October 17, 2014 – Vol. 19 No. 42 New missing persons policy announced

Oct 10 2014 TORONTO - The govern- ment is immediately ending joint road safety blitzes with the Can- ada Border Services Agency be- cause the feds used one to arrest undocumented workers. Page 3

Oct 10 2014 The First Nation community of Opitciwan says it can no longer afford to keep its beleaguered aboriginal police force up and run- ning, despite an agreement signed in March that was designed to help keep the tiny department afloat. Page 3

Oct 15 2014 BANFF, Alta. - Provincial justice ministers are expected to de- Oct 10 2014 of Canada’s approximately 1,181 murdered mand this week that the federal In the wake of its unprecedented and missing aboriginal women. government recommit to funding report on murdered and missing In an interview with The Globe and the legal aid program. aboriginal women, the RCMP has Mail shortly before the policy was finalized, Page 5 rolled out a revamped national RCMP Superintendent Tyler Bates said missing persons policy, including the forms would reinforce the “gravity” of Oct 16 2014 a pair of investigative tools that missing-person cases and ensure every in- provide a lens into how police ap- OTTAWA - The federal govern- vestigative angle is explored. proach disappearances. The detailed missing-person intake re- ment plans to amend the law gov- The policy, which was circulated to port could prove burdensome for officers erning the Canadian Security In- commanding officers in September, in- who are already “stretched to the limit,” said telligence Service to give the spy troduces two standardized documents: a Inspector Mario Giardini, who heads the agency more authority to track 13-question risk-assessment form and a 10- Vancouver Police Department’s diversity terrorists overseas. page missing-person intake report to help and aboriginal policing section. He also ex- Page 7 ensure certain information is obtained at the pressed wariness over the fact that the risk- outset of an investigation. assessment form asks whether the person’s Oct 16 2014 The documents are part of the federal behaviour is out of character. force’s broader effort to address the problem MONTREAL - Firefighters, police “If it’s out of character for the person officers, blue collar workers and others opposed to Bill 3 marched from Montreal’s Palais des con- grès to the Queen Elizabeth Hotel to meet Treasury Board President Martin Coiteux. Page 7 [to go missing], does that heighten your The verdict against Serge Pomerleau, closed-circuit monitor. response? Certainly it does,” he said. “But Yves Denis and Denis Lefebvre came down The Crown argued at trial that Brown my argument would be that if you answered in a Quebec City courtroom this afternoon. should have intervened but seemed to consid- ‘No,’ it shouldn’t lower your response.” A jury of six men and six women had er the entire situation entertaining and invited The risk-assessment form asks “Yes” been deliberating for several days. others to watch. or “No” questions such as, “Is this person involved in the sex trade, hitchhiking, gam- The verdict involved a criminal case that Brown’s lawyer told the trial there were bling and/or transient lifestyle?” A supervi- was already ongoing against the three men no guidelines in place at the time governing sor must review all missing-persons inves- when a chopper airlifted them from the de- what should be done in such situations. tigations, the form says, but if the answer tention centre courtyard in June. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Selwyn is “Yes” to any of the questions, the matter They became the subject of an interna- Romilly ruled Thursday that Brown was not “requires immediate review and consulta- tional manhunt and an Interpol red alert. out of line in watching the women have sex tion with a supervisor to assess the appropri- All three were captured two weeks later and prisoners should not expect privacy while ate response and resources.” in a luxury Montreal condo. behind bars. The missing-person report, for its part, Romilly called the case “one of the most is comprehensive. Beyond basic questions Oct 09 2014 around appearance and location last seen, it bizarre’’ he’d seen as a judge and was skepti- asks about outdoor skills, personality and re- MONTREAL - Charges have been laid cal about whether it should have proceeded ligion. It also lists specific forensic and DNA against 13 Montreal city employees - even before the trial began last month. items that could be utilized as part of the including 11 firefighters - following a Kamloops RCMP Supt. Brad Mueller investigation, including X-rays and blood rampage during a municipal council said Brown will remain on administrative samples. If the person is a child, the report meeting in August. leave pending an internal disciplinary process asks whether he or she is a repeat runaway. The charges include illegal assembly, that could include a hearing. Insp. Giardini said that’s important because mischief and assault. “It depends on how much further investiga- the person’s file might note where he or she A total of 57 workers are now facing crim- tion needs to be done. Realistically, you’re prob- was located in prior instances. inal charges in the Aug. 18 incident where ably looking at a few months away,’’ he said. The document also includes a page dedi- (Kamloops