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An Unremitting sadness…
Posted on August 28, 2022 by Pete Cross
It is with some reluctance that I approached the possibility of revisiting the "Mass Casualty Commission" hearings. After all, I have written about it a couple of times already.
It certainly was not because of some sadistic desire to listen to Commissioner Lucki as she reiterated several times over, why she was asking for information about the guns used by Wortman. She clearly has been practising her evidence and she is clearly willing to stick it out. Her cover and well rehearsed story is of course that she was merely "disappointed"– in only that she gave the Minister's office the wrong information. And it is for that reason, and that reason only why she was "frustrated" and chose to vent on April 28th in a meeting with the H Division Senior personnel, all while Supt. Campbell scribbled notes.
Judging by social media, many of you continue to follow and are watching the proceedings so there is no need to go over this well worn ground– you can decide who is telling the truth, even though at this point it seems obvious. Ms. Lucki even seems to have convinced herself of "her truth", despite all the evidence to the contrary. Her oft repeated denials encased in characterizations: "I am a collaborative person"…"I am a glass half full person"…"I am not an angry person"…"I wouldn't call anyone a liar, I just don't think that way"…"I am not a hurtful person". All good to know for a Tinder bio, but not of much substance.
What struck this writer besides the overwhelming sadness of the event itself, which permeates the hearings with unimaginable visions but that there is another sadness to all of this exercise. It is that we seem to be watching the grindingly slow disintegration of the RCMP as a viable and once formidable renowned operational police force. The fact that the Commissioner and other police officers were asked to dress in civilian clothes so that the very uniform of the Mounted Police would not re-traumatize the victim families was both ridiculous and telling at the same time. What is the overall message when the very sight of the uniform was decided by these three Commissioners as off-putting to the participants.
Commissioner Lucki's evidence as expected and was for the most part banal and of little value; but it was illustrative in an un-intended way. It put on full display both the internal problems of the RCMP and the chasm which has been for years separating and pulling apart the fabric of operational policing. We, as members of the public, were given an albeit brief glimpse into the dark corridors (they are dark of course partly because everyone is still working from home) and the inner-workings of the RCMP in HQ Ottawa. No one in the management ranks, is usually willing to be forthright and honest in describing the day to day issues. Lucki was not the exception, but in trying to distance herself from "interference" charges, she inadvertently had to put her system on display.
First and foremost was the Strategic Communications group, who appeared to be on first flush not very good with communications and not very strategic. They were talked about often in the hearings and clearly form the centre core for the daily life of the Commissioner. It was patently obvious that Ottawa HQ is far from the land of operations and that "communications" is the God in front of which they all kneel. The transferring and movement of information is their primary product. In how and when they deliver this product of learned information is where they are awarded or chastised for the accuracy and flow of that information. They were and are constantly worried of the "media tracking negatively". They worry about their "reputational risk" and they talk about "pro-active communications versus reactive" as if written on stone tablets. In this case and in particular with the reference to the media release of the gun information, the communication "experts" in Ottawa did not trust the H Division communication "experts".
This whole story of Supt Campbell and his evidence of the meeting was butting up against the version of Commissioner Lucki and it completely originates from the Ottawa types being frustrated in their abilities to keep the "higher ups" in the loop about this headline dominating investigation. There was only one portion of the briefing which was needed by Mr. Blair and his office –their only interest was in using the the tragedy to politically further their gun legislation. There could be no other reason. Ms. Lucki was dismayed and expressed "frustration" that there were only three briefing notes in eight days. She went further and said by way of explanation that in her mind: "communications is as important as operational…". She has said previously, she is just a "messenger", she is not a "holder of information". The vital and central question is who is she a messenger for?
What was also illustrated is that Ottawa HQ, just like the Federal government at large is the land of deflection. It is practised amongst layers and layers of bureaucrats, making it difficult if not impossible to pinpoint any culprit and serving to obscure any politically sensitive information. Ms. Lucki in her testimony continually deferred to others, maybe legitimately, as the layers of Ottawa are infinite and confounding even to those living in this rarefied environment.
