Deputy Eric Girt Appointed New Hamilton Police Chief

A CHRONICLE OF NEWS FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY | May 12, 2016 – Vol. 21 No. 20 Deputy Eric Girt appointed new Hamilton police chief

May 06 2016 OTTAWA - Ontario’s premier says the federal government must clarify the law around the recreational use of marijuana because of complications involving shops selling pot. Page 3 May 09 2016 OTTAWA - With the clock ticking down to a tight deadline imposed by the Supreme Court of Canada, CBC News has learned the Official Opposition is pulling support for a bill that would give Mounties the right to collective bargaining. Page 4 May 10 2016 Police-reported data in Canada show that young adults aged 18 to 24 have the highest rates Former Chief Glenn De Caire with incoming Chief Eric Girt of criminal offending of any age group. In 2014, there were over May 11 2016 Caire, who abruptly announced his retire- 183,000 young adults accused HAMILTON - Hamilton’s new police ment in December. of police-reported crimes, a rate chief named two priorities during His fellow deputy chief, Ken Weatherill, of 5,428 individuals accused per his official introduction to the city had also hoped to fill the vacancy, which the 100,000 young adults. Wednesday. police services board decided to fill internal- Page 7 May 11 2016 “Our priorities are building relation- ly, rather than search externally. ships, maintaining the public trust,” Chief Coun. Lloyd Ferguson, chair of the Hundreds of auxiliary Mounties Eric Girt told reporters at the Central Sta- board, said both candidates “hit home runs” are ready to hit the front lines of tion forecourt. during interviews, but it was Girt’s 10 years the devastating northern Alberta Girt, 54, steps into the top job after serv- of experience as deputy that gave him the wildfires - but no one’s calling. ing as deputy chief for 10 years. He has a edge. five-year contract. Girt also offers a different style from Page 8 May 12 2016 Girt replaces former chief Glenn De De Caire, Ferguson said, describing the new MONCTON, N.B. - The RCMP has pleaded not guilty to four charges of Labour Code violations stemming from the force’s response to a 2014 shooting rampage in Moncton, N.B. Page 9 chief of Ontario’s six-largest police force as ers broke into the wrong home during a drug Officers found many examples of im- “shy,” something his predecessor was not. raid; the shooting death of Steve Mesic, a properly-stored firearms, according to the At the time, the police service needed De 45-year-old who struggled with mental ill- release. Many had also been passed on from Caire’s tougher approach to crack down on ness and allegations ACTION team officers deceased family members to individuals with discipline, Ferguson said. faked tickets. little to no knowledge about their status. Girt has a lighter touch, the councillor Girt, who spoke highly of De Caire, said (Vancouver Metro) suggested. he’s “cognizant that we stand on the shoul- “I think we’re ready for that after Glenn. ders of those who precede us.” Glenn was needed at the time. But now we He’s facing increasing pressure to ad- need someone with a little softer style.” dress random street checks. (Hamilton Spectator) FRIDAY During his speech, Girt spoke of innova- MAY 6, 2016 tion, compassion and adaptation. He also referenced the importance of working with those who suffer from mental THURSDAY May 06 2016 illness, addiction and poverty. MAY 5, 2016 TORONTO - Toronto has unseated “We want people to get the help. We want Vancouver as Canada’s de facto can- to reduce use of force if we can.” May 05 2016 nabis capital due to an ongoing ex- Ferguson said the internal search was plosion in illegal dispensaries, while FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. - RCMP in Al- meant to show the board had confidence in officials begin shutting down dozens berta have brought in special tactical the service’s existing leadership. of shops in the West Coast city to en- teams to root out people who refuse The board recruited De Caire from To- force a landmark new bylaw. ronto in December 2009. to leave fire-ravaged Fort McMurray. The owner of a cannabis consulting firm “We still have some people hanging The police association is pleased a new who has been tracking the meteoric growth around and we are trying to ensure everyone’s chief was found internally, president Clint of the illicit sector following last fall’s elec- safety,’’ Sgt. Jack Poitras said Thursday. Twolan said. tion win by the federal Liberals, who have “Right now we have special tactical op- It’s encouraging for members to see one promised to legalize the drug, says Toronto’s erations inside the city looking to make sure of their own rise through the ranks over a 30- wide-open market is now supporting more that there is nobody left behind.’’ year commitment to the service, Twolan said. than 100 pot shops. Poitras said police found two stragglers “It gives the members that confidence. This expansion comes as Vancouver has Wednesday night and there have been others. Remain committed to your organization and shut down 22 dispensaries out of its roughly They were sent out of the city on a bus. you’ll be rewarded.” 100 locations in the past week, and city staff They won’t face charges. Last year, a police association survey - say they will continue their crackdown over There were no details about why they which involved 695 of the service’s 1,205 the coming weeks. About two dozen are ex- refused to leave after days of fires that have members - found morale was low with 83 per pected to remain open while they clear regu- torched more than 1,600 structures. cent of sworn officers saying they worked in latory hurdles to obtain a coveted new class “They are not giving us a reason,’’ said a “culture of fear.” of business licence. Poitras. “They are just refusing to go.’’ Twolan described the former chief as Harrison Jordan, a second-year student The tactical teams will be checking “much more autocratic” than Girt, whom he at Toronto’s Osgoode Hall Law School and homes and yards for people, he said. said has a more collaborative approach. owner of The Big Toke, said he has mapped Some members of the RCMP from Fort “(Girt’s) a stable person. He’s a level- 114 dispensaries now operating - or open- McMurray have remained on the job despite headed, calm, cool and collected approach.” ing very soon - across a region where only losing their homes to fire. Hamilton’s 35th police chief takes the a handful of tucked-away businesses were Cpl. George Cameron said he wasn’t sure helm after a turbulent stretch. operating a year ago. if his house is still standing. Under De Caire, the police service was “In the next month or two, we might “It makes a tough job harder,’’ he said. scrutinized for beating up a man after offic- have as many dispensaries as Pizza Pizzas