This Week) cated to search results. That section, for ex- protesters burst into city hall and forced poli- ample, asks if the investigator employed the ticians to flee as demonstrators threw docu- use of dogs, boats or planes in the search ef- ments and other objects from desks. Oct 09 2014 fort. Supt. Bates, who heads the RCMP Na- Of those, 44 were arraigned a week ago. TORONTO - Police are wrapping up tional Aboriginal Policing Services, told The Six firefighters have already been dis- their search in the case a Toronto girl Globe in September the form would “ensure missed for taking part in the protest over who went missing 29 years ago while that every investigational avenue that could proposed provincial government changes to on her way to go swimming with a be pursued, is pursued.” (Globe and Mail) public-sector pension plans. friend. Under the changes, workers would con- Officers renewed the search for signs of tribute a higher percentage to their plans. Nicole Morin on Wednesday after receiving a THURSDAY The Montreal firefighters union called tip from the public. Thursday for a boycott of the world police Close to 40 officers scoured a rural area OCTOBER 09, 2014 and firefighter games to be held in Montreal near Barrie that was previously searched in 2017. when Nicole vanished in 1985. Oct 09 2014 The event usually draws about 10,000 But police say no new evidence has sur- QUEBEC - The three men who made participants from around the world. faced and they won’t return to the site Friday. a dramatic helicopter escape from a Nicole was eight when she disappeared Oct 09 2014 Quebec City detention centre have after leaving her family’s apartment in a been found guilty of various charg- OTTAWA - The Harper government’s west-end Toronto building. es related to gangsterism and drug- resolve to enforce the law against Police, who still regard the disappearance trafficking. marijuana use is unshaken by a call to as a missing-person’s case, have never arrest- legalize pot from the country’s largest ed anyone in the case and have ruled out any mental health and addiction treatment family involvement. centre. (680News, ) Justice Minister Peter MacKay says he’s surprised that the Centre for Addiction and Oct 09 2014 ISSN 1704-3913 Mental Health would endorse legalization LONDON - London’s long-serving po- Copyright 2014 when other respected organizations are warn- lice chief will retire after 36 years of Blue Line Magazine Inc. & The Canadian Press ing about the health risks. Permission to reprint may be obtained in advance from service. Access Copyright He says the Conservative government re- Michael Deeb, chair of the London Police Phone 1-800-893-5777 [email protected] mains committed to finding ways to increase Services Board, announced on Thursday the enforcement, including potentially making it retirement of Chief Bradley S. Duncan, effec- Published weekly by Blue Line Magazine, Inc. as an executive a ticketing offence to possess small quantities tive May 1, 2015. news briefing service to Canada’s top level law enforcement personnel. of dope. Deeb stated that, “Chief Duncan’s leader- Most information supplied in this publication is from news- ship of the London Police Service has been wire services. As such Blue Line Magazine does not ac- Oct 09 2014 cept responsibility for the accuracy of articles as supplied. characterized by strength, vision, community KAMLOOPS, B.C. - A Mountie who outreach and a deep commitment to public All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, watched two female inmates have safety.” stored in an electronic database or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, with- sex in a jail cell in Kamloops, B.C., Duncan will be completing his contrac- out the prior permission of the publishers. One Year Subscriptions has been found not guilty of breach tual time with the board and his accrued time are $10500 (GST Included). Paid subscribers may make up to four (4) copies of this publication for distribution within their organization. of trust by a public officer, but it will from his years of service with the London po- likely be months before he learns if he lice has allowed his retirement to commence Group Publisher: Morley S. Lymburner can return to work. in May. PUBLISHER: Kathryn M. Lymburner - [email protected] NEWS EDITOR: Mark Reesor - [email protected] Cpl. Rick Brown was the watch com- In addition this retirement notice pro- Subscriptions: Blue Line Store at www.BlueLine.ca mander on duty in August 2010 when he vides the board with ample time to engage in ADVERTISING: 1-888-640-3048 and other RCMP officers and at least one a search for his successor. 