October 2003

October 2003 Volume 15 Number 8 Publisher’s Commentary 5 Racism is a cop’s life experience Blue Line Magazine 12A-4981 Hwy 7 East Ste 254 Markham, ON L3R 1N1 Earning trust – one person at a time 6 Canada Canada’s newest police service begins patrolling northwest Ontario Ph: 905 640-3048 Fax: 905 640-7547 eMail: [email protected] Police saving lives with defibrillators 10 — Publisher — Call for 2003 Police Leadership Award 12 Morley S. Lymburner nominations eMail: [email protected] Attitude and creativity in situational leadership — General Manager — Mary Lymburner, M.Ed. Delta Police Department 14 eMail: [email protected] Excellence in policing — Editor — Mark Reesor Technology and crime 16 eMail: [email protected] Project Big Wheel reduces accidents 18 — News Editor — and crime Les Linder eMail: [email protected] CORRESPONDENCE 19 — Advertising — Mary Lymburner DEEP BLUE 20 Think your department has a large area to Dean Clarke Studying changes everything patrol? Canada’s newest police agency, The Bob Murray Treaty Three Police Service, is responsible for eMail: [email protected] INCREDIBLE 21 50,000 square miles! Headed by a former OPP — Pre-press Production — inspector with 30 years experience and an Del Wall CASE LAW 22 RCMP officer with 25 years to his credit, the • Warrantless public locker searches service’s first priority is to be a responsive, com- — Contributing Editors — unreasonable Communication Skills Terry Barker munity based agency that’s not only accountable but in touch with the people it serves. As Police Management James Clark NEWS CLIPS 23 Tactical Firearms Dave Brown Chief Brian Rupert notes, he was ordered to Technology Tom Rataj Police recognized for work with youth 24 “do it right or don’t do it at all — and so far I Psychology Dorothy Cotton think we’re doing it right.” Case Law Mike Novakowski Hells Angels run Bordeaux jail 26 Ottawa police officers have saved the lives Blue Line Magazine is published monthly, September to June, by of two more heart attack victims using Auto- Blue Line Magazine Incorporated with a mailing address of: 12A - 4981 Hwy. 7 East, Ste. 254, Crisis Communications 101: Part 3 27 mated External Defibrillators (AED). All Ot- Markham, Ontario, L3R 1N1. An instructional tale tawa Police Service officers, civilian and vol- Individual magazines are $3.50 each. Subscriptions are $25.00 per year or $40.00 for 2 years. (Foreign - $50.00 U.S.) unteer staff are trained to use the easy to use The Predatory Script 28 All material submitted for publication becomes the property of Blue devices, which are carried in every car and Line Magazine unless other arrangements have been made with the How children are seduced placed in every city owned facility. publisher prior to publshing. The authors, advisors and Publisher accept no liability whatsoever The Police Leadership Forum has put out for any injuries to persons or property resulting from the application or Cultural program helps at-risk youth 30 the call for nominations for the 2003 Police adoption of any of the procedures, tactics or considerations presented in Leadership Award. All officers, regardless of this magazine. Readers are cautioned and advised that articles presented Pot suspects impersonate police 31 herein are edited and supplied for your personal awareness and should rank, position or responsibilities, are eligible not be used for further action until appropriate advice and guidance is received from a supervisor, Crown Attorney or other person in authority. The Crime Prevention Academy 32 for the honour, which recognizes outstanding Established in 1988, Blue Line Magazine is an independent leadership. publication designed to inform, entertain, educate and upgrade the skills The simple idea that’s revolutionizing of those involved in the law enforcement profession. It has no direct crime prevention Veteran journalist Pierre Albert Sévigny control from a law enforcement agency and its opinions and articles do not makes his debut this month as Blue Line’s Que- necessarily reflect the opinions of any government, police, or law enforcement agency. “I need a NEW shift pattern” 34 bec correspondent. In his first article, Sevigny ©2003 - All articles are protected by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any A cautionary tale looks at how the Hell’s Angels are running means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording Montreal’s Bordeaux Prison. or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission. PERSONAL COMPUTING 35 In other stories this month, Blue Line west Internet activity is monitored and use or reposting of material on Signs of an impending hard drive crash the Internet is restricted. coast