released a unanimous decision driving erratically without any lights on. worked flawlessly. Monday upholding the injunction. It’s alleged police tried to stop the vehicle However a few days after the new system New regulations took effect this last with lights and siren activated but the driver was put in use island-wide last week Montre- spring that no longer allowed personal pro- refused to stop. al’s fire department discovered an intermittent duction and instead established a system of When more cruisers arrived and tried to problem communicating with firefighters. federally licensed commercial producers. contain the vehicle, police say it side-swiped On Thursday night firefighters realized There are now 15 such operations selling one of the cruisers and then went around it. that messages from central dispatch were not medical cannabis. Another attempt was made and police say being transmitted. The plaintiffs filed a constitutional chal- the suspect vehicle ended up going off the The police department came across simi- lenge arguing the updated regulations vio- road and striking a pole. lar problems on Friday, but at the moment late their right to access important medicine, The 12-year-old girl is charged with flight only officers working in the eastern sections because commercial prices are considerably from police, dangerous driving, taking a mo- of the island were using the SERAM system. more expensive under the new system. They tor vehicle without consent and driving a mo- “It was just one region,” said Cmdr. Ian also complained the commercial market tor vehicle without a licence. Police say the Lafreniere. “Only about 150 cars were de- wouldn’t give them as much control over other girl - who is 14 - was not charged. ployed with that.” which strains of the drug they use.

Both departments are saying that at no The Federal Court trial is set to begin in Dec 16 2014 point was the public in any danger because February. The injunction preserves patients’ there are backup systems in place, including right to grow their own marijuana at least WHITBY, Ont. - Seven people are fac- cell phones. until a decision is issued. ing a total of 46 charges after police say The SERAM digital communication sys- Two of the plaintiffs also filed a cross they dismantled an auto theft ring in the tem was chosen in 2011 and was supposed to appeal, arguing the Federal Court injunc- Greater Toronto Area and recovered ve- be in place by the end of 2013. The contract tion was too narrow and left out some pa- hicles worth more than $1 million. Durham regional police say the investiga- reportedly cost more than $40 million. tients because of the dates outlined in the tion began in October 2013 after an increase One advantage of the system is the possibility injunction. in automobile thefts in the area. of geo-locating users, so management can track The Appeal Court ordered the lower They say detectives soon found a con- exactly where people are. court to reconsider the terms of the injunc- nection between two stolen vehicles from the (CTV Montreal) tion to clear things up. area and a person of interest in a York Re-

Dec 15 2014 Dec 15 2014 gional Police auto theft investigation. A joint operation dubbed Project Lake- WINNIPEG - An HIV-positive Winnipeg LACOMBE, Alta. - A 20-year-old cen- land was started in July to dismantle what man has been given just short of the tral Alberta man has been sentenced police said was a criminal organization. maximum sentence for spitting in the to four years in prison for running It’s alleged the ring included thieves face of a police officer. down a woman who was crossing a who stole the cars, a dealer who fraudu- Clifford Bear, who is 44, was convicted of street while he was fleeing from po- lently obtained Ministry of Transportation attempted aggravated assault after a lengthy lice in a stolen vehicle. documents, a person who changed Vehicle legal battle that spanned several years. William Cameron pleaded guilty to four Identification Numbers and an exporter who Queen’s Bench Justice Deborah McCaw- charges including flight from police and im- shipped the stolen vehicles from Canada to ley sentenced Bear to 6 1/2 years in prison be sold in Africa. paired driving causing bodily harm. Investigators say the stolen vehicles - the maximum is seven years. Court was told Leah Cobetto, 22, was would be sealed in steel sea containers in the She called Bear’s actions a premeditated injured so badly she had to have one of her GTA and shipped to Africa via the ports of ambush on a police officer. legs amputated. Halifax and Montreal. Bear was arrested in August 2009 after Judge J.B. Mitchell called Cameron’s Police say on Dec. 