May 05 2016 in Toronto,” said Mr. Jordan, who built his database by cross-referencing the dispensa- SURREY - Hundreds of firearms and ries’ own websites with various social media thousands of rounds of ammunition platforms and several online listing services. were recently turned over to the Sur- This is the most comprehensive tally to date rey RCMP. of Toronto’s shops, which, like all dispensa- Between April 4 and April 22, Mounties ISSN 1704-3913 ries, procure and sell their products outside of visited the owners of restricted and prohib- Copyright 2015 the federal government’s mail-order medical Blue Line Magazine Inc. & The Canadian Press ited firearms whose registrations had expired, Permission to reprint may be obtained in advance from marijuana system. as part of their Safety City project. The goal Access Copyright Toronto Mayor John Tory expressed ex- Phone 1-800-893-5777 [email protected] of the program, according to police, was not asperation last month at the ongoing boom, Published weekly by Blue Line Magazine, Inc. as an executive news to penalize gun owners, but to educate. but said he is awaiting direction from Ottawa briefing service to Canada’s top level law enforcement personnel. “The Surrey RCMP recognizes there are on how to proceed before federal legislation Most information supplied in this publication is from newswire many reasons why gun owners may have let services. As such Blue Line Magazine does not accept responsibility is introduced next spring legalizing mari- for the accuracy of articles as supplied. their firearms registration lapse, including juana. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, not even realizing they are expired,” said as- “The one thing you can’t afford to have stored in an electronic database or transmitted in any form or by any sistant commissioner Bill Fordy in a press means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without happen is a broad-scale mockery of the the prior permission of the publishers. One Year Subscriptions are release. “The vast majority of firearm owners $10500 (GST Included). Paid subscribers may make up to four (4) laws,” Mr. Tory said at a news conference copies of this publication for distribution within their organization. in our city are compliant with the laws.” on April 20 - the day marijuana enthusiasts During those two-and-a-half weeks, around the world celebrate the drug. GROUP PUBLISHER: Morley S. Lymburner more than 500 firearms and 3,000 rounds The city’s top medical officer is due to PUBLISHER: Kathryn M. Lymburner B.A.- [email protected] of ammunition were turned over to RCMP. report back to the Toronto Board of Health NEWS EDITOR: Mark Reesor - [email protected] Many owners, however, requested that po- at the end of this month with details on how SUBSCRIPTIONS: Blue Line Store at www.BlueLine.ca lice safeguard their guns while they complete ADVERTISING: 1-888-640-3048 other jurisdictions regulate dispensaries. the proper paperwork. In the end, ownership Despite the large expansion in shops, of about 50 unwanted firearms were relin- 12A-4981 Hwy. 7 East, Ste. 254, Markham ON L3R 1N1 the Prosecution Service of Canada, which Phone: 905 640-3048 eMail: [email protected] quished to the RCMP. 2 handles all federal drug cases, recently told longest standing volunteer with his favourite The Globe and Mail that only three dispen- chocolate cake and a cup of coffee. saries have been busted in Toronto in the Kamloops RCMP said Torry would still SUNDAY past two years. be with the program if it weren’t for the fact MAY 8, 2016 In Vancouver, police have said it takes he turned 70 on May 1, the mandatory retire- the equivalent of three months’ work by ment age for the auxiliary program. May 08 2016 one investigator to execute a warrant on a (Kelowna Now) VANCOUVER - A Vancouver police of- pot shop. After most of the force’s 11 recent ficer is recovering after being slashed raids, the dispensaries reopened the next day. May 07 2016 Saturday night by a woman wielding a Like their counterparts in Vancouver, VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - A second man butcher knife. officers in Toronto are especially concerned has been arrested in the theft of five At around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, an of- with reports of selling to minors, Toronto million bees in Quebec. ficer attended an apartment building on the Police service spokesman Mark Pugash said. west side of Vancouver to deal with “an emo- He added that an experienced drug squad tionally distraught woman,” said Vancouver investigator recently returned from studying police spokesman Const. Brian Montague. Vancouver’s approach to policing the use While the officer was standing in the and sale of marijuana and other illicit street hallway outside the women’s apartment drugs. speaking with her, “she suddenly produced a (Globe and Mail) butcher-type knife from behind her back and started swinging,” Montague said. May 06 2016 The officer raised his arms in defence, OTTAWA - Ontario’s premier says the and sustained a knife injury to his hand. federal government must clarify the Provincial police say the 43-year-old sus- The woman then returned inside her law around the recreational use of pect surrendered to police on Friday in Joli- apartment and “barricaded herself inside,” marijuana because of complications ette, about 50 kilometres north of Montreal. Montague said. involving shops selling pot. He will appear in court on Monday. “After many hours of unsuccessful nego- Kathleen Wynne says provinces and cit- Earlier this week the man’s 36-year-old tiations, police lost contact with the woman. ies remain confused about how to handle brother was also arrested and arraigned in Concerned for her own safety, the door was those shops because of a lack of direction connection with the theft. breached and entry was made into the apart- from Ottawa. Police suspect the accused also made off ment,” he said in an email. The governing Liberals plan to bring in late last month with 180 hives belonging to Police arrested the woman. legislation next spring that would legalize Jean-Marc Labonte, who estimated the value The injured officer was treated in hospi- cannabis — but until that happens Wynne of everything stolen at $200,000. tal, was released and is recovering at home. says the lines are blurred. The bees have not yet been found. (The Province) Liberal MP and former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, the government’s pointman on pot, has stressed that Criminal Code provisions on marijuana must be enforced as the government considers a legalized regime. Vancouver started cracking down on un- licensed dispensaries last week and Toronto Mayor John Tory said yesterday that the growth in dispensaries in his city is on the verge of being out-of-control. Wynne has publicly mused about selling marijuana through the provincially-run liq- uor stores.

