November 11, 2016 – Vol

A Chronicle of News for the Law Enforcement Community November 11, 2016 – Vol. 21 No. 46 PRIVATE POLICE NEED MORE OVERSIGHT Nov 04 2016 OTTAWA - A federal review of national security will consider whether Canada’s spy service should be able to sift through the kind of personal data it kept illegally for years, says Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. Page 3 Nov 04 2016 HALIFAX - A judge has dismissed a charge against a Halifax magazine writer accused of breaching a publication ban in a story that painted an unflattering portrait of an off-duty Nova Scotia police officer whose body was found dumped near an overpass. Page 4 Nov 06 2016 Nov 05 2016 OTTAWA - Private police have exploded finds lax licensing requirements and a lack of OTTAWA - Municipal politicians in numbers in recent years, but Canada oversight are failing to keep the activities of in Ottawa are applauding the clo- is lagging behind other countries in private investigators, analysts and guards in sure of a string of marijuana dis- tracking their often-covert activities - check. pensaries operating illegally something that experts warn could “This has a number of consequences, in- across the city in response to compromise privacy and public safety cluding an inability to ensure that private se- mounting complaints. if growth continues unchecked. curity companies are not vulnerable to organ- Page 5 ized crime, unethical and/or illegal behaviour,” Nov 08 2016 “There is little or no governance or oversight of private security firms in Canada, no the report said. The case of an Ontario woman mechanisms that require standardized report- The report, released to CBC News, comes who argued to be recognized as ing by private security firms, and only mini- amid news reports about questionable surveil- a victim of crime because she mal standards in place for licensing, training lance and data collection activities of Cana- developed post-traumatic stress and discipline of the various positions within dian police and spy agencies. Two Quebec disorder after serving as a juror the private security industry,” reads a research police forces have come under fire for track- in a horrific murder trial has been report prepared for Public Safety Canada. ing the cellphones of journalists, while a fed- settled. Provincial and federal statutes, including eral court condemned the Canadian Security Page 7 Intelligence Service for illegally retaining the Nov 10 2016 privacy rules, govern surveillance and the collection and use of information. But the report metadata of people not under investigation. OTTAWA - Two class-action lawsuits arising out of the chaotic Toronto G20 summit more than six years ago appear destined for trial after the country’s highest court refused on Thursday to get involved. Page 9 The report finds a “potential” for private report. family, have requested an autopsy by the chief security to play an important role in commu- Michael Kempa, a criminologist at the coroner. nity safety. But it warns of the dangers of an University of Ottawa, said the areas where There is video of most of what happened, expanding role in the national security appa- private agents operate - including shopping but street and car lights in the video are mak- ratus that falls largely under the radar. Huge malls, university campuses and condominium ing it difficult to see. It has been sent to Ed- disparity lobbies and parking lots - is ever expanding. monton police to try to clarify the images, Curt Griffiths, a criminologist at B.C.’s That means citizens are forgoing rights to the police chief said. Simon Fraser Univer- those who are enforcing “arbitrary rules of the (CJWW) sity who co-authored proprietors,” Kempa said. the report, called the Without regulation, the uncontrolled Nov 03 2016 growing business of growth of the industry could become a “mas- EDMONTON - An Edmonton judge has private security an sive problem,” including an inequality of pro- tossed out a sexual assault charge “unregulated field.” tection and safety services between the rich against an Alberta man as a result of The lack of over- and the poor. the “unexplained” loss by the RCMP sight and a huge dis- “As these agencies claw into ever more of an audio-recorded statement from parity among prov- functions, one day you’ll turn around and re- the alleged victim. inces and territories on alize that public police has taken a back seat In a ruling released this week, Court of training and back- to private actors who are not monitored in the Queen’s Bench Justice Denny Thomas issued ground checks, com- same way,” Kempa said. a judicial stay of the 2015 sexual assault plaint mechanisms, auditing and reporting But Christopher Murphy, a sociologist at charge against the 21-year-old accused man. raise the risk of private investigators intrud- Nova Scotia’s Dalhousie University, believes “Balancing the societal interest of having on privacy by “sleuthing around,” or “mall public and private police have distinct roles. ing a full trial on the merits of this charge cops” who might abuse authority. “We don’t want highly paid, highly before a jury and the right of the accused to A robust oversight and accountability re- trained, legally empowered police officers make full answer and defence, I conclude that gime is long overdue, Griffiths said. doing some of the important but low-level, this is one of those ‘clearest of cases’ where “The role of the federal government, ide- low-skilled, not-necessarily-legally-connected a stay should be granted to respect the rights ally, would be to develop some national stand- activities, such as providing presence in a of the accused,” said Thomas in his written ards for private security so you get rid of the neighbourhood,” he said. decision, variability across jurisdictions and bring eve- Police officers enforce the law, while pri- The man had sought a stay of the charge, ryone up to the same level,” he told CBC vate security personnel have a broader man- arguing the “unexplained” loss of key evi- News. date. Instead of competing, he said, they dence by the Mounties was so prejudicial to His 104-page report found the number of should find ways to better co-ordinate and in- his right to make full answer and defence that licensed security companies and individuals tegrate services. he would not get a fair trial. is far outpacing the growth of public police As for keeping private actors in check, he The Crown had conceded that the loss of officers. said employees can be fired if they are acting the complainant’s audio statement meant the In 2012, according to the report, there were inappropriately, abusing authority or bringing prosecution had not met their disclosure obli- about 140,000 individuals and 3,000 busi- ill repute to the company. gation and it was therefore a breach of the ac- nesses licensed in Canada’s private security (CBC News) cused’s Charter rights, but had argued there was industry. That marks a 40-per-cent increase in other evidence available to the defence which just five years. would have mitigated the prejudice to him. Meanwhile, over roughly the same period However, Thomas disagreed, ruling the - between 1999 and 2014, the number of po- THURSDAY accused had been denied the ability to con- lice officers increased by 18.7 per cent, top- NOVEMBER 3, 2016 duct a “crucial” cross examination of the al- ping out at 68,896 officers, according to the leged victim on the contents of her missing