8, seven search war- stealing some computer discs, then he told previous criminal record “pathetic’’ for rants were executed - five in Toronto and the officer about having HIV and then spat someone his age and said his flight from po- two in York Region - and seven people directly at him. lice on the night of Sept. 23 showed disre- were arrested. The officer was hit in the eye with bloody spect for people’s lives. The charges include participating in a saliva and had to undergo medical treatment; criminal organization, theft of motor vehi- He also said the only reason Cameron’s cle, possession of property obtained by crime he has been given a clean bill of health. chase ended was because the vehicle he had over $5,000 and conspiracy to commit an in- (Winnipeg Free Press) stolen earlier in the day seized up, but if it dictable offence. hadn’t, other innocent people could have Police say they have recovered 29 sto- Dec 15 2014 been affected. len vehicles and one motorcycle with a total VANCOUVER - The federal government Cameron will also face a seven-year value of about $1.12 million. has lost its latest attempt to prevent driving prohibition and 10-year weapons They are still seeking several suspects medical marijuana users from growing ban once he is released. who are alleged to have played secondary pot at home, with the Federal Court of (CJUV) roles in support of the theft ring. Appeal upholding an injunction that 7 Dec 16 2014 Dec 16 2014 The police will be handing these tickets at MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Ontario’s police MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - The province’s almost every opportunity, but never for actual watchdog has cleared four Toronto police watchdog has charged an On- infractions like speeding, running red lights police officers in the shooting of an tario Provincial Police officer with and failure to stop at a stop sign. 18-year-old man at a busy downtown dangerous driving in connection with In a statement from the Brotherhood, subway station that sent commuters a crash near Windsor, Ont., that seri- president Yves Francoeur said Montreal has scrambling. ously injured a 20-year-old man. had ticket quotas for years that officers must The Special Investigations Unit says meet and that the population is strongly be- it has concluded there are no reasonable hind the union’s decision to stop the practice. grounds to charge the four with any criminal “Tickets are for public security, not to offence in connection with injuries sustained fill the coffers,” said Francoeur. by the man in the Dec. 13, 2013 incident. “It’s a union strategy,” Coderre said of The SIU says the incident began when a the new pressure tactic. “When we give a man boarded a subway train with a black pel- ticket, we know there is a public security el- let gun that bore a “strong resemblance’’ to a ement to that, we know there is an element pistol and ordered the other passengers off the with police presence … the police have a job train at Queen Station downtown. to do and the union knows that. And it’s much It says the man wanted to spark a con- The Special Investigations Unit says the in- more than just giving tickets.” frontation where police would kill him, and cident occurred on Oct. 24 when an OPP cruiser He added that police might want to give that officers repeatedly urged him to drop his collided with a civilian vehicle at an intersection a digital notice rather than using paper fake weapon but that he didn’t comply. in St. Joachim. tickets “in order to protect our trees.” The agency says he pointed his gun at po- The watchdog has now charged Const. Jamie (Montreal Gazette) lice, who shot at him, then stepped onto the Porto, with the force’s Lakeshore detachment, platform and again turned his gun toward an with dangerous driving causing bodily harm. Dec 16 2014 officer, resulting in more shots fired and the An agency spokeswoman refused to say ORILLIA - A 48-year-old-grandmother man falling wounded to the ground. whether Porto was responding to a call at the who was acting as a “Good Samaritan” Director Tony Loparco says the use of time of the crash, saying the matter is now before was karate-kicked, sucker-punched, lethal force was justified because the officers the courts. beaten and left with “catastrophic injuries” by a police officer, a judge said as well as civilian witnesses thought he had Porto is due in court Jan. 22. Tuesday. a real gun. The SIU is an arm’s length agency that in- It has been two long years since Maria The SIU says the man was hit four times vestigates reports involving police where there “Tonie” Farrell was charged with assaulting as the officers fired a