She was apparently unaware that her chief media person Tessier who continually reported to her, had sent an email to H Division Lia Scanlon saying prior to the press conference: "Please tell me Darren is going to talk about the guns…my phone is blowing up here". Ms. Lucki denied knowledge of any interest in this subject on the part of her press officer.
She could also not remember making a phone call, her one and only call ever to Chief Supt Chris Leather about the guns. "I don't recall that conversation" she said simply.
Deputy Commissioner Brennan had previously testified that he "likely" told Ms. Lucki some of the details about the guns as their offices were close, and he would have just have walked down the hallway to her office. Commissioner Lucki said that couldn't have happened because she was "working from home" on that day, as she was most days.
The threat of COVID clearly played a bigger role in the Ottawa environment than in the policing provinces where one always had to go to work. COVID was oft mentioned by Lucki. A ready-made excuse for her " not having sent her "Tiger Team" spin doctors to the scene in H Division which could have clearly helped to avoid the back and forth. She was "afraid we would bring COVID to Nova Scotia" was her reasoned decision.
This land of rehearsed un-accountability clearly was the reason for not taking notes at executive meetings. They are continually trying to avoid a detailed and therefore accessible written record of account. I have witnessed this in the corporate world and clearly it has enveloped the Ottawa mandarins. The meeting of April 28th was a glaring example. No one holding to the Lucki version of truth, all the Ottawa people took notes at this meeting. In H Division, C/Supt Campbell who comes from a background of operations took notes; the two fellow officers, Leather and Bergerman did not. Let's face it, the only reason that Chief Supt. Campbell has been allowed free rein in this instance is that he took those notes.
Ottawa is also the land of "subject matter experts". (Ms. Lucki confirmed she isn't one–she is just a messenger remember). Most of these experts are short of operational or hands on experience. This is a world full of courses, "hundreds" according to Ms. Lucki, and it is where "table top" exercises are their reality. In this testimony and in others one heard an awful lot about the "Critical Incident Response" training, courses and command centres all designed to fill in for and ameliorate experience and geographical knowledge. In this vein, Ms. Lucki who is head of the Firearms Program admits that she actually knows "nothing about firearms". Ottawa mandarins are the only ones who would understand this logic.
Lucki commended her employees and described them as "second to none in service delivery". Then we had to listen to the fact that the Goulay family, was never notified of their mother being killed, that the crime scene of her death went unattended and unsecured, and then the family went into the house after it was eventually searched, they found evidence that had been missed–a bullet casing no less. Lucki's response "I'm sorry that happened".
When asked as to why she didn't pick up the phone and call Lia Scanlon who had written the damaging letter calling her out on the April 28th meeting, she said that "I didn't want to effect her wellness plan".
When Lucki was asked about whether the police needed more education, higher academic standards such as the previous recommendation from another Commission, she said that she did not want to deter diverse applicants. "I'm trying to get people from Nunavut to join the RCMP" and better education "is a barrier". She then pointed out that they have changed the entrance exam in order to facilitate entry and allow for "life experience".
She talked about the lack of resources, an issue which has been around for decades, as if she had no control, but agreed that hiring for overtime was unsustainable and had a negative effect on the "work life balance".
The level of the resourcing in H Division at the time of the incident was only spoken about briefly, but there were some startling revelations. Only two dog officers in the Province. That they already had borrowed 30-50 officers from out of the Province to attend to the fishing dispute were a couple of the examples.
She was asked about the fact that contrary to Section 6 of the Code of Conduct and Section 9.2 of the Conflict of Interest guidelines it is pretty clear that you are not allowed to hire "immediate family members". When Chief Supt Janis Grey hired her husband retired Chief Supt John Robin or when CO Bergerman hired her husband Mike Butcher, also a retired Mountie, for the Issues Management Team for the Portapique commission she was asked if there were any consequences? No was the answer. Clearly Code of Conduct issues only apply to the low ranking members. It was often mentioned that Lucki is flying at 10,000 feet, above the details, therefore above reproach for any minutiae, so one would presume that the other high ranking officers are above the clouds as well, and they too are beyond reproach.