correspondent Elvin Klassen looks at the Delta Police Department, which also empha- Web site helps nab counterfeiters 36 sizes the importance of strong leadership from all ranks; the Criminal Intelligence Service of TECHNOLOGY 37 This publication is a private venture and receives no Canada reviews how criminals have turned to subsidy or grant from any level of government. Powering down saves money increasingly sophisticated technology in a bid — Affiliations — PRODUCT NEWS 38 to stay one step ahead of law enforcement; Dr. International Association of Law Enforcement Planners Dorothy looks at the ‘measurement effect’ — Canadian Advertising Rates & Data COMING EVENTS 39 how studying the behaviour of an organization International Police Association changes the behaviour being looked at; case law The Police Leadership Forum The Canadian Press Newswire DISPATCHES 41 columnist Mike Novakowski has two cases where warrantless searches of bus depot lock- Printed in Canada by Janson Printing Service In the footsteps of heroes 44 ers were ruled to have violated the privacy rights ISSN #0847 8538 of the person using the locker and Danette Canada Post - Canadian Publications Mail BACK OF THE BOOK 46 Dooley tells us how the Halifax Police Service Product Sales Agreement No. 176796 Are cops racist? is using its web site to help nab counterfeiters. OctoberJune 2003 2003 3 OctoberJune 2003 2003 4 Racism is a cop’s life experience by Morley Lymburner more? To try to arrest only black people and think ist attitudes but the prickly tail ends are still just that every supervisor will not care? To then de- above ground level in many places. Canada does The problem with the accusation of racism cide you want to spend the next 30 years of your enjoy a level of racial tolerance that when placed is that it is a safe statement for the accuser and life dedicated to this kind of hate activity? Sorry in a global perspective is second to none in the a hot potato for the police. It’s like trying to it does not add up to anything logical. world. I could say we are envied for it but frankly answer a lawyer’s question while giving testi- The racist attitude is one that is self destruc- I don’t believe the majority of the world really mony; “Officer have you stopped beating your tive in police work. Police officers in this coun- cares. It is a value system that only we truly cher- prisoners after you arrest them?” If you an- try spend at least the first 18 to 21 years of their ish. We shouldn’t get too self satisfied by this swer “yes” it infers you have engaged in the lives being on the right side of society and the fact however. All police agencies should feel duty activity in the past. If you answer “no” it infers law. In my books they have the benefit of the bound to do all in their power to be accountable you are still beating them. doubt when it comes to a lot of criticisms in- if the race issue is ever raised in their commu- There is no doubt that it is not an easy life- cluding racist attitudes. nity. Police have experienced it and should be style to walk around every day with black skin. Canada has come a long way in burying rac- ready to defend against it on all levels. Given the history of blacks in North America there is no way they can really relax when con- fronted by a police officer. Discomfort levels are high even if the officer is of the same colour or ethnic background. So how can it be any easier if you are of a different colour or ethnic background? All the reassurances in the world will never bring a black person to a state of complete comfort with a police officer who says they saw them committing a violation. For a police officer to comment that a black person was over-reacting is an indicator the officer really does not understand the life ex- periences of black people.It is completely il- logical that a person should have to design their entire lives around the fact that the first couple of layers of skin at birth will control their whole life’s outcome. But for North American blacks this is the reality they must live with. It may not have been articulated before but police officers have a hint of this human plight. When each officer chose this profession they changed colour to blue. It may not be as obvi- ous as skin colour and the officer has a degree of advantage by taking a break from their colour when they go home or on vacation. But their social life changes dramatically when they turn blue. Old school chums drift away and when they do meet there is a distance maintained that did not exist before. People make pre-judg- ments on how they will react in certain situa- tions and purposefully avoid them.

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