Nov 03 2016 statement and finding that there was neither a “practical nor fair way” to mitigate the SASKATOON - Police in Saskatoon are prejudice. investigating whether an officer’s use “I conclude that there are no other meas- of force contributed to a 21-year-old ures which could be used here to overcome suspect’s death. the prejudice caused by the unexplained loss ISSN 1704-3913 Chief Clive Weighill says the officer, who Copyright 2016 of the second statement,” said Thomas. Blue Line Magazine & The Canadian Press has been with the force for 10 years, is on Court heard the woman had a sexual as- Permission to reprint may be obtained in advance from administrative duties for now. sault examination done by a doctor that morn- Annex Business Media Jordan Lafond was a passenger in a sto- Phone 905 713-4387 eMail: [email protected] ing and the police went to her mother’s home len truck involved in a police chase on Oct. Published weekly by Annex Business Media as an executive that afternoon to obtain a detailed statement news briefing service to Canada’s top level law enforcement 23. personnel. from her. Weighill says Lafond appeared to have Most information supplied in this publication is from newswire This longer interview was recorded on a services. As such Blue Line Magazine does not accept been ejected from the truck when it crashed responsibility for the accuracy of articles as supplied. handheld digital recorder and the officer also into a fence at a Saskatoon high school. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be made “very sparse” handwritten notes. The He says police believed he was trying to reproduced, stored in an electronic database or transmitted in officer later reviewed those notes and listened any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording resist arrest and one officer used his knee to or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers. to the recording as she prepared her typed One Year Subscriptions are $10500 (GST Included). Paid take the suspect into custody. subscribers may make up to four (4) copies of this publication report for disclosure purposes. Lafond died in hospital the next morn- for distribution within their organization. Court heard the second statement audio ing. file was lost by the RCMP sometime between GROUP PUBLISHER: Paul Grossinger Police found four firearms and ammuni- March and October 2015 and the Crown later EDITOR: Tom Rataj - [email protected] tion inside the truck, Weighill said. conceded the loss is “unexplained.” COPY EDITOR: Mark Reesor - [email protected] A 20-year-old man faces more than 20 SUBSCRIPTIONS: BlueLine.ca / Subscribe In his ruling, Thomas found he was “par- charges, including dangerous driving caus- ADVERTISING: 905 713-4387 ticularly concerned” over the “inconsisten- ing death. cies” between the officer’s notes and her re- 222 Edward Street, Aurora ON, L4G 1W6 Weighill said police, as well as Lafond’s Phone: 905 640-3048 eMail: [email protected] port. (Edmonton Sun)

2 Blue Line NEWS WEEK telligence that can reveal specific, intimate ing to escape arrest and lost his sight as a details about people, the judge said. result. FRIDAY The improperly retained material was He was to face trial on Nov. 14 in Queen’s NOVEMBER 4, 2016 metadata - information associated with a com- Bench Court, but a Supreme Court ruling last munication, such as a telephone number or summer said 30 months was too long to wait.