SATURDAY MAY 7, 2016

May 07 2016 KAMLOOPS - A long-standing volunteer with the Kamloops RCMP has re- tired after 39 years on the job. Tuesday, the Kamloops RCMP celebrat- ed the retirement of Don Torry, a dedicated volunteer with the Kamloops RCMP Auxil- iary program. Torry has been a member of the program for 39 years, joining the team on June 27, 1977. Over his almost four decades with the program, Torry contributed 12,555 hours of service to the City of Kamloops auxiliary program, more than double the amount of hours volunteers need to complete. Torry said he enjoyed his service with the program and that the time went by quickly. The Kamloops RCMP honoured their 3 work this one out as the Supreme Court’s detachments aren’t left short-handed. deadline for C-7 to become law is May 16. Vermeulen says the officers are used to MONDAY (CBC News) being redeployed on short notice for serious MAY 9, 2016 events. May 09 2016 Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says Fort May 09 2016 MONTREAL - Nearly two years after McMurray is not yet safe for residents to re- TORONTO - Toronto police say more pressing the federal government and turn after a wildfire ripped through the city, people are getting behind the wheel Canada’s railroad operators to beef torching 2,400 buildings. while on drugs this year compared to up their safety regulations, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said Tuesday last year. May 09 2016 They say 25 drivers have been charged his demands have been met. with impaired driving due to drug use so far For the past year, the city’s first respond- WINDSOR - Two Windsor police offic- this year, up from 10 at this time last year. ers have used a mobile application that al- ers will not have to stand trial on as- That’s an increase of 150 per cent. lows them to identify what dangerous goods sault charges after the disappearance Meanwhile, the number of alcohol-relat- are being shipped through the city in real of the man they allegedly brutalized. ed charges has dropped by roughly seven per time. By punching in a train’s identification Const. Daniel Merlo and Const. Aaron cent - 431 as of last week, compared to 464 to number into the AskRail app, firefighters can Naklie were charged in relation to the Oct. the same time last year. access a diagram of the train’s dangerous 26, 2014 arrest of Matthew Jonsson. Jons- Drivers impaired by drugs face crimi- goods. son, who reportedly was handcuffed, un- nal charges but do not currently have their “I’m plenty satisfied with the kind of cuffed, then tasered during his arrest, suf- licence automatically suspended like those data and information we have access to,” fered a broken elbow joint. The officers’ trial who fail a breathalyzer test. said Coderre, in the lobby of Canadian Na- was expected to hear that Jonsson’s injury, That is set to change this fall after legisla- tional Railway’s Montreal headquarters. described as a non-displaced fracture of the tive amendments take effect. “If something might happen, we know that elbow, likely occurred when he fell forward, (680News) we’re ready, that we have what we need to landing on his hands. deal with it.” Merlo was charged with assault with a May 09 2016 After the fatal Lac-Mégantic train wreck weapon and assault causing bodily harm. Na- OTTAWA - With the clock ticking down in 2013 - in which a train carrying crude oil klie was charged with assault causing bodily to a tight deadline imposed by the Su- derailed, killing 47 - Coderre criticized com- harm and aiding and abetting an assault with preme Court of Canada, CBC News panies like Canadian National Railway for a weapon. has learned the Official Opposition is not sharing enough information about what The charges came more than eight pulling support for a bill that would gets shipped across the city. Under old feder- months after the incident, following a probe give Mounties the right to collective al regulations, operators only had to provide by the Special Investigations Unit. bargaining. cities with detailed information on their ship- Monday, after Jonsson failed to at- ments after they had been delivered. tend court to testify, the charges against the (Montreal Gazette) two officers were withdrawn. A prosecutor brought in from Toronto to handle the case May 09 2016 told the court Jonsson had stopped returning Deputy Chief Dave Thorne is retiring his calls. from the Winnipeg Police Service. Jonsson, who has a long criminal record and is currently wanted in relation to a fraud ring involving bogus online postings for cot- tage rentals, is the subject of an arrest warrant out of London. The Conservatives had supported Bill If he had turned up to testify in Windsor, C-7 at second reading, on the hopes it would he likely would have been arrested and re- be amended at committee to guarantee a se- turned to London to stand trial. (Windsor Star) cret ballot for RCMP members if they decide to certify a union. While the proposed legislation was tweaked at committee to remove controver- Thorne spent 35 years with the service, TUESDAY sial sections that would have altered officers’ serving in commercial crime, robbery, child MAY 10, 2016 health benefits, committee members voted abuse and homicide units. He was promoted down an amendment suggested by Conserva- to deputy chief in 2013. May 10 2016 tive public safety critic Erin O’Toole to en- Winnipeg police made the announcement sure any future certification vote is held by Monday. CALGARY - A Calgary police officer (CBC News) secret ballot. was taken to hospital for treatment of Conservative Treasury Board critic blurry vision after someone in a car May 09 2016 Pierre Poilievre called the secret ballot a fun- pointed a laser at a cruiser. damental democratic right. SURREY, B.C. - Mounties from across Police say they received several 911 calls “Instead of forcing RCMP members British Columbia are heading to north- late last evening about a green laser beam be- to disclose their vote publicly, the Liberals ern Alberta to help in fire-ravaged Fort ing flashed in a southeast neighbourhood. should listen to RCMP members who are McMurray. The light was allegedly aimed at a cruiser concerned that their vote will impact their B.C. RCMP spokesman Staff Sgt. Rob when officers arrived and tried to pull the car workplace situation,” he said. Vermeulen says about 150 tactical troop over. The Liberal government has always members and traffic service officers are -be The vehicle fled but it was followed by maintained the mechanics for union certifica- ing sent. the police helicopter. tion would be addressed in another bill be- He says the Alberta RCMP requested Two people were arrested after a foot fore the House, which the Conservatives also help from their B.C. counterparts. chase near a shopping centre. oppose. The officers will come from communi- Charges are pending. (CHQR, CTV Calgary) Parliament doesn’t have much time to ties across the province to make sure local