total of 28 rounds. has been death, serious injury or allegations of a police officer in an incident that has left her He notes that officers tried pleading with sexual assault. crippled from a shattered knee. him to drop the weapon and desist, and only But in his ruling, Justice George Beatty opened fire when they had reason to believe Dec 16 2014 exonerated - and validated - Farrell when he lives were at risk. RIVERTON, N.S. - The Serious Incident found that it was OPP Sgt. Russ Watson who So many shots were fired because the attacked her while on duty April 2, 2013. Response Team in Nova Scotia is in- Outside of court, Farrell - still in pain - officers “believed that at least some of these vestigating after a resident of a spe- wept and embraced her lawyer. shots were being fired by the complainant’’ cial care home died Tuesday as police “This is the best Christmas present ever,” though the pellet gun was not discharged, Lo- attempted to arrest him. she said. “I’ve been going through hell ... but parco said in a release Tuesday. The watchdog agency says in a news re- I knew the truth would prevail.” He said the second round of gunshots was lease that the RCMP responded to a call from Her defence lawyer, Angela McLeod, justified as the initial volley failed to incapac- the Valley View Villa in Riverton alleging an wept with her. “The greatest injustice was itate the man. assault had occurred. righted today,” McLeod said. “Believing themselves under attack by The release says an RCMP officer at- During the on-and-off trial that dragged the complainant, the officers, in my view, tempted to arrest a 49-year-old man under out over a year, court heard Farrell, an employee at Tim Hortons, was still in her uni- were reasonably entitled to continue shooting the provisions of the Involuntary Psychiatric form after work when she heard a woman until they had tangible evidence that the com- Treatment Act. screaming. plainant was no longer a threat.’’ Ron MacDonald, director of the serious She ran behind a Mac’s convenience store incident team, said in an interview that he in time to see a woman being punched in the Dec 16 2014 couldn’t comment if force was used during the face by a male who ran off. Farrell rushed to KAMLOOPS, B.C. - The British Colum- arrest as that will be part of the investigation. the woman’s assistance and when Watson ar- bia Mountie who was shot during an The agency says during the arrest the man rived alone on the scene she tried to point out early-morning traffic stop almost two showed signs of medical distress, paramedics the direction of the assailant. were called and the man died at the scene. But she said the officer was aggressive weeks ago is improving in hospital. and told her to “shut the f--- up.” RCMP Cpl. Cheryl Bush says Cpl. Jean The RCMP declined to identify the de- “Mrs. Farrell was acting as Good Samari- Rene Michaud has been moved out of the hos- ceased man, saying they are still informing tan who went to the assistance of a woman pital’s intensive care unit in Kamloops, B.C. family members. who was being assaulted,” the judge said. Bush says Michaud will continue his re- “She had no criminal record and wanted to covery in another hospital ward and they’re Dec 16 2014 assist Sgt. Watson.” hopeful he may be able to be released in time MONTREAL - Fed up with quotas for He described the officer as a “control- to spend Christmas with his family. ling,” “large and powerfully built” man. Michaud needed at least two surgeries parking tickets and other infractions, the Montreal Police Brotherhood has “Watson kicked her to the side, a karate- after being shot Dec. 3 when he stopped a ve- kick that snapped her leg,” said the judge. hicle in a Kamloops suburb. printed 50,000 pamphlets for officers Farrell screamed in agony as she tried to de- Police said another officer who had come to hand out asking the public to com- fend herself. as Michaud’s backup returned fire and slight- plain to the mayor. “Watson then jumped on her and punched ly wounded the suspect. “Are you against ticket quotas? Us too” her on the left side of her face. She turned An intense 12-hour manhunt led to the reads the type on the pamphlets, which at first face-down and Sgt. Watson kept kneeing her arrest of 36-year-old Kenneth Knutson who glance look like an official police ticket. It in the back,” Beatty said. faces four charges, including attempted mur- With her leg dangling, crying out in pain, Far- der, in connection to the shooting. invites recipients to call, email or tweet Mon- (CHNL, Canadian Press) treal Mayor Denis Coderre. rell was then handcuffed and taken to the cruiser. 