Nov 04 2016 email address, but not the message itself. It is Harron’s trial was delayed by 42 months, believed to have included data trails related to so the Crown stayed all the charges. CALGARY - A police officer and a sus- people such as friends or family members who (CTV Calgary, CP) pect were both taken to hospital knew the targets of surveillance but were not Thursday night with non-life-threaten- themselves under investigation. Nov 04 2016 ing injuries sustained during a con- The ruling means metadata can now be THUNDER BAY - The independent ci- frontation in the Calgary neighbour- kept and used by CSIS only if it relates to a vilian oversight body that is investigat- hood of Dover. specific threat to Canadian security or if it is ing the conduct of the Thunder Bay The Calgary police department said the of use to an investigation, prosecution, national Police Service and its policing of First incident took place in an alley around 7 p.m. defence or foreign affairs. Nations people has outlined the spe- Thursday evening after a stolen vehicle was In a hastily assembled news conference cifics of its ongoing review. spotted by patrol members. Thursday after the decision become public, In a release issued on Thursday, the Of- A news release from the department said CSIS director Michel Coulombe said the spy fice of the Independent Police Review Direc- one officer, a three-year veteran of the force, service had halted all access to, and analysis tor (OIPRD) detailed the nine key areas it will sustained minor injuries after approaching the of, the data in question while it thoroughly be examining during its systemic review of stolen car and being dragged by it. reviews the court decision. the Thunder Bay Police Service. A second officer, also a three-year-mem- “Alarming questions have been raised ber of police service, discharged a firearm, Nov 04 2016 about the way the Thunder Bay Police Serv- striking the 21-year-old driver of the stolen CALGARY - A Calgary man who was ice investigates the disappearances and deaths vehicle. accused of running over two seniors of Indigenous people,” Gerry McNeilly, in- Police described the driver of the vehicle as he fled police will not be tried be- dependent police review director said in the as being in serious but stable conditon. cause of a lengthy delay. release. At a news conference late Thursday, Jason Harron, who is 40, faced several “Indigenous leaders and community Chief Constable Roger Chaffin said the inci- charges that included criminal negligence members say that these investigations, and dent is another example of how officers are causing bodily harm. other interactions with police, devalue Indig- put in harm’s way doing their jobs on a Agnes Dyck broke her elbow and hip and enous lives, reflect differential treatment and nightly basis. her husband Peter suffered minor injuries are based on racist attitudes and/or stereotypi- “These things happen so fast, and unfor- when they were hit outside Calgary’s cal preconceptions about the Indigenous com- tunately, we’ve become all too accustomed to Crowfoot Shopping Centre in May 2013. munity.” the fact that these things are happening more Harron was shot by police while attempt- The review of the Thunder Bay Police often than we’d like to see,’’ he said, noting that officers have investigated 4,000 stolen vehicles so far this year.

Nov 04 2016 OTTAWA - A federal review of national security will consider whether Cana- da’s spy service should be able to sift through the kind of personal data it kept illegally for years, says Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. Goodale said Friday the notion that the Canadian Security Intelligence Service should avoid stashing away information about inno- cent people is a “fundamental principle of Canadian privacy.’’ But the minister appeared to leave the door open to one day giving CSIS the legal authority to keep and analyze electronic data about individuals who do not pose a security threat. “I want to hear the professional advice on both sides,’’ Goodale told a news conference in the foyer of the House of Commons. “I’m not pre-empting the consultation.’’ A Federal Court judge says CSIS violated the law by keeping potentially revealing electronic data about people who were not targets of investigation over a 10-year period. In a pointed ruling made public Thursday, Justice Simon Noel said CSIS breached its duty to inform the court of its data-collection program, since the information was gathered using judicial warrants. CSIS crunched the data beginning in 2006 using a powerful program known as the Op- erational Data Analysis Centre to produce in-