4 May 10 2016 lion on the system. It has been in operation ring issues with it, including twice in the past KITIMAT, B.C. - RCMP officers in Kiti- since 2014. week where it’s crashed. Each time we’re ex- mat, B.C., are using creative measures But the unions representing the city’s plained that it was sort of a freak of nature, to catch drivers who ignore school police officers and firefighters have not been and that it won’t happen again. And a few bus warning lights. impressed and have lodged a complaint with days later it happens again.” the workplace health and safety board. On Monday, the technical problems Chris Ross, vice-president of the fire- started around 12 p.m. and service came back fighters’ union, said they had to use cell around 2 p.m., according to the city. phones to send information back to the “The outage took place during work that communications centre. was underway on the network by the provid- He said the system has been beset by er,” Valérie De Gagné, a spokesperson for the problems since the beginning. City of Montreal, said in a statement. “Almost immediately, they started to “Not in any moment was the safety of have problems with it to the point where we citizens ever in jeopardy.” Mounties are riding on the buses in that had to pull it out of service,” he said. De Gagné said the city is taking steps to north coast community to nab drivers in the act. “And it was brought back in almost a ensure it doesn’t happen again. Buses have also been equipped with dash- year later, and in the past couple of months Quebec courts were also paralyzed due to cams to collect video evidence. that it’s been online we’ve had some recur- an unrelated computer outage during the day. Kitimat’s school bus co-ordinator, Angie (CBC News) Maitland, says area drivers frequently ignore flashing bus lights signalling students are getting on, off, or preparing to the cross the street. B.C. penalties for disobeying school bus signals include a $167 fine and three licence demerit points, but Transportation Minister Todd Stone said in March that tougher pun- ishments could be in place by the end of June. (CFTK)

May 10 2016 MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - The province’s police watchdog says there are no reasonable grounds to charge a provincial police officer after a man was struck near the eye by a prong from a Taser and partially blinded. Director Tony Loparco says the incident occurred on June 19, 2012, and was reported to the Special Investigations Unit on July 13, 2015, after the man’s father notified the OPP that his son had lost sight in one eye. The SIU says the officer responding to a call about an out-of-control man at a home at the Pikangikum First Nation at some point deployed his conducted energy weapon and one of the prongs lodged itself near the man’s left eye. The man was taken to a local nursing station, treated, and released, but returned the next day with pain and swelling to his eye, and later underwent surgery in Winnipeg for a detached retina. Loparco says there was little evidence available to assess the incident and the man has “limited to no recollection’’ of the event. He says the SIU was unable to determine if the officer deliberately fired at the man’s face or if the prong lodged itself in his face by accident.

May 10 2016 MONTREAL - The unions representing Montreal police and firefighters are sounding the alarm after the City of Montreal’s emergency telecommuni- cations system was down on Monday for two hours. It was the second outage for the city- wide emergency radio network, known as SERAM, in less than a week. The City of Montreal has spent $70 mil-

5 May 10 2016 Romano has been an officer with York May 10 2016 VANCOUVER - A high-profile former Region since 2003 and a member of the #5 WASHINGTON - Motorists are being RCMP officer once in charge of strate- District Criminal Investigations Bureau since convicted of driving under the influ- gic communications in British Columbia 2010. He was placed on administrative duties ence of marijuana based on arbitrary has been charged with sexual assault. throughout court proceedings. state standards that have no connec- The province’s Criminal Justice Branch The trial is expected to last two weeks. tion to whether the driver was actually said Tuesday that a charge has been sworn (CTV Toronto) impaired, says a study by the nation’s against former inspector Tim Shields stem- May 10 2016 largest auto club. ming from an investigation into sexual mis- FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. - RCMP have The problem is only growing as more conduct. seized some guns following the fire in states contemplate legalizing the drug. The misconduct is alleged to have oc- Fort McMurray, but won’t be a conduct- At least three, and possibly as many as 11 curred between 2009 and 2010 at RCMP ing a mass seizure of firearms like they states, will vote this fall on ballot measures headquarters and involved a civilian em- did after the flood in southern Alberta. to legalize marijuana for medicinal or rec- ployee who worked in co-ordination with the reational use, or both. Legislation to legalize communications unit headed by Shields. the drug has also been introduced in a half- Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, dozen states. head of the RCMP in British Columbia, said Currently, six states where medical or the Mounties became aware of the allega- recreational marijuana use is legal - Colo- tions against Shields in 2013, but there was rado, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania insufficient evidence at the time to proceed and Washington - have set specific limits for actively with the investigation. THC, the chemical in marijuana that makes He said new information became avail- people high, in drivers’ blood. But the study able in 2014 and an investigation team was by AAA’s safety foundation says the limits formed. Information from that investigation Sgt. John Spaans said Tuesday that of- have no scientific basis and can result in in- was reported to Crown and resulted in the ficers have taken one or two guns found in nocent drivers being convicted, and guilty charge sworn Tuesday, Callens said in a public places, but are not going into homes drivers being released. statement. looking for more. “Charges of this nature against a police He said he’s not sure if the decision had “There is understandably a strong desire officer are disturbing and are even more so anything to do with what happened in High by both lawmakers and the public to create that it is alleged to have occurred in our head- River during the floods. legal limits for marijuana impairment in the quarters.’’ “That’s a decision that came through our same manner we do alcohol,” said Marshall “The RCMP pursued this investigation as unified command. I don’t know the rationale.’’ Doney, AAA’s president and CEO. “In the it would any serious criminal matter, regard- Flood water forced thousands of people case of marijuana, this approach is flawed less that the suspect was a senior police of- from their homes in High River in June 2013. and not supported by scientific research.” ficer,’’ he said. As Mounties searched for people who were Another nine states, including some that The allegation against Shields has not stranded in the town, they kicked in doors have legalized marijuana for medical use, been tested in court. and took firearms. have zero-tolerance laws for driving and Shields was suspended with pay in May The seizures angered residents and fos- marijuana that make not only any presence last year and submitted his discharge docu- tered mistrust of the national police force. of THC in a driver’s blood illegal, but also ments in December, said Callens. The force’s Civilian Review and Com- the presence of its metabolites, which can Mounties said at the time his suspension plaints Commission later found the RCMP linger in a driver’s bloodstream for weeks was due to a code-of-conduct investigation. had legal authority to forcibly enter evacu- after any impairment has dissipated. Shields appeared in Vancouver provin- ated homes and seize unsecured firearms The problem is that determining wheth- cial court on Tuesday and is scheduled to re- in plain view. But it said officers exceeded er someone is impaired by marijuana, as op- turn on June 27. their authority by taking some guns that were posed to having merely used the drug, is far properly secured. more complex than the simple and reliable May 10 2016 About 300 RCMP from Alberta and other tests that have been developed for alcohol Crown attorneys wrapped up their provinces are in Fort McMurray and recently impairment. first witness examinations Tuesday finished a door-to-door canvass of the com- The degree to which a driver is impaired in the trial of a York Regional Police munity, said Spaans. by marijuana use depends a lot on the indi- officer accused of fatally striking a pe- They did not force their way into homes, vidual, the foundation said. Drivers with rel- destrian in 2014 while on duty. he said, and only offered help to people who atively high levels of THC in their systems On the evening of Feb. 12, 2014, Nata- didn’t evacuate with the 80,000 other resi- might not be impaired, especially if they are sha Abogado had just got off a TTC bus in dents ordered out last week when a massive regular users, while others with relatively Scarborough when she was struck by an un- wildfire spread through the city. About 2,400 low levels may be unsafe behind the wheel. marked vehicle travelling east. buildings were burned. Some drivers may be impaired when Firefighters have gone into some houses, She was pronounced dead at the scene. they are stopped by police, but by the time The province’s Special Investigations Spaans added. their blood is tested they have fallen below Unit invoked its mandate and investigated “In those cases, the RCMP have stayed the legal threshold because active THC dis- the circumstances leading up to the inci- outside.’’ sipates rapidly. The average time to collect dent. Mounties have assisted some residents blood from a suspected driver is often more The SIU concluded that unmarked ve- who needed help evacuating, he said. Offic- hicle was being driven by a York Regional ers have also found people who are refusing than two hours because taking a blood sam- Police officer. Investigators concluded the to leave, but he wouldn’t reveal how many. ple typically requires a warrant and trans- officer was driving at a speed of 115 km/h in Police don’t have the authority to remove port to a police station or hospital, the foun- a 60km/h zone without using police lights or them unless there they pose a threat to public dation said. sirens when Abogado was struck. safety, he said. In addition, frequent marijuana users In June of that year, the SIU charged the Spaans said he expects the large presence can exhibit persistent levels of the drug officer driving the vehicle with one count of of officers will remain “for months to come’’ long after use, while THC levels can decline dangerous driving causing death. in order to prevent property crime and help more rapidly among occasional users. Det. Const. Remo Romano pleaded not re-establish the community. (AP) guilty to the charge. 6 May 10 2016 Youth aged 12 to 17 had higher rates than For individuals accused of sexual of- Police-reported data in Canada show young adults for many property crimes, most fences, robbery, uttering threats, breaking that young adults aged 18 to 24 have notably breaking and entering and theft of and entering, motor vehicle theft, and theft of the highest rates of criminal offending $5,000 or under. Youth aged 12 to 17 also had $5,000 or under, the highest accused rates oc- of any age group. In 2014, there were higher rates than young adults for robbery curred before age 18 and were considerably over 183,000 young adults accused and uttering threats. In addition, youth had lower by age 25. Rates of homicide and at- of police-reported crimes, a rate of the highest accused rates for sexual assault tempted murder, major assault, mischief, and 5,428 individuals accused per 100,000 level 1 and sexual violations against children. cannabis possession peaked between age 18 young adults. According to police-reported data, the rate and 25 and were notably lower by age 30. of criminal offending in Canada in 2014 was For other offences, however, offending highest at age 17 and then declined steadily declined with age but at a much more gradual with age. However, this age pattern was not rate. For common assault, the most frequent the same for all offence types. For some of- of violent offences for all age groups, accused fences, rates were highest in youth or young rates were highest at both age 17 and 22 in adulthood and then declined rapidly with age, 2014, varying little by age 30 (10% lower). while for others, rates peaked in young adult- Other crimes for which rates remained rela- hood and then declined more gradually. tively high at age 30 were criminal harass-

In comparison, the rates of youth aged 12 to 17 accused (4,322 per 100,000), as well as the rates for adults aged 25 to 29 (4,712) and aged 30 to 34 (4,022) were notably lower. From 2009 to 2014, the rate of young adults aged 18 to 24 accused of crime declined 31%, while the rate for youth aged 12 to 17 (-39%) had a larger decrease. Over that period, the rate of all individuals accused of crime in Canada fell 22%. As with police-reported crime committed by youth aged 12 to 17, the criminal offences most frequently committed by young adults aged 18 to 24 were theft of $5,000 or under (727 per 100,000 young adults), common assault (682 per 100,000) and mischief (585 per 100,000). Of note, however, almost one- quarter of young adults accused of crime were accused in offences against the administration of justice (1,286 per 100,000 young adults). This group of offences includes offences aris- ing from court processes, primarily failure to comply with the conditions of a sentence, breach of probation and failure to appear. Among young adults accused of criminal offences, 28% were accused in violent incidents. While most offences committed by young adults were relatively minor, young adults were more likely to be accused of serious crimes than individuals in other age groups. Rates of individuals accused of homicide and attempted murder and assault (levels 1, 2 and 3) were highest among young adults. In addition, young adults also had the highest rates of mischief, disturbing the peace and Crimi- nal Code traffic violations compared with older adults and youth. As a group, young adults had the highest rates of drug offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Individuals accused of cannabis possession accounted for two-thirds (67%) of all young adults accused in drug crimes. The rates of individuals accused of non-cannabis drug offences were notably higher among young adults than among youth aged 12 to 17. While cannabis possession peaked at age 18 in 2014, rates of non-cannabis drug offences peaked at age 21.

