Police Cross-Training for Urban Change OCTOBER 2011 2 BLUE LINE MAGAZINE October 2011 Volume 23 Number 8
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Morden Police Cross-Training for Urban Change OCTOBER 2011 2 BLUE LINE MAGAZINE October 2011 Volume 23 Number 8 Features 6 Morden Police Service Cross-training for urban change 8 “Flash-mob rioting” The next big challenge 10 Virtual cops 6 Police in Finland challenge traditional stereotypes 12 Saving drug endangered children 16 Delta dog helps people through traumas 24 Choose your organization Departments 38 Blue Links Ad Directory 26 Book News 16 31 Deep Blue Integrity is not enough 35 Dispatches 34 Educational Directory 36, 37 Market Place 24 5 Publisher’s Commentary When paranoia meets schizophrenia 12 Technology 1234, hacking cell phones some more Case Law 30 Charter rights are personal 31 Dog sniff a less demanding standard than reasonable belief BLUE LINE MAGAZINE 3 OCTOBER 2011 OCTOBER 2011 4 BLUE LINE MAGAZINE PUBLISHER’S COMMENTARY Blue Line by Morley Lymburner Magazine Inc. PUBLISHER Morley S. Lymburner - [email protected] When paranoia GENERAL MANAGER meets schizophrenia Mary K. Lymburner - [email protected] Many pilots have died in their shot-up the scene of a major crime by car. SENIOR EDITOR aircraft, an experienced airman once told me, Getting a clearer picture of Alberta polic- Mark Reesor - [email protected] because of their high comfort level in the ing is further confused by the 41 municipalities cockpit. They preferred its familiarity over an that pay into the Feds to subsidize their polic- CREATIVE DIRECTOR unfamiliar parachute and would rather hold on ing costs by using RCMP members. Add a E. Jolene Lymburner - [email protected] in hopes of regaining control. They invariably series of county law enforcement officers who paid with their lives. relieve RCMP members of many other duties CONTRIBUTING WRITERS I remembered this when reading a press common to other provincial police officers. Mike Novakowski release in August from the Alberta Solicitor If Alberta has designed a schizophrenic Mark Giles General announcing the signing of a 20-year law enforcement structure than one could only Robert Lunney deal with the federal government to retain the describe a marriage with a paranoid police James Clark Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Canada’s service as incredible. The deal comes at a time Dorothy Cotton taxpayers will pony up $60 million annually when many studies have recommended the Dave Brown to keep the red in the black. RCMP take a long hard look at itself and make Tom Rataj I can understand the need for some stabil- efforts to pull away from the wide array of ity in the RCMP but this deal shows an obvious duties it has shouldered over the past century. AFFILIATIONS level of desperation. It also begs the question Why the hurry to seal a 20-year contract International Association of of who the GWO* selected to cut the deal. with a wealthy province at bargain-basement Law Enforcement Planners Alberta is a province of opportunity. With prices? Is it a message that there is going to be Canadian Advertising Rates Data a population closing in on four million and no change in the way the RCMP does business, International Police Association enough known oil and gas reserves to fuel or could it be the looming picture of a new la- The Canadian Press Newswire North America for the next 200 years, it has bour relations paradigm with its membership? Access Copyright thrown off its image of a boom and bust region Cost-cutting will soon be far more difficult. and stepped proudly into the realm of a “have” Given the multitude of issues, studies and province. Why this need to suckle at Ottawa’s investigations still haunting the much-storied SUBSCRIPTIONS $30 per year; $50 for 2yrs; US & Foreign: $100 breast for subsidized policing? police service it might have been prudent to The province’s $15 billion “Heritage sign a five-year contract, giving it time to ADVERTISING Fund” grows by three billion each year, thanks breath. Solicitor General Vic Toews insists 888-640-3048 [email protected] to gas and oil royalties. This bounty of cash he’s made his commitment very clear and provides a sales tax free environment which thinks the “RCMP serves a valuable function is the envy of the country. Alberta has the as a provincial, municipal and federal police www.blueline.ca best maintained infrastructure and the low- force.” In other words, it can still do it all and 12A-4981 Hwy7 East, Ste 254, est unemployment rate in Canada and even keep on ticking. Markham, ON L3R 1N1 Canada gives money back to taxpayers on occasion, I seem to remember a few years back an P: 905 640 3048 F: 905 640 7547 complete with an apology for taking it in the Alberta originated movement coming up with [email protected] first place. the slogan “Let the eastern bastards freeze in Despite these riches, Ottawa now picks up the dark.” I