3 Blue Line NEWS WEEK Service follows several incidents in the last Police alleged the magazine published a “It’s difficult enough having these com- year that have called into question police con- story online the same day the hearing began ments out there in 2016 in a country and in a duct relating to the Indigenous community and last July 11 and contained information that was city that doesn’t support this type of position,” investigations. subject to the ban. he said Tuesday. While the review looks specifically at re- The same story appeared in the print edi- Khan has said his comments were taken lations between Thunder Bay Police and the tion of the magazine, which appeared on news- out of context, and that the Arabic term he Indigenous community, McNeilly is calling it stands on July 13. Douglas has said his story translated as “obedience” denotes loyalty and a systemic review. was researched, written and published ahead devotion. “I don’t want to target it as a racism re- of the publication ban, after he received an “I realize how someone unfamiliar with view because I’m looking at the existing poli- envelope containing information about the this nuance can misunderstand my imprecise cies and practice how the police investigate officer’s off-duty activities. translation to mean something different to my matters in general with regard to Indigenous Christopher Calvin Garnier is charged intended meaning, and the meaning that I people and the adequacy of training and if of- with second-degree murder in the death of know my audience at the time understood ficers are being held accountable for the way Campbell, who served as a Truro police con- clearly,” Khan told CBC News in a statement they interact with members of the Indigenous stable for six years before her death. Tuesday. community.” Her death drew national headlines, and Nevertheless, he said he appreciated the (Sudbury.com) police officers and firefighters lined the streets criticism and would “be more mindful in clari- as her casket was brought to the church for fying my steadfast support of women’s equal- Nov 04 2016 her funeral in her hometown of Stellarton, N.S. ity,” adding he remained ready to serve with TORONTO - The province’s Special In- the force. vestigations Unit is investigating after Nov 04 2016 (CBC News) a man died in an “interaction’’ with To- WINNIPEG - Manitoba RCMP say last ronto police. week was a deadly one on the prov- Nov 04 2016 Police say officers were called to a report ince’s roads. Nine people died in colli- The association representing RCMP of- of a person seen walking with a large knife on sions - a number RCMP say they don’t ficers in Quebec is seeking permission Friday afternoon. want to ever see repeated. from a Superior Court judge to bring a They say police found the man and “an Mounties say half of those who have died class-action lawsuit against the RCMP interaction’’ took place between him and of- this year in fatal collisions weren’t wearing for abuse of authority, discrimination ficers. seatbelts. and harassment. The province’s Special Investigations Unit In almost 50 per cent of deadly crashes, If granted, the lawsuit will seek damages says it has been called in to investigate the speed was involved. for officers who allege man’s death. RCMP say impaired driving was a factor that they were discrimi- in almost 40 per cent. nated against due to their Nov 04 2016 union activism, or simply HALIFAX - A judge has dismissed a Nov 04 2016 because they happened to charge against a Halifax magazine TORONTO - A Toronto police chaplain be francophone. writer accused of breaching a publica- under fire for comments made about Quebec Mounted Po- tion ban in a story that painted an un- women’s “obedience” to their hus- lice Members’ Associa- flattering portrait of an off-duty Nova bands will continue to serve with the tion (QMPMA) spokes- Scotia police officer whose body was force for the time being, CBC News has man Frederic Serre says that this is the first found dumped near an overpass lead- learned. time a members’ association has filed this kind ing to a harbour bridge. Musleh Khan met recently with Toronto of legal action against the RCMP. Previous The case against Andrew Douglas, the police Chief Mark Saunders, and “would like high-profile cases were filed by private indi- managing editor of the satire and gossip pub- an opportunity to be heard by members of the viduals and groups. lication Frank Magazine, was dropped after Toronto Police Service,” spokeswoman “The appeal we filed with the judge lists the Crown appeared in provincial court on Meaghan Gray told CBC News on Friday. three specific individuals, and we are hopeful Friday to say no evidence would be provided. “We will be facilitating that opportunity. that it will be approved and will pave the way Outside of court, Paul Carver, the chief In the meantime, he continues as a volunteer for other officers to step forward and deposit Crown attorney for Halifax, said he had re- chaplain,” Grey said. complaints,” Serre told Global News. “It’s a viewed court rulings in similar cases provided The force would not comment further. daring move considering the fact that a lot of by the defence, and done his own review, and Khan drew ire on Tuesday from critics members are afraid to speak out due to fear of concluded a prosecution of the journalist including the Toronto police union and the reprisal.” wasn’t viable. Canadian Council of Muslim Women over So fearful are active RCMP members of Douglas said outside court the police had comments he made in a 2013 webinar for speaking out, Serre says, that the association’s been attempting to send a message that a nega- Muslim couples. charge is being led by retired 35-year RCMP tive story about Truro police officer Catherine In the almost hour-long seminar - called veteran Paul Dupuis. Campbell based on leaked documents The Heart of the Home: the Rights and Re- Dupuis told Global News that his work as wouldn’t be tolerated. sponsibilities of a Wife - Khan appears to im- an advocate for union rights while employed “Law enforcement and the Crown just ply a wife must make herself sexually avail- by the RCMP made him the victim of various couldn’t believe we would publish this. In my able and “not withhold this right from her hus- abuses of authority, such as being made to wait opinion they set out to find a way to make band without a valid excuse,” such as sick- seven years for a decision on a disciplinary Frank pay for it,’’ he said outside court. ness or obligatory fasting. allegation. “They wanted to see somebody bleed.’’ He adds refusal is, according to some Is- “That means that you’re in the penalty box A Halifax police spokeswoman said the lamic scholars, considered “a major sin.” for seven years,” he said. “You can’t get pro- force investigated in the same way they would Khan also describes a wife’s other duties moted and you can’t request transfers, so your approach any such case. and rights in the video. career is put on hold for that period.” Douglas was charged with breaching a ban It had police union president Mike The appeal also aims to highlight discrimi- shortly after the launch of a preliminary in- McCormarck asking how the Toronto Police nation against francophone officers. quiry into the alleged homicide of Campbell Service vets its chaplains, and how the com- “Unilingual, French-speaking officers last year. ments reflected on the force as a whole. have been sent to work out west when they