8 She had injuries to her neck and back, a Dec 17 2014 Ahmed Hassan and wounding five others in crushed knee that required several operations, AURORA, Ont. - York Regional Police June 2012, but had pleaded not guilty to all a knee replacement and lost a back tooth. She say they have dismantled an organ- charges against him. now lives with her elderly parents because ized crime group after an investigation His defence lawyers had argued that she will never be able to work again and can’t Husbands should be found not criminally afford to pay rent. that also involved RCMP and provin- During his testimony, Watson said he sus- cial police in the Greater Toronto Area. responsible by reason of a mental disorder. pected Farrell had been drinking. He said she Police say numerous warrants were ex- They had said the post-traumatic stress was disruptive and “took a poke” at him, then ecuted across the GTA, leading to the arrests of disorder he developed after a vicious beat- resisted arrest. But the judge didn’t believe him. members of the Ranieri organized crime group. ing and stabbing months before the mall “Sgt. Watson provided no explanation as There were few other immediate details shooting triggered an intense emotional re- to how Ms. Farrell’s tibia was broken, or in- about the investigation, dubbed Project Forza. action when he saw two of his assailants in deed, the reasons for the bruises on her legs But investigators say the group was con- the Eaton Centre food court. and arms and the loss of a tooth,” Beatty said. sidered a threat to public safety. They had argued Husbands went into a “His notes did not record the hammer strike They say it has been “successfully dis- “robotic’’ state as he fired off 14 shots and to her left eye, which was basically a sucker punch ... he suffered no injury and her injuries mantled.’’ Husbands testified he saw only dark shad- were catastrophic.” The investigation was led by York Re- ows and heard only “pins dropping’’ during The judge said even if Farrell’s “excite- gional Police and managed through the Com- the shooting. ment and zeal was distractive,” her only in- bined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, in- The Crown, meanwhile, had argued that tent was to help. volving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Husbands opened fire at the mall because “Police officers are trained and experienced and Ontario Provincial Police. he was determined to get revenge on the in handling people who may be intoxicated, “This is a highly successful example of men who had attacked him months earlier. drug addicted, mentally ill, armed or violent. how police agencies work together where Crown lawyers had argued that Hus- They apply their psychological skills and use matters of public safety go beyond the border bands’s PTSD was “far from disabling’’ the minimum of force in maintaining the peace and protecting the public,” Beatty said. of one city or region,’’ said York Regional Po- and that he was in full control of his mental “That did not happen in this case.” lice Chief Eric Jolliffe. faculties during the shooting, as was dem- The Special Investigation Unit investigat- onstrated by video surveillance footage ed the case and found no reasonable grounds Dec 17 2014 played at the trial. to charge Watson, although he refused to pro- NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. - Mount- The judge presiding over the case had duce his notes. ies say they arrested a man who de- instructed jurors to weigh all the evidence “Our records show he came in for an in- cided to take a nap after breaking before them, including Husbands’s testimo- terview but he would not provide his notes,” into a North Vancouver apartment. ny, the opinions of psychiatrists called by SIU spokesman Jasbir Brar said. “That is RCMP say the 24-year-old Surrey man the defence and the Crown, and the video within his legal rights.” broke into the home and helped himself to footage from the mall, which he called “the The OPP did not respond to calls for com- food and personal items. best witness’’ in the case. ment Tuesday. Police say the man put some items in a backpack and fell asleep on the couch. Dec 17 2014 Cpl. Richard De Jong says the home- WINNIPEG - Mounties are investigat- owner arrived to find a strange man snooz- ing the construction of Winnipeg’s WEDNESDAY ing away and wearing his T-shirt. new police headquarters. DECEMBER 17, 2014 He says the man was “certainly sur- Mayor Brian Bowman says he supports prised’’ to wake up and see police. the RCMP’s investigation and promises that any city employee identified in the in- Dec 17 2014 Dec 17 2014 vestigation will be dealt with. An RCMP officer says not enough was MONTREAL - A Montreal police in- Bowman