7 ment (which peaked at age 43 in 2014); being sought, the RCMP said. Dekezel hopes that the award helps her fraud, including identity theft and identity The alleged Montreal-based ring im- to expand the group. The group currently fraud (highest at age 27); and non-cannabis- ported a total of 1.4 tonnes of the drug, the receives funding from Pro-Action Cops and related drug offences (highest at age 21). Mounties said. Kids, but Dekezel says she’s started to re- The territories show a notable variation American and Canadian authorities ceive other offers of funding, including from from the typical association between police- seized 220 kilograms of cocaine during Pro- some colleges. reported criminal offending and age. The rate ject Clemenza, a three-phase investigation “I want to create leaders of goodness,” of individuals accused of crime in the territo- that began in 2010. she said. ries in 2014 peaked at age 24 and continued Authorities said they also confiscated $2 (CTV Winnipeg) to remain high until about age 50. This was million that was to be used to help import the mainly the result of high rates of non-violent drugs from the United States. May 11 2016 offences, primarily mischief and disturbing Most of the accused are from the Montre- Hundreds of auxiliary Mounties are the peace. al area, although one lived in Ottawa and an- ready to hit the front lines of the dev- (Statistics Canada) other was already detained in Kingston, Ont. astating northern Alberta wildfires - They were expected to be arraigned by but no one’s calling. May 10 2016 video conference later on Wednesday. As Canada’s national police force con- CALGARY - Calgary police took two Quebec provincial police, the Montreal ducts a review of the volunteer constabulary, men in custody after someone shone and Laval forces, the Canada Border Servic- some 300 trained members of Alberta’s aux- a laser in an officer’s eye on Monday es Agency and the Canada Revenue Agency iliary, as well as those from other provinces, night. also took part in the investigation. have been benched even as the same number Det. Andy Nguyen said the incident hap- May 11 2016 A Manitoba-born Toronto of sworn RCMP officers have been flown pened around 11:30 p.m. in the city’s deep police officer is being recognized for helping into the province to help, from as far away as south, where two men were seen shining a at-risk girls tackle some of life’s biggest chal- Newfoundland. laser from a vehicle. lenges. The call went out to auxiliary members “They shone a green laser beam on the Jennifer Dekezel, an officer with the To- last Tuesday, just as the wildfire forced the side-view mirror of the marked police car ronto Police Service’s Community Response mass evacuation of Fort McMurray, asking which ended up striking the member in the Unit, started the Girlz Will Be Girlz program volunteers to be ready to go if needed. eye,” Nguyen said. eight years ago after receiving a call from an Subsequent memos obtained by Postme- The officer who was struck by the beam elementary school principal in a high-crime dia from the coordinating auxiliary constable was conducting a traffic stop. neighbourhood in Toronto. told members they’ve been added to the list With help from a police helicopter, offic- “The principal had me in and I spoke of available resources, suggesting once the ers followed the suspects’ vehicle all the way with a few young girls who were being bul- fire was under control the need for relief help to Market Mall in the northwest, where the lied, and I spoke to the bullies too,” said De- would be crucial, freeing up regular members driver then fled on foot. kezel. from duties like traffic control and ferrying He was caught and taken into custody, The principal was impressed with De- around officials. along with the passenger in the vehicle. kezel, and asked her to come back. “I realize that we all feel helpless right (CBC News) The group started with just four girls, now but hopefully our patience will pay off meeting weekly. Now, the group has grown and we will have our boots on the ground to close to 25 girls between eight and 17 shortly!” read a May 7 memo from the coor- years old, with some girls coming back year dinating auxiliary constable. WEDNESDAY after year. One auxiliary member, who Postmedia MAY 11, 2016 On May 7, Dekezel received the Special has agreed not to identify, said he has been Recognition Award at the 24th annual Asso- ready to go since the first call came out, and May 11 2016 ciation of Black Law Enforcers awards gala. questions why RCMP’s K Division isn’t will- REGINA - Changing motorists’ some- Principals and teachers refer students ing to take advantage of a group of highly times lax attitude toward their vehi- to Dekezel’s group. They can be newcom- trained individuals ready to do whatever is cles’ security is the engine that’s drivers, introverts, bullying victims, or bullies needed to pitch in. ing a Saskatchewan campaign aimed themselves - anyone who might benefit from “I’ve literally have had my uniform, my at reducing auto theft. bonding with a group and a strong mentor. duty belt and my equipment sitting in the The Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs Dekezel takes the girls on group outings, trunk of my car for the last week,” said the of Police is at the wheel of the radio, print as well as individual activities like back-to- member, who volunteers with a rural Alberta and online campaign that will run throughout school shopping and ice cream trips. She has detachment. the summer. also sat in hospital rooms after suicide at- “We all know what we signed up for.” Its goal is to get drivers to do the simplest tempts and taken late-night phone calls from In January, all 1,600 members of Cana- things to prevent their vehicles from becom- girls who need someone to talk to. da’s RCMP auxiliary were informed of im- ing another statistic. “It’s not just making cupcakes,” she said. mediate changes to the program, including an Regina police say 60 per cent of autos The ripple effects of Dekezel’s group ex- end to ride-alongs and firearms familiariza- that are stolen were unlocked, or the driver tend far and wide. Some of the girls who have tion training, as well as more clearly distin- had left the keys inside. been with Dekezel the longest have gone on guishable uniforms. Drivers will also be encouraged to park to start groups of their own, like one 12-year- RCMP