4 Blue Line NEWS WEEK didn’t have the ability to speak English well,” ing a more accurate account of what happened we’ll know a gram of marijuana is actual Dupuis said. that day,” says Twolan, who would not say marijuana,” Mitic said. “They were put in a position where they what exact charge will be laid. Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau couldn’t do their jobs properly and were dis- The charge stems from an April 26 inci- said Friday that the raids were the result of missed, rather than simply being assigned to dent involving Ward 3 councillor Matthew long investigations - and emphasized that dis- an area where they could police francophone Green and a uniformed patrol constable. pensaries that weren’t raided should be “on citizens.” Green filed a complaint with the Office notice.” He added he hoped the remaining dis- LaPresse reports that in addition to of the Independent Police Review Director, a pensaries “close down on their own accord.” Dupuis, the appeal’s representatives include body responsible for all public complaints (CBC News) Cnst. Marc Lachance, who received disabil- about police conduct in the province. On Fri- ity payments after arguing that his depression day, Green issued a news release saying the SUNDAY was brought about by persistent harassment, OIPRD informed him Monday that it has com- and Charles Mancer, a former association vice- pleted its investigation and a Police Services NOVEMBER 6, 2016 president who claims his activism on behalf Act hearing will take place. of his colleagues led to unfair disciplinary Green’s executive assistant said the coun- Nov 06 2016 action. cillor would not comment further. Serre says that the ultimate goal of the The OIPRD confirmed it has finished its MONTREAL - Montreal police say they appeal is to embolden more RCMP officers to investigation, but would not provide more only tapped the phones of their own speak out about their experiences, so that details. officers under investigation. abuses of authority can cease. It seems likely the officer will be charged La Presse reported yesterday that police “We saw with the sexual harassment com- with “discreditable conduct.” obtained a 60 day warrant to listen to two of plaints that all it took was one, two and three Police spokesperson Catherine Martin its journalists’ phone calls. complaints and before you know it, it’s a big would not confirm anything, not even the Dec. But police chief Philippe Pichet issued a number,” he says. “There are a lot of people 15 first appearance date. statement saying the force only wiretapped the who suffer in silence. This will be an oppor- “I was not detained. I had no intention of phones of police officers who were being in- tunity for them to step forward.” leaving the area, as I was waiting for a bus,” vestigated for alleged crimes. RCMP officials in Quebec declined to Green said in April. He has said he felt “tar- Pichet says any person having communi- comment as “the case is before the courts.” geted” and “harassed.” cated with the officers in question could be (Global News) (Hamilton Spectator) heard in the conversations. Last week, La Presse reported it had Nov 04 2016 learned that at least 24 surveillance warrants WINNIPEG - Fewer Winnipeg police of- SATURDAY were issued for one of its journalist’s phone as part of an investigation into suspected ficers are retiring, driving up the serv- NOVEMBER 5, 2016 ice’s salary budget. crimes within the force. The Winnipeg Police Board approved a Montreal and Quebec provincial police request to move $2 million from a non-salary Nov 05 2016 admitted that several other journalists were account to pay officers wages. OTTAWA - Municipal politicians in Ot- placed under surveillance and had their Newly appointed Police Chief Danny tawa are applauding the closure of a cellphone logs tapped. Smyth said the service budgeted for 50 retire- string of marijuana dispensaries oper- The province is launching an inquiry into ments this year, but only 39 actually left their ating illegally across the city in re- the matter. jobs. sponse to mounting complaints. Montreal’s mayor is standing by the city’s To cover the shortfall, the service is de- police chief. Denis Coderre says asking Chief laying some capital projects, including a case Philippe Pichet to resign without a full inquiry management software program. would amount to a “public lynching.’’ Smyth said he doesn’t believe this will have an impact on how officers manage cases. (CTV News)

Nov 04 2016 HAMILTON - A provincial police oversight agency has directed Hamilton police to lay a disciplinary charge against one of its officers accused of Jody Mitic, the councillor for Innes ward, “carding” a black city councillor. said politicians had been “tightening the screws” on Ottawa police chief Charles Bordeleau to crack down on “bandits” selling unregulated products. “You can’t just open up a shop and start selling grandpa’s moonshine,” Mitic said. “They’re bandits setting up shop in this manner. We needed to show the people that, despite some of the confusion and the grey zones in the law right now, we’re still going The Police Services Act charge will be to enforce what’s right and wrong.” officially laid when the officer makes his first The federal government has promised to appearance on Dec. 15, says Clint Twolan, introduce legislation to legalize marijuana by president of the Hamilton Police Association. the spring of 2017 but possession, production The officer has continued to perform his regu- and trafficking of marijuana remains illegal. lar duties throughout the complaint process. “Once it’s legal and there are rules in “The officer is looking forward to present- place ... we’ll collect the taxes off it [and]

5 Blue Line NEWS WEEK cause of a crystal meth problem. vehicle on Thursday. Cameron says the RCMP has a big role to A second officer shot the 20-year-old MONDAY play too, helping band councils identify and driver, who was taken to hospital with serious NOVEMBER 7, 2016 stop drug dealers. injuries. Muskoday First Nation, Mistawasis First While ASIRT investigations are standard

Nov 07 2016 Nation and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band protocol in officer-involved shootings, the OTTAWA - The Ottawa Police Service have also banished people to help control agency said Monday it has launched a second is setting aside money in its 2017 draft crime. probe into allegations of use of force on the driver after he was removed from the vehicle budget to hire 25 new officers, rein- Nov 07 2016 forcements it says it needs to provide and taken into custody. security at events celebrating Canada’s CALGARY - The Alberta Serious Inci- The agency said in a news release the of- 150th birthday dent Response Team has launched a ficer who fired his gun is not part of the sec- The hires were planned, and are among second investigation related to an of- ond investigation. 75 officers being ficer-involved shooting in a back alley ASIRT said additional officers arrived on added to the force over last week. scene before the suspect was taken into cus- A police officer sustained minor injuries tody. three years, including (CHQR) another 25 in 2018. when he was dragged by a suspected stolen The new hires are on top of recruits brought in to replace retiring officers. “We developed this budget to meet the policing needs of our community and to address the needs of our members,” said Chief Charles Bordeleau in a statement. “As a police service we continue to focus on our organizational priorities of guns and gangs, violence against women and traffic safety while planning for the major events expected in 2017.” The police have had a challenging time in 2016, with a record number of shootings. The new hires are part of the 2017 draft budget tabled Monday afternoon, two days earlier than originally planned. The 2017 operating budget is $320.2 million, resulting in a tax rate increase of two per cent, or about $11 per household. That’s an increase of $8.9 million over 2016 police spending. In order to keep the budget increase under the two per cent threshold, the force is in- troducing a number of efficiencies, including: • A new staffing strategy to recoup $2 million in overtime costs. • Re-allocation of $1.5 million in existing capital funds. • Absorbing $500,000 in inflationary costs. • A $500,000 infusion from the general re- serve to fund various projects. (CBC News)