say the steps are necessary to done to care for some members in the vestigator found guilty of passing restore public trust and he’s directing the wake of the shooting deaths of three confidential police records onto city’s legal department to see what can be of their colleagues in Moncton, New sources has had his conviction over- done as well. Brunswick. turned by the Quebec Court of Ap- RCMP say they are still reviewing an The officer, who wanted to remain peal. audit of the construction of Winnipeg’s new anonymous for fear of professional reper- Mario Lambert was convicted in May fire paramedic stations. cussions, was part of the mission to capture 2012 on three counts of fraudulently shar- Mounties say the Manitoba government gunman Justin Bourque in June. ing police information. forwarded three audits to it for review in He says officers were offered a debrief- The court reversed that verdict mid-August. ing immediately after the incident. today,citing problems with the evidence put It says investigators from the federal But he says there was no personal men- forward by the prosecution. Serious and Organized Crime Unit have tal health care in the days and weeks after Such a decision technically orders a been conducting two separate reviews - one the incident for officers called in from de- new trial, but that won’t happen because the into the police headquarters, and the other tachments outside Moncton. Crown says it doesn’t have enough proof. into the fire paramedic stations. Gilles Moreau, who heads up the force’s Lambert, a highly respected investiga- “The RCMP have completed a review mental health strategy, says they are trying tor, was suspended without pay after his of the forensic audit regarding the con- to improve care for members. indictment in 2009 and was let go by police struction of the Winnipeg Police Service Moreau says the force is educating at the end of his trial in 2012. Headquarters and this is now considered a members on mental health issues, resourc- (CBC News) full investigation,’’ RCMP said in a news es available to help them and working to release. reduce the stigma around psychological Dec 17 2014 Mounties also said a search warrant ex- disorders. TORONTO - A jury has found a man ecuted Wednesday at Caspian Construction He says the care plan used in Moncton, accused in the 2012 shooting at To- is in relation to the investigation. which involved the deployment of psy- ronto’s Eaton Centre mall guilty of Police say they couldn’t say anymore at chologists and health services officers, is second-degree murder. this time. being promoted in a guidebook for RCMP Christopher Husbands had admitted to (CJOB, The Canadian Press) divisions. fatally shooting Nixon Nirmalendran and 9 Dec 17 2014 Dec 18 2014 of Mayor Denis Coderre forecasts spending The provincial government has an- SASKATOON - Two Saskatoon police $5.32 million from 2015 to 2016 to finish nounced the name of the person who officers had to take a bone-chilling implementing M-IRIS. The document says will head its new police investigations dip in the South Saskatchewan River $21.02 million was already spent before bureau. in a brave bid to rescue a distraught 2015. The capital-works program lists anoth- Madeleine Giauque, a veteran lawyer woman from drowning. er $466,000 in 2015 to integrate older “op- who has been prosecuting members of the Police say they got word late Wednesday tional” modules that are now obsolete with Hells Angels for more than a decade, was evening about motorists and passersby trying newer ones. On that front, $1.6 million was named to the position on Wednesday and will to calm down a woman who was screaming already spent before 2015. formally begin her duties on Jan. 12. and banging on a vehicle. The total for M-IRIS in the capital-works The office of independent investigations The 27-year-old Saskatoon resident made program adds up to 2016 tallies $28.4 mil- (Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes) will her way to the river in the downtown area lion. The project is financed by the city and be in charge of conducting probes into inci- where she eventually immersed herself and the island suburbs through the island council. dents where police action results in the in- was swept away, despite attempts by officers The police department says the project hit jury or death of a civilian. Currently, in cases to talk her out of the water. a snag when the computer system was tested where an officer is involved in these types of The woman was screaming for help when by police officers in 2010. encounters, another police force takes over one officer secured himself with a rope and “We weren’t satisfied with the