12A-4981 Hwy. 7 East, Ste. 254, Markham ON L3R 1N1 Phone: 905 640-3048 eMail: [email protected] jail guard viewed the women’s sex acts on a “As a board, and as members of the 2 London community, we thank Chief Duncan Community leaders allege that more than a dispute between two people just after noon for his exemplary and honourable tenure as six months after signing an agreement in yesterday. chief of the London Police Service and wish principle for a new pilot project that promised Today, police wearing flak jackets and in- him a long, healthy and happy retirement.” $600,000 in additional public-security fund- frared goggles are going through thick brush (CTV London) ing, they have yet to see a cent. The 17 police and trees surrounded by low-lying moun- officers currently employed by the town — tains, though visibility is limited by fog in Oct 09 2014 who speak the Atikamekw language and have certain areas. EDMONTON - Edmonton has nearly deep roots in the community — may be off Smart says a police negotiator has joined double the rate of sexual assaults the streets within days if money doesn’t start an emergency response team as the tense situ- compared to other major Canadian cit- flowing in from Quebec City. ation unfolds. ies, according to a recent report, but a In total, Opitciwan’s police force was He is asking the public not to post infor- local victim advocate said the stagger- slated to receive $2.8 million in government mation about police movements on social ing numbers reflect awareness, not funding for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. That media sites to protect the safety of officers more crimes. sum includes both the new $600,000 and the and the public. The latest Vital Signs Edmonton 2014 $2.2 million in combined annual funding that Some residents slept in their cars on the report released earlier this week by the Ed- is normally awarded by the province and the road outside of the village and others remain monton Community Foundation and the Ed- federal government. in their homes. monton Social Planning council found last “We’ve already got $1.4 million in ex- year the city had a sexual assault rate of 74.2 penses (since April 1) and we’re going into Oct 10 2014 per 100,000. debt,” band council chief Christian Awashish BRAMPTON, Ont. - Ontario’s police Calgary’s rate for sexual assault was 49.6 told the Gazette. “It’s unacceptable that we’re watchdog has cleared a police officer per 100,000 and Vancouver’s had 44.9 per being treated this way.” who fatally shot a man who opened 100,000. The local officers patrolling the streets fire at a courthouse north of Toronto While the report found Edmonton had may not receive their next paycheques if they earlier this year. the highest rate of sexual assaults out of six are allowed to remain on duty, he explained. The Special Investigations Unit says largest urban centres, Karen Smith, executive If and when they stop work, they would be re- Charnjit Singh Bassi, 45, shot an officer on director of the Sexual Assault Centre of Ed- placed by members of the Sûreté du Québec, security duty at the Brampton courthouse in monton, said the numbers don’t necessarily but the consequences of that changeover the torso before that officer returned fire on indicate there is more crime in the city. could be profound as most SQ officers don’t March 28. Instead, Smith said the numbers could speak the local language. The officer is not named in the release reflect Edmontonians having a greater aware- The funding delay seemingly boils down but the SIU has previously identified him as ness for the crime and are more likely to re- to administrative issues. 53-year-old Const. Mike Klarenbeek. port it compared to other cities. Opitciwan, a community of 2,100 residents SIU director Tony Loparco says the law accessible only via a logging road through Que- allows officers to use force - including lethal bec’s northern boreal forest, faces a unique set force - when necessary for self-defence. FRIDAY of policing challenges. He says the officer “had every reason to OCTOBER 10, 2014 (Montreal Gazette) believe his life and the lives of those around him were endangered.’’ Oct 10 2014 “Despite being shot in the torso and Oct 10 2014 ALLISTON - An OPP officer suffered suffering a grievous wound, the subject of- TORONTO - The Ontario government minor injuries after a pair of tires flew ficer was able to maintain his composure, is immediately ending joint road safe- off a truck Thursday afternoon east of right himself and return gunfire before col- ty blitzes with the Canada Border Ser- Alliston. lapsing from his injuries,’’ Loparco said in vices Agency because the feds used Police said an unmarked police cruiser a statement. one to arrest undocumented workers. was heading east on Highway 89 around 1 Bassi was pronounced dead at the scene. Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca p.m. Oct. 9 when two rear passenger-side has written the federal government to say that tires detached from a westbound commercial Oct 10 2014 partnering with the agency “does not align’’ pickup truck. FREDERICTON - Hundreds of peo- with the ministry’s mandate to make roads as Police said one of the tires rolled off the ple filled a Fredericton church Friday safe as possible. highway, while the other rolled into traffic to say goodbye to Ron Francis, the Ontario’s Liberal government ordered the and hit the officer’s cruiser head on. RCMP officer who shone a light on the review after a joint commercial vehicle road- The truck driver now faces a loose tire struggles of post-traumatic stress dis- side blitz in Toronto in mid-August, when 21 charge under the Highway Traffic Act. order among first responders. people were arrested because of immigration (Alliston Herald) Rev. Monte Peters presided over a funeral violations. service for Francis at St. Anthony’s Catho- Del Duca’s letter to Public Safety Minister Oct 10 2014 lic Church and said the church was filled to Steven Blaney says the ministry will only part- SLOCAN CITY, B.C. - Police have standing room only, with about 350 people in ner with groups that have a shared objective to named a suspect at the centre of an attendance. make roads safer and ensure commercial vehi- overnight manhunt in the southeast- “It was an incredible number of people cles comply with all the regulations. ern British Columbia village of Slocan, who were there,’’ Peters, who didn’t know He says Ontario will keep inspecting com- where residents have been ordered to Francis, said following the hour-long service. mercial vehicles at border entry points because stay indoors. “It was a Catholic funeral service, but we “they do not involve CBSA resources.’’ RCMP say 45-year-old Peter DeGroot tried to integrate some native rituals as well.’’ is armed and dangerous and known to them. Francis, a 22-year veteran of the force, Oct 10 2014 Chief Superintendent Frank Smart was dressed in his red serge for the service The First Nation community of Opitci- says a number of firearms have been that featured readings from the Book of Wis- wan says it can no longer afford to keep seized from DeGroot’s home as Mounties dom that were chosen by his family, Peters its beleaguered aboriginal police force in the air and on the ground continue to said. Francis, whose obituary said he was of up and running, despite an agreement search for him. Maliseet ancestry, was laid to rest at a private signed in March that was designed to Police say he escaped into a forest after burial at Ste. Anne’s Catholic Cemetery. help keep the tiny department afloat. shooting at police who had been investigating The 43-year-old Mountie was found dead 3 Monday in his home at the Kingsclear First department’s motorcycle unit and will in- Nation. It appears no one else was involved in crease that to 50 this month. He lists a se- his death, but no details were released about ries of questions over whether to expand MONDAY how he died. the program department-wide. OCTOBER 13, 2014 Francis made national headlines last year What happens when citizens say they do after he complained he wasn’t allowed to not want their conversation recorded? After Oct 13 2014 smoke medicinal marijuana while in uniform responding to a routine burglary, can anyone SLOCAN CITY, B.C. - The subject of to ease symptoms of PTSD. request the video that might show in detail the a police manhunt in southern British interior of a person’s home? Will an officer Columbia after an exchange of gunfire who forgets to turn on the camera in a sudden in the tiny village of Slocan last week burst of gunfire be accused of intentionally is dead and there is no longer any SATURDAY hiding what happened? OCTOBER 11, 2014 danger to the community, RCMP said How much will it cost to store all that late Monday. video? How much time will officers be off Police said they discovered Peter De- the street to catalog and review those videos? Oct 11 2014 Groot, 45, Monday afternoon in the vicinity “I don’t need a sergeant sitting in an of- MIAMI - Shortly after protests erupted of the village in the West Kootenay region, fice for four hours looking at footage of what but they refused to disclose whether further in Ferguson, Mo., over the shooting happened yesterday,” Llanes said. “I need death of an unarmed, black 18-year-old shots were fired. him on the street today.” Chief Superintendent Frank Smart said by a white police officer, the phones The few studies that have tested body at companies that manufacture body at 1:20 p.m., two members of the RCMP’s cameras show improvements for departments. emergency response team were near a gravel cameras started ringing non-stop. The first was in Rialto, Calif., in 2012, At Seattle-based VIEVU, which has sold pit conducting a search of a cabin when they when the police department outfitted half of its found the man. the cameras to more than 4,000 law enforce- 115-person force with body cameras for a year. ment agencies, CEO Steve Ward says requests “Upon entering the cabin there was an Police Chief Tony Farrar said use-of- interaction between the subject of the ongo- for test units are up 70% since the Ferguson force incidents and complaints filed against protests, and September was the highest sales ing search and the two ERT members,’’ Smart officers dropped dramatically. said in a statement at the RCMP’s regional month in the company’s history. “We’re dou- From 2009 to 2011, the department bling our sales force to keep up,” Ward said. headquarters Monday night. “We can confirm averaged 65 use-of-force incidents per the suspect is now deceased.’’ Taser International, known for its stun year. After the body cameras were added, guns, has also been flooded with inquiries Residents, who had endured a village- that number fell to 25 for a 12-month pe- wide lockdown after the initial incident, re- for body cameras. “Not only did police rec- riod. Similarly, complaints against offic- ognize, ‘I wish they would’ve had a video,’ ported earlier Monday the town’s mood had ers dropped from an average of 38 in the relaxed and guests had arrived from out of but now families and all these activists are years before the study to three during the 12 saying, ‘I wish they would’ve had a video,’ “ town to celebrate Thanksgiving. Upon learn- months ending Feb. 12, 2013. ing of the outcome, they once again felt the said Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle. (USA Today) The rush to outfit officers with cameras