Sgt. John Spaans said there’s still in a well-lit area and use a steering wheel old who started an anger-management group a chance auxiliary members could be used in locking device. at her school. the recovery operations, but at this point all (CKRM) One of the biggest differences Dekezel the bases are covered by the regular force. has noticed is with newcomer girls, who The use of auxiliary constables has not Map 11 2016 come from communities where policer are been required as we are adequately staffed MONTREAL - Thirteen people were viewed with suspicion. for our response to Fort McMurray,” he said. arrested on Wednesday after police “Having a police officer who is a friend “Auxiliary constables would have the busted what they called a well-struc- makes a huge difference. Those girls go and ability to assist at a later date when as the tured organized crime network that talk to their parents, who talk to their neigh- community begins to normalize, but that is imported and trafficked cocaine. bours, and the list goes on. To build those re- not the situation at the moment.” Talks were ongoing with another suspect lationships is very, very important.” Spaans added regular RCMP members located in Italy, while a 15th person was also 8 from B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New- against another police.” foundland and all corners of Alberta have Jolicoeur said most of the women are not been called in. THURSDAY ready to press charges at this time. (Calgary Sun) MAY 12, 2016 “Forty per cent” are, he said. The province’s contract with the parale- May 11 2016 May 12 2016 gal services agency is for two years. OTTAWA - New figures released A provincial police officer has been Montreal police also have a hotline, but through a freedom-of-information re- found not guilty of assault, for a sec- the force was unable to tell CBC News how quest show Ottawa police are handing ond time, after a 2012 altercation in a many Aboriginal people had laid complaints out fewer speeding tickets. Greenstone, Ont., jail cell left a First using that service. (CBC News) Police issued 15,318 speeding tickets in Nation man with broken bones in his 2015 - down from 21,712 in 2011. That’s a face. 29 per cent decrease. In fact, the number of A second trial was ordered after the May 12 2016 tickets steadily dropped between 2011 and crown appealed the 2013 finding of not guilty MONCTON, N.B. - The RCMP has 2015, dipping as low as 14,948 tickets issued in the case against Cst. Brian Bellefeuille. pleaded not guilty to four charges in 2014. On Wednesday a judge ruled that Belle- of Labour Code violations stemming There are several theories for the decline. feuille was credible in his description of be- from the force’s response to a 2014 Sgt. Mark Gatien in traffic enforcement ing “terrified” that he would be spit at, bit- shooting rampage in Moncton, N.B. said resources have been increasingly divert- ten or kicked while attempting to search an Employment and Social Development ed to illegal cell phone use. intoxicated man who had his hands cuffed Canada alleges there were four violations of “(Distracted driving) has become a more behind his back. the code relating to the force’s equipment, serious issue than impaired driving, so we’re Throwing Gary Megan to the cement training and supervision in the June 4, 2014 starting to focus more on cell phone enforce- floor of the cell was “necessary, reasonable incident that resulted in the deaths of three ment than speeding,” Gatien said. and proportional” to the threat he posed, Jus- Mounties. Ticket counts for distracted driving were tice Marietta L. D. Roberts ruled. Justin Bourque was sentenced to life in not immediately available. Another officer was in the cell at the time. prison with no eligibility for parole for 75 Another reason, according to Coun. Ri- He gave evidence that he did not perceive an years after pleading guilty to three counts ley Brockington, is lack of traffic enforce- “imminent threat” from Megan, whom police of first-degree murder and two counts of at- ment resources. said they took into custody outside a bar “for tempted murder. “The police chief will tell you that over his own safety” because he was too intoxi- The Public Prosecution Service of Cana- the past three years, the amount of officers cated to get home on his own. da recommended last year that the RCMP be he’s had on the road enforcing speeding has Megan suffered a cut to his eyebrow and prosecuted for contravention of occupational gone down,” Brockington said. “He’s taken several broken bones around his eye socket health and safety provisions. his three traffic units ... and he’s put those re- after being thrown to the floor. The RCMP had been expected to enter sources into other priorities.” At the end of the hearing Justice Roberts pleas and set a trial date during a court ap- (Metro) asked Bellefeuille to stand and told him that pearance in Moncton last month, but defence he had caused “great injury” to Megan who lawyer Ian Carter says the Crown and de- May 11 2016 “had suffered much”. fence needed more time to discuss narrowing VANCOUVER - A campaign aimed at “There may be other consequences for the issues in the case. stopping adults in Metro Vancouver you and other officers,” she told him. “Take Both sides had previously asked for more from buying alcohol for minors kicks that to heart.” time in what they described as a complex off today and is focusing on the risks (CBC News) case during a court appearance in January. underage women face when binge drinking. May 12 2016 May 12 2016 The eighth annual Think Before You Let It’s been just a month since Quebec MONTREAL - Despite a push two Them Drink campaign is a partnership be- Public Security Minister Martin Coi- years ago to install more public secu- tween Vancouver Coastal Health, West Van- teux invited Aboriginal women across rity cameras, the City of Montreal still couver Police and North Vancouver RCMP. Quebec to call a new toll-free line if hasn’t installed any in public spaces, Kerrie Watt, a prevention consultant and they’d been assaulted by police. Radio-Canada has learned. educator with Vancouver Coastal Health, In that short time, 44 women have Montreal police bought five new -cam says alcohol is still the number one drug reached out. eras in the last two years but none have been of choice among young people and is what Coiteux said the new line was an