product,” the file in order to maintain the appearance tried to swim out to rescue her, but was forced said Inspector Natalia Shuster, who has been of impartiality. But many citizens’ groups back by the cold. in charge of the M-IRIS project for the Mon- and victims rights organizations contend that A second officer, also secured by a rope, treal Police since the beginning of 2014. Her this practice leads to anything but impartial managed to reach her and was pulled to shore two predecessors were each promoted to judgements. by emergency personnel, along with the first Chief Inspector. They have been calling for an independ- officer who had re-entered the river to help. The system was tested at two police sta- ent investigative body for years, and in 2013, The woman was taken to hospital, but tions and wasn’t user-friendly, particularly on the provincial government passed new legis- neither of the officers needed treatment. computers inside police vehicles, where offic- lation to do just that. ers are now supposed to file their incident re- Bill 12 “makes the carrying out of an in- Dec 18 2014 ports directly into the M-IRIS system, she said. dependent investigation mandatory in every MONTREAL - A woman who caused The purpose of M-IRIS, which stands case where a person, other than an on-duty a fatal traffic accident after stopping for Montréal — Inscription et recherche de police officer, dies, sustains a serious injury her car to help ducks on a busy high- l’information sur la sécurité, is to have a sin- or is injured by a firearm used by a police of- way has been sentenced to 90 days in gle system for police reports, analysis, war- ficer during a police intervention or while the prison. rants, mug shoots and finger printing. The old person is in police custody.” Emma Czornobaj will serve the time on police computer systems didn’t talk to each Setting up the bureau has taken over a weekends, probably beginning in January. other. year, however, and even with Giauque’s ap- The sentence handed down in Montreal “What we want is everyone to work in the pointment it is unclear when it may actu- today also prohibits her from driving for 10 system, from the minute you get the call to ally begin taking cases. Government officials years and stipulates she must do 240 hours of when the report or the accusations are (filed) have said that the office is expected to be up community service. in court,” Shuster said. and running by early 2016. After Czornobaj stopped her car in June Among the problems for the police who (Montreal Gazette) 2010 to rescue ducklings on the side of the tested M-IRIS, she said: there were too many highway, a motorcycle carrying the victims fields and duplicate fields to fill in when typ- -Andre Roy and his teenager daughter Jessie ing a report. - slammed into her vehicle. THURSDAY A jury convicted her of two counts of “In 2010, it’s like we had to go back a DECEMBER 18, 2014 criminal negligence causing death and two little bit to the drawing board,” Shuster said. counts of dangerous driving causing death. “We don’t want police officers to spend their The Crown was seeking nine months of time on the computer when they should be Dec 18 2014 detention and the 240 hours of community spending their time out on the road and serv- EDMONTON - Alberta’s Law Enforce- service, while the defence argued she should ing the citizens.” ment Response Team says it has laid only get the community service. M-IRIS had a budget of $14 million as of charges against four alleged members 2010, and that’s what was spent up to 2012, of the Mexican drug cartel La Familia. Dec 18 2014 Investigators say the cartel is attempting she said, citing figures she got from the city’s MONTREAL - The Montreal Police De- information-technology department. The fig- to gain control of drug distribution channels partment’s plan to modernize its com- in several Alberta communities, including Ed- puter system touted a budget of $1.65 ures indicate that M-IRIS will cost $24 mil- monton, Red Deer, Fort McMurray, Drayton million in 2001, but now it’s forecast lion by the end of 2015, Shuster said. Valley and Lloydminster. to reach $28.4 million by the time it’s The $10-million difference is for “im- Jose Antonio Monterrey, who police allege completed in 2016, the city’s latest provements to the system to make it more is the president of La Familia, was arrested ear- capital works program shows. user friendly,” she said. The project to upgrade and integrate the The MUC’s $1.65-million budget for the lier this week while trying to board a flight from police department’s computer systems into a the Edmonton International Airport. project included a $721,000 contract