is to avoid controversies, such as the one sur- rounding Michael Brown’s death in Fergu- son, by documenting whether police acted in self-defense or overreacted. NOVEMBER 17-20, 2014 | CHARLES TOWN, WEST VIRGINIA Police have not yet come to grips with privacy questions that arise when cameras go into homes or record sensitive conversations. Police agencies are implementing poli- cies on the fly over when cameras must be JOIN US TO: turned on and off, how to store the videos and • Help build the world’s first fully integrated how to comply with public records laws. global resource center to combat “They’re diving headfirst into a pool human trafficking. without checking if there’s water,” said John • Participate in collaborative, invigorating, Rivera, president of the 32,000-member Flor- and hands-on sessions with experts from ida Police Benevolent Association. around the world. Several groups, including the Police Ex- • Network with law enforcement, NGO, and ecutive Research Forum and International As- victim-support specialists dedicated to sociation of Chiefs of Police, have published ending human trafficking. guidelines for using body cameras. A handful • Make this important international of agencies allow their officers to be tested by initiative a reality. universities to gauge the impact of the cameras. The debate over body cameras can be seen in South Florida, where agencies are TOGETHER taking different approaches to the technology. LET’S STOP www.TogetherLetsStopTraffick.org In Miami-Dade County, the county com- TRAFFICK mission recently approved $1 million to pur- chase 500 cameras — enough for roughly half of its force. Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he started exploring body cameras two years ago because of the promise they could minimize encounters that result in violence or death. Police in Miami aren’t so sure. This event is led by the International Police Training Institute (IPTI), supported by the FBI NAA Miami Assistant Police Chief Rodolfo (National Academy Associates), and hosted by AMU. Llanes is testing 18 body cameras in the

4 severity of the situation. The ministers are meeting through to Fri- clients and plans to expand it have been put B.C.’s police watchdog, the Independent day with their federal counterparts in Banff, on hold. Investigations Office, has been called to the Alta., with legal aid at the top of the agenda. Drug-treatment court diverts drug users scene. Few details of the events leading to Manitoba Justice Minister Andrew Swan from the criminal justice system into treat- DeGroot’s death could be released to avoid says that since 2006, Ottawa has increasingly ment and the band constable program pro- compromising the watchdog’s investigation, taken a backseat in funding the program, which vides peace officers to 31 Manitoba First Na- Smart said. provides legal services to people in need. tions. The manhunt was launched on Thurs- Swan says in Manitoba alone, the federal The 45-year-old band constable program day after police were called over a dispute government now only contributes about 16 allows First Nations to police their own com- between two people. They say they were per cent of legal aid costs, compared to the munities in partnership with the RCMP. shot at with a rifle, and there was an ex- mid-1990s when it was split on 50-50 basis. Ottawa has run it since 1969, but notified change of gunfire. Swan also fears Ottawa will not renew its Manitoba last February it was terminating it. DeGroot fled into the woods, triggering funding of Winnipeg’s drug-treatment court and Swan says without an extension, his an influx of dozens of officers, including heli- the band constable program as of March 31. province could find itself weighing whether copters and search dogs. Ontario and Nova Scotia also offer to continue the program itself. Police initially urged residents to stay in- drug-treatment courts, while Alberta and (Winnipeg Free Press) doors, while police escorted children from a New Brunswick have band constable pro- local school to their parents. grams similar to Manitoba’s, where it’s Oct 15 2014 more widespread. UNITY, Sask. - A media report says the The federal government has funded the RCMP is refusing to acknowledge that TUESDAY Winnipeg drug-treatment court with about the deaths of a husband and wife in OCTOBER 14, 2014 $600,000 annually for the past nine years. Saskatchewan last month were a mur- Because there is no guarantee funding will der-suicide. continue, the court is not accepting any new Shirley and Donald Parkinson were Oct 14 2014 EDMONTON - A violent drug dealer who hid from police in the basement of his Onoway house for 17 years was sent to prison Friday. Benjamin Louis Young was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant since 1995, when he ab- ducted and beat a man he believed stole two pounds of marijuana from him. Young assault- ed the man with a phone book, killed his dog and nearly chopped off two of his fingers. Several members of Young’s gang were tracked down and arrested over several weeks. Young decided to hide in his own house. “He quite literally lived in the basement of the home for 17 years,” defence lawyer Peter Royal said. While Young’s wife went to work, he helped raise their two children and did household chores during his self-imposed exile. “I cannot imagine why, for 17 years, police didn’t visit his home, because they would’ve found him there,” Royal said. “It’s unbelievable.” The Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s fugitive apprehension unit finally found Young at his home in October 2012. They also found his marijuana operation. Young was 33 when he went into hiding. He is now 52. On Friday, Young was sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to as- sault causing bodily harm, extortion and killing an animal. He has already been fined $2,500 for the marijuana operation officers found in 2012. (Edmonton Journal)