Nov 07 2016 REGINA - The chief of Saskatchewan’s Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations says he supports First Nations that exile criminals. Bobby Cameron, who represents 74 of the province’s First Nations, says he backs ban- ishment if it means getting rid of drug dealers or protecting young people from drugs and alcohol. An outraged Cameron says drug dealers in some communities are selling to 10-year-old kids and something has to be done to stop it. The chief says he supports a recent move by the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation to banish six non-band members and give warn- ings to more than a dozen band members be-

6 Blue Line NEWS WEEK expenses she incurred in obtaining treatment Kathleen Wynne in Ottawa today is after Rafferty’s trial. adopted. TUESDAY The proposed law would allow munici- NOVEMBER 8, 2016 Nov 08 2016 palities to use automated speed technology to ST. JOHN’S, N.L. - A commission of in- take photos of speeders’ licence plates in ov 08 2016 quiry looking into the death of a New- school zones, and in areas around places like New police chiefs have taken the oath foundland man who was shot in his daycares, parks, seniors’ homes and hospitals. of office in two of the largest cities on home by police has postponed the re- The announcement got a round of ap- the Prairies. lease of a series of reports, saying the plause from Ottawa Police Chief Charles delay is necessary because it has re- Bordeleau. ceived new information that has been He said the technology will deter speed- forwarded to the RCMP. ers and allow him to deploy his officers to Don Dunphy was shot in April 2015 by a more pressing crime scenes. member of the Royal Newfoundland Con- Wynne said any revenue generated from stabulary who served on then-premier Paul photo radar would stay with the municipali- Davis’s security detail. ties. Const. Joe Smyth went alone in plain If passed, the law would also allow mu- clothes in an unmarked SUV to Dunphy’s nicipalities to lower default speed limits from home in Mitchell’s Brook after staff in the 50 km/h to 40 or 30. The law would give mu- former premier’s office alerted police about nicipalities the power and choice to lower lim- allegedly threatening comments made by its in individual neighbourhoods, or wider ar- Dunphy on social media. eas. A retired judge who reviewed the RCMP’s The proposed legislation would also Evan Bray takes over the job in Regina, subsequent investigation concluded the officer streamline the province’s red-light camera pro- having beaten out several candidates looking fired four shots, including one to Dunphy’s gram so cities and towns could bypass the for the position back in October. head from about one metre away. lengthy regulatory approval process. (CBC News) In Winnipeg, Danny Smyth takes on the The latest inquiry, led by Court of Appeal top job after 30 years with the police force, Justice Leo Barry, confirmed today that the Nov 08 2016 most recently as deputy chief of investigative new information requires further investigation. services. The commission issued a statement say- EDMONTON - Mike Ellis, a Calgary MLA Bray, a 21-member of the Regina police ing more details would be provided next week. and a former police officer, took Alberta department, says it’s going to take a while for Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley to NOV 08 2016 his new job to sink in, noting he has gotten task over the issue of police carding used to saying “chief’’ yet. After two men died while attempting to on Tuesday. Bray says Regina is a growing citizen and evade police officers in Saskatchewan, “Randomly asking citizens for their ID, needs more police officers, adding communi- the RCMP has requested two independ- recording their personal information, violates cation with the public is key. ent investigations into incidents involv- their fundamental right against arbitrary de- Smyth says community engagement is ing detachments in Onion Lake and tention,” he said during the legislature ques- also one of his priorities, sayings he would Unity. tion period. like the police service to get more involved The first incident occurred near the On- “It’s also a form of psychological deten- with grassroots organizations in the north end ion Lake Cree Nation - approximately 190 tion because they do not feel that they can just and downtown areas. kilometres northwest of North Battleford, walk away, even though that is their right,” (CJOB, CJME) Sask., by the Alberta border - when RCMP said Ellis. attempted to conduct a check stop. Carding, or recording of personal infor- Nov 08 2016 At approximately 9 p.m. CST on Nov. 5 a mation including race, during random street The case of an Ontario woman who ar- vehicle sped away from the check stop. Po- stops unfairly singles out minorities, he said. gued to be recognized as a victim of lice followed for a short time but the pursuit Ellis said he never saw any carding while crime because she developed post- was called off due to safety concerns. he was with the Calgary Police Service. traumatic stress disorder after serving The vehicle then rolled when it lost con- But citing an Edmonton CBC News re- as a juror in a horrific murder trial has trol. The lone occupant was declared dead at port, he said he felt it was necessary to speak been settled. the scene. Regina police are investigating. out “given that from 2011 to 2014 the Edmon- A lawyer for the woman says the case, The second incident occurred on the af- ton Police Service randomly stopped and which was to go before Ontario’s top court on ternoon of Nov. 7 when Unity RCMP received documented 26,000 citizens” on average each Tuesday, has been resolved. a complaint near the Alberta border. When year. The woman, who cannot be identified, was police arrived, a man related to the investiga- Ellis said it was also an important issue to a juror in the trial of Michael Rafferty, who tion fled into a body of water. The man then raise “given that African Canadians and In- was convicted in 2012 of kidnapping, sexu- disappeared beneath the surface of the water. digenous people call this practice a form of ally assaulting and murdering eight-year-old An RCMP officer went into the water but racial profiling. Victoria Stafford, of Woodstock, Ont. was unable to assist him. His body was later “When I saw that police services were ar- The 57-year-old had argued she suffered recovered. bitrarily detaining people, and demanding psychological injury as a result of coming Moose Jaw police are investigating this identification from them for no reasonable “face to face’’ with Rafferty’s horrific crimes incident. suspicion or no offence that had been com- and was seeking compensation as a victim of An independent observer from the Minis- mitted, that concerned me.” crime. try of Justice was requested in both cases. Ganley told the legislature carding is an (CBC News) Her lawyer, Barbara Legate, says there has issue she’s been working on. been a “satisfactory resolution’’ of the issues “We’ve been working very closely with Nov 08 2016 in the appeal. the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police to She says Ontario’s Ministry of the Attor- Municipalities in Ontario could soon deal with this issue and ensure all people feel ney General has agreed to provide the juror deploy photo radar in school zones if respected in Alberta,” she said. with “some financial assistance’’ towards the new legislation announced by Premier “Not only do police have a need to ensure