alter- installed, documents obtained through an access-to-information request show. leads to the most accidents, injuries and death native to calling the Montreal police force, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said Feb- among them. which is in charge of investigating allega- ruary 2014 the city needed more surveillance “Somewhere along the line an adult had tions against eight SÃ»retÃ© du QuÃ©bec officers that surfaced last fall in a Radio-Can- cameras after a series of homophobic assaults to provide them,” she said. at Beaudry metro. And once they get a hold of alcohol, Watt ada EnquÃªte report. Calls to the new hotline are being di- Citizens were asked for their opinions on says, many young people drink themselves rected to an existing paralegal counselling social media and the city created a committee into a stupor. service for aboriginal people - Services para- of elected officials to study the issue, but the “Especially young women under 14. We judiciaires autochtones du QuÃ©bec. results of those measures haven’t been made know they’re binge drinking at a rate higher “We were not expecting that kind of re- public. than their male peers,” she said. sult,” said Jean Jolicoeur, the vice-president Unlike American and European cities, For underage girls, there are added risks. of the paralegal service. some of which have thousands of surveil- “The most immediate threat is the risk of “Within a month, we had 44 women that lance cameras, Montreal only has about 20. unwanted sexual activity,” said Watt. reached out to us and explained their case.” City spokesperson Catherine Maurice The most recent B.C. Adolescent Health He said it only made sense to offer wom- said Montreal has opted to increase the vis- Study found 37 per cent of all underage teens en an alternative to calling the Montreal po- ibility of officers on the streets rather than who had tried alcohol had drank heavily in lice force. use security cameras, which could prompt the past month. “You have to realize it was extremely dif- privacy concerns. (CBC News) ficult for them to call police, to make a claim (CBC News)

9 May 12 2016 “Some people may be intimidated by it, the need to supplement their incomes. MONTREAL - An international study some may not,’’ said McGuigan. “But there “We are not going to solve this issue says Montreal is a hotspot for sexual were concerns from businesses about the through enforcement,’’ said Hernden. “It is tourists in Canada. amount of panhandlers.’’ going to take a community of people to come The global analysis of sexual exploita- Halifax has seen a growing number of together and deal with some of the underly- tion by ECPAT identified Montreal as a hub complaints recently from local business as- ing issues that exist that lead to a person be- for the sexual exploitation of children. sociations about aggressive panhandlers who ing on the street.’’ ECPAT said because Montreal hosts follow and badger people for money. many sporting and cultural events, and be- It’s something police are examining, cause of its proximity to the United States, Hernden said, although he added officers it is relatively easy for sex tourists to exploit have rarely encountered what’s been de- children in the city. scribed as aggressive panhandling. He said Other key locations for the sexual ex- when an incident does occur it usually in- ploitation of children in North America are volves a person who has some sort of mental Las Vegas and Atlanta, because of the large health issue. number of gamblers and business travellers. This week’s move by P.E.I.’s capital city The ECPAT findings for Montreal are is the latest in a series of measures taken by based in part on the 2014-2016 action plan communities across the continent. drawn up by Montreal police to deal with McGuigan said Charlottetown business- prostitution. es have also installed so-called “kindness ECPAT is an international group devoted to meters’’ in an attempt to get people to donate the end of child prostitution, child pornography to soup kitchens, the local food bank and the and trafficking of children for sexual purposes. Salvation Army. The ECPAT study says the ease of travel It’s a move that’s been tried in other com- in North America is a challenge for those munities in an attempt to cut down on pan- fighting child prostitution, not only because handling, including Fredericton, where six it’s not difficult to smuggle children long used parking meters were converted to sup- distances, but also because sexual predators port aid groups. can travel across the continent without any In Halifax, Hernden said police have hindrances. asked city legal staff to review the current (CTV Montreal) bylaw, although he added police aren’t push- ing for any changes at this point. May 12 2016 He said police have a close relationship IQALUIT, Nunavut - A Mountie in Nu- with many of the panhandlers in the down- navut with 30-plus years of service town area and know they are on the streets has been charged in alleged assaults for a variety of reasons - from mental health on two prisoners at the Pond Inlet de- and addiction problems to homelessness and tachment. Sgt. Paul Marenchuk faces two counts of assault with a weapon in August and Septem- ber of last year. RCMP say Marenchuk, who has been in Pond Inlet since 2012, has been suspended with pay. They say an internal review was subse- quently referred to an RCMP investigator from Alberta. The results were submitted to the Public Prosecution Services of Canada and charges were recommended. Marenchuk is to appear in Pond Inlet ter- ritorial court on July 19.

May 12 2016 HALIFAX - As several Maritime cities consider measures to fight aggressive panhandling ahead of the summer tourist season, police and social experts warn it is symptomatic of a larger societal problem that can’t be solved through enforcement alone. Earlier this week, Charlottetown council moved to amend its nuisance bylaw to prevent panhandlers from blocking pedestrians from freely walking by them and also to prevent them from soliciting “captive audiences’’ at places such as banking machines and bus stops or in vehicles stopped on a roadway. Charlottetown deputy police chief Gary McGuigan said while the majority of his city’s panhandling is considered passive in nature, the numbers of people soliciting for money in the downtown area has increased and the move is meant to keep the activity under control.