to Mo- single system, known as M-IRIS, may be one bilair Integration to develop a software pack- Cody Sterling Tremblett, 28, Peter Alan of the slowest municipal projects ever to be Griffon, 34, and Penny Sue Fleming, 34, were implemented in Montreal, as well as one of age to integrate the police computer systems also arrested. its biggest cost overruns. over two years and manage the system for In total, 40 drug-related drugs and weapons The former Montreal Urban Community, another five years after installation. charges have been laid. which was responsible for the police depart- The Tremblay administration cancelled Police say the charges follow searches at ment before the 2002 municipal mergers, the contract in February 2004 after Mobilair launched the police computer plan in 2001 three Edmonton homes that uncovered a wide Integration was placed under creditor protec- with a budget of $1.65 million “to complete tion and was having trouble meeting its pro- range of weapons, cash, drugs and body armour. the entire project” in three to five years. Officers says they seized around $600,000 ject deadlines. The Montreal Police had also What happened in the intervening years reassessed the proposed “architecture” of the worth of drugs including five kilograms of co- includes cancelled contracts and contract caine and Oxycodone pills. tenders, plus an additional $10 million since project’s second phase and concluded it no La Familia is allegedly connected to an El 2012 alone because the police discovered the longer met its needs, a report to the city ex- Salvador gang called Mara Salvatrucha, also system that was developed over those years ecutive committee at the time said. known as MS-13. wasn’t user-friendly. The city awarded a new $10.97-million (CHED) The new three-year capital works pro- contract to Niche Technology Inc. of Winnipeg gram unveiled this fall by the administration in 2007 to implement a software package over 10 three years and provide five years of mainte- nance. The project was evaluated at $11 million, the Tremblay administration said in a news release announcing it as a new project. A 2010 investigation by the Montreal Ga- zette found the project to that point had no dedicated budget, no timeline and no appar- ent deadline. City auditor general Jacques Bergeron recently examined M-IRIS and said this year his report on it “brings to light significant and worrisome weaknesses.” But he issued his report on the project only to the Montreal police. The city refused an access-to-information re- quest by the Montreal Gazette for a copy. Shuster said Bergeron made 30 recom- mendations and that the Montreal Police have provided him a plan to implement them. A committee has been set up to follow up regu- larly, she added. The cost overrun on M-IRIS, calculated from 2001, is 1,600 per cent. Montreal’s 1976 Olympics suffered a cost overrun of 800 per cent or 1,200 per cent, depending on which estimates are used. The games cost $1.47 billion. M-IRIS “hasn’t gone well since it was put in place,” Montreal Police Brotherhood president Yves Francoeur said. Officers used to file incident reports by hand at the end of a call. The new system is long and requires officers to search for data that used to be added to the report by a clerk at the police station, he said. “The perverse effect is that officers used to spend 30 minutes on a call from start to finish,” Francoeur said, “and now it’s 45 minutes.” (Montreal Gazette)

Dec 18 2014 METRO VANCOUVER - A Delta police officer charged with second degree murder for his role in a fatal shooting in New Westminster two years ago is set to appear in court today. Delta Police Const. Jordan MacWil- liams was charged in October in the death of 48-year-old Mehrdad Bayrami following a five-hour police standoff outside Starlight Casino in November of 2012. He made his first court appearance in October and was released on bail. He is scheduled to appear in court in New West- minster this afternoon. MacWilliams was called out to the casino on Nov. 8, 2012 to deal with a man outside armed with a handgun. After a five-hour standoff, Bayrami was shot on a pathway near the casino. He died later in hospital. The Independent Investigation Office reviewed the case and submitted a report to Crown counsel. The Crown requested additional information from investigators, which was provided earlier this year and led to the murder charge being approved, according to Crown spokesman Neil MacKenzie. A murder charge for an on-duty emergency response team officer is rare in B.C. MacWilliams was placed on administra- tive duty after the shooting. He is now on paid leave, according to Delta Police. (Vancouver Sun)