7 Blue Line NEWS WEEK that they are able to talk to members of the This year, RMs received more than $77 community, but people have rights to ensure million in revenue sharing. that they know that that is not going to be based Harpauer says RMs have a lot of infra- THURSDAY on irrelevant factors.” structure commitments ahead. NOVEMBER 10, 2016 Ellis says he is open to discussing the is- She says the province hopes to keep simi- sue with fellow police officers. lar funding despite what she calls “extreme’’ Nov 10 2016 “Engaging with the public, having gen- fiscal pressures. OTTAWA - Canada’s effort to craft a le- eral conversations with people, is building the (CJWW) galized marijuana regime could be relationships up in a positive way with the boosted by the move of four more U.S. community,” he said. Nov 09 2016 states to approve recreational use of “That is community policing. Community TORONTO - A majority of city council- the drug, says a Halifax law professor. policing is not arbitrarily detaining people and lors appear to take a dim view of the As it designs a new system, the Liberal demanding identification from them.” Toronto Police Service’s new grey government must address the fact Canada is a (CBC News) “stealth” cruisers. signatory to three international conventions Councillors voted Wednesday 26-13 to ask that require criminalization of the production the service to keep the current red, white and and possession of cannabis. WEDNESDAY blue cruisers until a review of the “military- The nod this week to recreational pot use NOVEMBER 9, 2016 style” vehicles. from voters in California, Maine, Massachu- Councillor Michael Thompson’s motion setts and Nevada should give Canada more asks the police board to justify the change and ammunition in the court of global legal opin- Nov 09 2016 if it’s required to conduct an “independent, ion, said Archie Kaiser, a professor in the CALGARY - It’s likely the most devas- professional study, including consultations schools of law and medicine at Dalhousie tating news a person will ever hear. And with community stakeholders, to determine the University. the way a police officer goes about tell- most appropriate colours and graphics for fu- “It seems that Canada may be part of an ing someone their loved one isn’t com- ture police vehicles.” emerging consensus,’’ Kaiser said in an inter- ing home matters, said Sgt. Andy The police service recently announced that view. Woodward. it will phase in the grey scout car cruisers over The strength in numbers could make it “They’ll always remember that death no- the next several years. easier for Canada argue that legalization is the tification. They’ll say they can remember the “The decision to choose a stylish, ‘cool- best way to reduce harm, despite the interna- day that officer turned up on their doorstep,” looking’ design over one that encourages pub- tional treaties that dictate prohibition of pot, he said. lic respect and engagement is not in keeping he said. For the past couple of years, the Calgary with the transformational change and moderni- The four latest U.S. states to take the first police officer has been taking his colleagues zation that council has called for,” Thompson’s step toward legalization of pot join Alaska, through a two-day course on how to deliver motion says. Colorado, the District of Columbia, Oregon that news, and this month he brings that train- (Toronto Sun) and Washington, which have already done so. ing to Caribbean police officers. As part of the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) project, which is funded by the Canadian federal government, officers from the Caribbean will be brought up to speed on how to do what Wood- ward said is a difficult but very important part of the job. “It is really to treat people how you would want to be treated,” he said. “The better approach is to knock on the door, go in, sit down with them and explain to them what’s happened, then ask them if there’s anything you can do for them, because there will be a million and one questions that they want answered. “We can’t answer them all, but there will be questions that we can answer.” About 40 Caribbean police officers will take part in the training. (Calgary Herald)

Nov 09 2016 SASKATOON - Saskatchewan’s minister of government relations is warning revenue sharing could be reduced to rural communities. Minister Donna Harpauer spoke to del- egates at the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities’s mid-term convention in Saskatoon on Wednesday. She said that decreased revenues in sales tax are leading to drops in revenue sharing for the next fiscal year.