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2014

Oct 15 2014 BANFF, Alta. - Provincial justice minis- ters are expected to demand this week that the federal government recommit to funding the legal aid program. 5 found dead on the couple’s farm near Unity “Their inspections were so cursory and provide better overall coverage and qual- on September 10th. incomplete as to be essentially meaningless,’’ ity of service,’’ Belanger concludes. The CBC says Saskatchewan’s chief he says. The rescue effort, he says, was not a mod- coroner and the woman’s mother, Naden The commissioner was particularly criti- el that others should strive to emulate. Hewko, have confirmed that Shirley Parkin- cal of Robert (Bob) Wood, the engineer who He does, however, praise then-premier son’s death was a homicide, but the Mounties signed off on the health of the mall just weeks Dalton McGuinty for getting the rescue effort insist it was simply a sudden death. before it collapsed. His work and conduct, restarted. Mandy Maier, a Saskatchewan RCMP Belanger says, were “markedly inferior.’’ In response, the Ontario government spokeswoman, says the federal Privacy Act Wood, who faces criminal charges in promised a quick review of the recommenda- prohibits them from releasing an individual’s connection with the collapse, admitted to fal- tions to ensure the province is better prepared personal information when the public is not sifying his report to appease the owner. for any emergency. in danger. According to the commission, the mall’s Provincial police said they had made im- She says that since there wasn’t a suspect various owners hid the problems, then tried provements to their crisis response, including at large or a pending criminal trial, there was to sell their way out of them when patch- mandatory training for major critical incident no reason to release information. work fixes didn’t work. Profit considerations teams who are now deployed throughout the But the CBC report says that in 2012, the trumped all other concerns, Belanger says. province. RCMP released a statement confirming that The “crafty’’ and intransigent Bob Naz- Darren Wourms killed his 23-year-old wife, arian, who owned the mall when the disaster Oct 15 2014 Hayley, their two-year-old son, Cayden, then struck, lied about repair work, and resorted EDMONTON - The Alberta Law En- himself near St. Walburg, Saskatchewan. to “subterfuge and falsehood to mislead au- forcement Response Team has made The statement said the deaths of Hayley thorities, tenants and the public,’’ the report what it says is the largest hashish sei- and Cayden were homicides. concludes. zure in Alberta. Shirley Parkinson was a well-known pub- Wilfully blind municipal officials - the The response team says 30 kilograms of lic health nurse who immunized many chil- mayor, council and building inspectors - were hash was seized in Edmonton on Oct. 1. dren, advised new mothers on breast-feeding of little use in dealing with the worsening It says the hashish was packaged and and volunteered as a Brownie leader. problems. pressed in 30 one-kilogram bricks and found Hewko says Donald Parkinson loved his They ignored public complaints and in a west-Edmonton storage locker. wife, but she believes he had mental health warnings about the leaks and falling . Almost three kilograms of marijuana and issues far worse than anyone in the family They illegally shut the public out of meetings. $5,000 in cash were also seized. realized. They failed to enforce, or were ignorant of, The investigation was initiated after a She also says more education on mental their own bylaws, according to the report. Crime Stoppers tip from the public. health is needed. Instead, their approach was one of “non- Craig Bendt Matthiessen, who is 49 and (CBC, The Canadian Press, Online Out) interference’’ aimed at safeguarding the mall from Edmonton, faces several drug-related as a social and economic hub that provided charges. Oct 15 2014 significant tax revenues. , Ont. - Decades of in- At one point, Belanger notes, the munici- Oct 15 2014 competence, neglect, greed and dis- pality was the mall’s owner, its tenant, and VANCOUVER - The public safety min- honesty by a succession of owners, enforcer of property standards - the “worst ister is downplaying the Conserva- engineers and municipal officials led possible conflict situation.’’ tive government’s failure to introduce to the deadly cave-in of a northern “Warning signs went unseen by eyes like- a system designed to track potential Ontario mall two years ago, a judicial ly averted for fear of jeopardizing the mall’s terrorists who are joining overseas inquiry reported Wednesday. existence,’’ Belanger says. conflicts. In a scathing indictment of those who “Occasional voices of alarm and warning The Canada-U.S. perimeter security pact allowed the Algo Centre Mall to rust to the blew by deaf and callous ears.’’ includes a provision that would see Canada point of collapse, Commissioner Paul Bel- The report also notes that officials with collect records related to people leaving the anger pulls few punches in holding those re- the provincial Ministry of Labour, which had country on international flights. sponsible to account. offices in the mall, appeared curiously indif- The agreement set a deadline of June 30 “Although it was rust that defeated the ferent to the state of disrepair, and unrespon- of this year, but such a system is not yet in structure of the Algo mall, the real story be- sive to complaints. place, nor are the legislative and regulatory hind the collapse is one of human, not mate- In all, the report makes 71 recommenda- changes that would be required first. rial, failures,’’ Belanger writes. tions. They include setting minimum main- Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney in- “Some of these failings were minor, some tenance standards for buildings, beefed-up sists Canada remains committed to tracking were not: they ranged from apathy, neglect inspections, and an expanded emergency re- international travel, though he suggests the and indifference through mediocrity, inepti- sponse capability. security pact is merely a road map rather than tude and incompetence, to outright greed, Belanger is effusive in his praise for the a set of firm deadlines. obfuscation and duplicity.’’ initial local emergency response. His view of Blaney says Canada continues to work Ironically, the mall seldom lacked for the provincial heavy urban search and rescue with the United States to implement the pact, professional oversight from architects and team that was called in - despite the good in- and he says the plan is on track. engineers, with some 30 visits, inspections tentions and courage of its members - is far But Blaney declined to say whether a new and reports over its 33-year life. more jaundiced. target date has been set for the data-gathering However, the scrutiny never translated The team deployed without sufficient system. into a proper fix for the leaks that prompted numbers, without a proper plan or command some to dub the centre the “Algo Falls.’’ No structure, and treated family members and the Oct 15 2014 one, it seems, appeared to realize how severe- community poorly, he says. TORONTO - A 17-year-old boy has ly the rust would compromise the integrity of They also ignored an offer of help from been charged with attempted murder the structural steel. experienced mine rescuers. They called off and five other charges in connection Some of the engineers involved simply the search due to the dangerous conditions with a shooting in front of a Toronto forgot the “moral and ethical foundation’’ of instead of simply putting the effort on hold high school that killed two teens. their vocation and, Belanger concludes, were while they considered other options. The two alleged victims - 17-year-old Zaid more concerned with pandering to clients “Ontario’s urban search and rescue Athir Youssef and 15-year-old Michael Menjivar than with protecting the public. system needs a careful re-examination to - were gunned down Oct. 6 in the city’s northwest. 6 They were both students at local Catholic assault that took place at a residence in Om- In a speech at the Brookings Institu- high schools. pah, Ont., on Tuesday night. tion in Washington, Mr. Comey warned that The accused youth was arrested Tuesday As officers attempted to make an arrest, crimes could go unsolved if law enforce- and charged with attempted murder, point the suspect fled on an ATV before officers ment officers cannot gain access to informa- firearm, weapons dangerous in the public were eventually able to stop him. tion that technology companies like Apple peace, failure to comply, possession of a fire- Police say the man and an OPP officer and Google are protecting using increas- arm without a licence and possession of a firearm without a permit. received injuries in the process and were ingly sophisticated encryption technology. He appeared in youth court Wednesday both taken to hospital, treated and released. “Unfortunately, the law hasn’t kept for a bail hearing and cannot be named under The officer was treated and released. pace with technology, and this disconnect the country’s youth justice law. The suspect, Bruce Watson, faces mul- has created a significant public safety prob- Police had said they believed the shoot- tiple charges which include assault casing lem,” he said. ing was targeted but unrelated to the nearby bodily harm and dangerous driving. Mr. Comey said that he was hoping to high school. spur Congress to update the 20-year-old Oct 16 2014 Oct 15 2014 Communications Assistance for Law En- REGINA - Saskatchewan Corrections forcement Act, which does not require com- AURORA, Ont. - A York Regional Po- panies to give law enforcement direct access lice officer has been charged after an says a man who was mistakenly re- internal investigation into the alleged leased from court last month is back to individuals’ communications. misuse of insurance benefits. in custody after more than three The F.B.I. has long had concerns about Police say their professional standards weeks. devices “going dark” — when technology bureau began its