suppose the folks who thought 30 per cent of the tab for its subsidized pro- that one up will be pleased to see the rest of PRINTED IN CANADA vincial police service. That means everyone Canada will be billions of dollars closer to in Canada must donate cash to Alberta for the that goal with 20 year policing deals in seven ISSN# 08478538 next 20 years. more provinces. It is expected the other six provinces will Things are shaping up for a western boon- Blue Line Magazine was established in 1988 as an independent scoop up similar RCMP contracts like a Box- doggle that will make the firearms registry publication to inform, entertain, connect and educate those involved in the law enforcement profession. With no direct control from an ing Day sale-a-thon. Given that only Ontario look like chump change. Too late to cry over enforcement agency, its opinions do not necessarily reflect those and Quebec pay the full freight for their polic- spilt milk... would the next province please of any government or law enforcement agency. ing costs, the natural conclusion is they will be step forward? The authors, advisors, and publisher accept no liability whatsoever the only ones left to pick up the tab. for any injuries to person(s) or property resulting from application of adoption of anything presented in this magazine. Readers are Policing in Alberta has been schizophren- * The Great Wizard of Ottawa (GWO) was first identi- cautioned and advised that articles presented herein are edited ic for years. The confused and often muddled fied in previous comments on firearm prohibitions for and supplied for your personal awerness and should not be used genesis of the Alberta Sheriffs Service has federal wardens and border officers and heath and safety for further actions until appropriate guidance is received from a supervisor, Crown Attorney or other persons in authority. left it fragmented and looking for an identity. concerns for RCMP members. The public never sees or The decision to expand what was essentially a hears about this mysterious person when strange ideas All material submitted for publication becomes property of Blue come forth on government policy. The GWO has a bigger Line Magazine Inc. unless arrangements have been made with the court security service into taking over highway agenda to which we mere mortals are not privy. publisher prior to publishing. patrol duties from the RCMP not only muddies © 2011 All articles are protected by copyright. No part of this the true policing costs for the province but publication may be repoduced or transmitted in any form or means, also fragments the law enforcement function electronic or mechanical, (including photocopying and recording or by any information storage or retrieval system), without prior permis- beyond any hope of cohesiveness. It is like sion. Permission to reprint may be obtained in advance from Access suggesting that these duties are too menial Copyright 1-800-893-5777. for the Mounties and criminals never leave BLUE LINE MAGAZINE 5 OCTOBER 2011 Morden Police Service Cross-training for urban change by Peter Cantelon “You can basically utilize one officer in various areas,” said Neduzak. “In the bigger A police constable in Morden, Manitoba centres if you are in a drug investigative sec- wore many hats a century ago. Duties included tion for instance, then that is exclusively what acting as the local sanitation officer (a job you do. Those officers would not be attending which police continued doing until 1950), regular calls for service such as domestics, hammering down loose boards on town side- break and enters or alarm calls. We have a walks, measuring water levels in fire wells, couple of officers trained in drug investiga- enforcing the dog tax and inspecting buildings. tions but they still have to work their regular The Town of Morden Police Department, shifts, take the calls and deal with all the other officially founded in 1891, with first appointed files as well, be it minor or major in nature.” constable James Atkin, was purely a rural law While there has always been a level of enforcement agency in those days but times Canadian Police College courses. specialized training in the force, the amount have changed. The town has grown to 7,700 The specialized skills are required because and nature has changed over the years as urban people (give or take a few) and with that Morden is situated in one of the fastest grow- issues like drugs enter the community but the growth came all the responsibility of policing ing regions of Manitoba, requiring the service force has not forgotten the basics. In response an emerging urban area. to adapt. to community concerns it created a traffic unit. The 21st century Morden Police Service “The biggest challenge is keeping up True to form, all members get a chance to serve constable still wears plenty of hats but duties on training with specialized services in the through rotation.