8 Blue Line NEWS WEEK The C.D. Howe Institute, a prominent think- The coroner’s counsel asked jurors to be tank, has recommended the government consider cautious about how far they should take their pardoning people convicted of pot possession - recommendations. and drop any outstanding charges - to free up “Advocacy is not evidence,” David Allan much-needed resources for legalization. told them. Currently someone convicted of simple There is no timeline for when jurors must possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana is deliver recommendations, but it could be as eligible to apply for a pardon, now known as soon as Thursday. a record suspension, five years after their sen- Ontario’s Ministry of Community Safety and tence is completed. Correctional Services says it plans to introduce An internal Public Safety Canada brief- legislation in the spring that will “modernize” ing note, released under the Access to Infor- the Police Services Act and that it is consulting mation Act, says the issue of record suspen- with First Nations on “exploring a legislative sions will be “important to consider during the framework for First Nations policing.” marijuana legalization discussions.’’ (CBC News) The federal task force’s report “may include recommendations on past convictions,’’ Nov 10 2016 said Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Public OTTAWA - Two class-action lawsuits Safety Minister Ralph Goodale. arising out of the chaotic Toronto G20 summit more than six years ago appear Nov 10 2016 destined for trial after the country’s The suicide of a First Nations woman highest court refused on Thursday to in the back of a police truck is causing get involved. Canada’s largest Indigenous police Toronto’s police authorities had wanted service to do some soul searching. the Supreme Court of Canada to stop the le- The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service, gal actions in their tracks. The court, however, which covers 34 First Nations in northern declined. It also ordered the police services to Ontario, told an inquest into Lena Anderson’s pay costs of the appeal. death that it has neither the resources nor the That argument has been rejected by two legal foundation to do its job properly. courts, including the Ontario Court of Appeal. So it took the drastic step on Wednesday During the violence-marred summit in of asking the jury at the inquest to recommend June 2010, more than 1,000 people were ar- the police force be disbanded if Ontario does rested or detained in what was later described not bring it under the province’s Police Serv- as one of the worst violations of civil liberties ices Act by March 31, 2017. in Canadian history. “Enough is enough,” said Nishnawbe Aski Many were held in appalling conditions Police Service (NAPS) board chair Mike at a makeshift detention centre, and almost all Metatawabin. “We can’t do this all the time were released without charge within 24 hours, where you promise something and then turn leading to the class-action suits. around and say you can’t do it.” On the evening of Feb. 1, 2013, Nov 10 2016 Anderson’s daughter was apprehended by a CAMPBELLTON, N.B. - The lawyer for child welfare worker after reports of a drink- a man acquitted last night of criminal ing party in Kasabonika Lake First Nation, negligence in the deaths of two boys where alcohol is prohibited. killed by his escaped python says the Witnesses say the young mother became RCMP broke a deal not to lay a charge frantic. That’s when Const. Jeremy Swanson in the first place. said he took the 23-year-old into custody for Leslie Matchim says an investigation by her own safety. the RCMP and two subsequent reviews con- At that time, the remote First Nation had cluded that charges were not appropriate no holding cells and the police practice was to against Jean-Claude Savoie, owner of a pet confine prisoners in the passenger compartment store in northern New Brunswick. of the police pickup, a four-door Ford F150. Matchim says he got a written guarantee Swanson left Anderson alone for 16 min- from the lead investigator that there would be utes, according to his notes, while he went to no charges, in exchange for some answers wake up the only other police officer in the from Savoie to help police tie up loose ends isolated community to assist him. in the case. Nishnawbe Aski police are not required However, a new lead investigator was later to meet the adequacy standards set for other appointed and a charge was laid. Matchim police services in Ontario because they do not sought a stay of proceedings earlier this year, fall under the Police Services Act. but was denied. Metatawabin believes that having that leg- According to a newly released court docu- islated backing would help the police service ment, the new investigator said the previous pressure its funders - the federal and provin- officer did not have the consent of his superi- cial governments - to provide the money it ors or the authority to grant immunity. needs to meet those standards. The trial was allowed to proceed, but with- Currently, he says, the police force re- out the use of Savoie’s answers to the RCMP ceives less than half of what the provincial questions. Matchim said his client is relieved police have said it would cost it to provide with the verdict delivered by the jury Wednes- service to the same communities. day night.

9 Blue Line NEWS WEEK