investigation this July after Brandon Krewenchuk had been charged becomes so sophisticated that the authorities receiving complaints from the force’s benefits with break and enter with intent to commit cannot gain access to them. But now, Mr. provider. an indictable offence and theft. Comey is warning that the new encryption Const. Salwa Husseini, 31, was charged The 18-year-old man was released on technology has evolved to the point that it Wednesday with two counts each of uttering Sept. 22, but the mistake wasn’t discovered could adversely affect crime solving. false documents and fraud under $5,000. Husseini has been on the force since 2011 for 17 days. “Those charged with protecting our peo- and was suspended with pay in July pending In October 2008, two prisoners were ac- ple aren’t always able to access the evidence the outcome of the investigation. cidentally released from court instead of be- we need to prosecute crime and prevent ter- She’s due in court Nov. 27. ing remanded into custody. rorism, even with lawful authority,” he said. That prompted a procedural review by “We have the legal authority to intercept Oct 15 2014 the provincial government. and access communications and information FARIBAULT, Minn. - A former nurse Corrections says it will review Krewen- pursuant to court order, but we often lack the in Minnesota who admitted to going chuk’s release in accordance with policy. technical ability to do so.” online years ago and preying upon (New York Times) suicidal people - encouraging two to Oct 16 2014 take their lives - must serve nearly six Oct 16 2014 months in jail as part of a sentence OTTAWA - The federal government handed down Wednesday. plans to amend the law governing MONTREAL - Firefighters, police of- William Melchert-Dinkel was sentenced the Canadian Security Intelligence ficers, blue collar workers and oth- to three years in prison in the deaths of an Service to give the spy agency more ers opposed to Bill 3 marched from English man and a Canadian woman, but authority to track terrorists overseas. Montreal’s Palais des congrès to the he won’t have to serve the prison term if he Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney Queen Elizabeth Hotel to meet Treas- complies with conditions of his probation that says the terrorist threat has become more ury Board President Martin Coiteux. include the jail time. complex since the law was passed 30 years The demonstration against Quebec’s In Minnesota, state prisons house serious offenders while local cells are for less serious ago, adding it does not stop at Canada’s pension reform bill came just hours after offenders. border. the news broke that four senior Montreal Melchert-Dinkel must report to jail on As expected, Blaney says the govern- police officers would be disciplined for Oct. 24. ment will also take steps to ensure CSIS can their role in a violent protest at Montreal “I am sorry... for my actions and what I protect the identity of its sources. City Hall in August. have done,’’ Melchert-Dinkel said in court Canada and other western nations fear After the incident, Montreal police before he was sentenced. “I have repented.’’ that citizens who travel overseas to take part chief Marc Parent said he was disappointed The 52-year-old was convicted in Sep- in the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s that members of the police force allowed tember of one count of assisting a suicide guerrilla-style battles could come home with protesters to barge into city hall. and one count of attempting to assist a sui- cide in the deaths of Mark Drybrough, 32, of intent to do harm. He said he could not help but notice Coventry, England and Nadia Kajouji, 18, of The federal plan to bolster security there were shortcomings in security. Brampton, Ont.. powers follows a recent statement from the Parent assembled a team of investigators Kajouji jumped into a frozen river in RCMP that the national police force has to look at how police handled the protest. 2008. She was a student at Carleton Univer- about 63 active investigations on 90 sus- Cmdr. Ian Lafrenière said four senior sity in Ottawa at the time. Drybrough hanged pected extremists who intend to join fights officers face discipline — not for their ac- himself in 2005. abroad or who have returned to Canada. tions, but rather for their lack of action. Blaney was joined at a news conference At the time, the head of the Montreal in Banff, Alta., by Andy Ellis, CSIS assistant Police Brotherhood reportedly said com- THURSDAY director of operations, and RCMP deputy manders ordered officers not to intervene in OCTOBER 16, 2014 commissioner Janice Armstrong. the protest. Lafrenière said the picture of what hap- Oct 16 2014 pened is not that black and white. Oct 16 2014 WASHINGTON - The director of the “If it was that simple, that clear, those OMPAH, Ont. - The province’s po- F.B.I., James B. Comey, said Thursday commanding officers would have been lice watchdog is investigating after that federal laws should be changed to charged days after the event,” Lafrenière said. a 52-year-old man was injured while require telecommunications companies (CBC News) OPP officers were making an arrest. to give law enforcement agencies ac- Police say officers from the OPP’s La- cess to the encrypted communications nark County detachment responded to an of individuals suspected of crimes. 7