When asked if she thought that there should be some guidelines made up in terms of political interference, she felt that this was a good idea. Maybe a "mandate letter" she suggested which would explain the line in the sand to the incoming Commissioner and other officers. Are we to interpret this to mean that she could have had some needed guidance upon becoming Commissioner?
As she neared the end of her testimony she was asked about what recommendations she would be looking forward to from the Commission? Her profound response: "anything that will keep Canadians safe." This scholarly response is coming from the woman who is heading a 32,000 person agency; overseeing 169 policing contracts; and the criminal and Federal responsibilities for the vast majority of this country. One lawyer described the management structure of the RCMP now as an "incomprehensible web", "this big clump in the middle" of a very "dense management system".
This agency is crumbling in plain view and by any measurement, weighed down by indifference to its central and core goals, consumed by appearance and an adherence to political survival. Everyone in Ottawa holding hands like Thelma and Louise, somehow indifferent to the consequences. One should also not hold out hope that this socially sensitive victim centred Commission will be the guiding light to significant change. One can expect many references to "community policing", "counselling" and "coordination".
It is all very sad.
Photo courtesy of Flickr Commons – Nick Fewings- Some rights reserved
Posted in UncategorizedTagged Canada, Commissioner Lucki, Mass Casualty Commission, Portapique, RCMP, testimony5 Comments
A Psychophysiological Detection of Deception Examination ( for all Politicians )
Presumably the title grabbed your eye, and yes of course I am talking about the polygraph, or as it is often misnamed the "lie detector". I wrote a couple of blogs ago about not needing a polygraph for Commissioner Lucki, but this is in a different vein. This blog is about to propose a possible solution for a life long problem that we are and have been having with politicians. I can not take credit for this idea, since a friend of mine came up with it and and he proposed I write about it. He is a bit of a philosopher and has been stewing about this particular solution for a number of years. The simplicity of what he was suggesting, I will admit initially made me skeptical. Often times if something seems simple to me, it somehow seems less plausible.
The specific problem which we are about to try and rectify is this: we have reached a stage in this country and around the globe, where politicians universally, no matter what political stripe, are simply not trusted. That actually may be an under-statement, so let me re-state it. We have reached epidemic proportions of mistrust, exacerbated by the likes of Trump on the right and Canada's own Justin Trudeau on the left. We simply no longer believe them when they say something and they in turn seem confounded by the public questioning of their allegiances or motivations.
The public cynicism is of course well earned, the historic record speaks loudly and clearly. Politician after politician have been caught up in lies, or what they often refer to as "misstatements", "misdirections", or "misinterpretations" of what they actually intended to say. In Justin's case and to be fair in the cases of many others, it is clear many have committed outright lies. For instance some most recent examples include the statement that the police asked for the implementation of the Emergencies Act to deal with the bouncy castle convoy people? Or our dear Commissioner Lucki clearly lying about pressure put upon her by the Bill Blair crew. Do you remember Bill Clinton, Hillary dutifully by his side, turning to face the camera directly and with millions watching to say categorically : "I never had sex with that woman".
The suggestion being proposed is this. That all politicians while running or sitting in office have to submit to a polygraph test.
Now before we go any further, this writer does fully understand the negative issues surrounding the polygraph, which the U.S. Supreme Court said was no better than "flipping a coin in the air" in the detection of deception. They are right on one significant level. If one assumes that the polygraph in fact detects lies, it does not, as there is no measurable physiological reaction to lying. The polygraph which measures blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity has been deemed to be not a "scientifically credible test" to determine if someone is lying, and as a result it is not admissible in a criminal court of law in this country, or the United Sates. This was confirmed for Canadians by the Supreme Court of Canada in R vs. Beland.
The polygraph is flawed as a "scientific instrument", but if employed as an interview aid it can be a more than effective tool. It has therefore been accepted as a test in the hiring of employees engaged in sensitive positions for a number of years; agencies such as the FBI, NSA, and the CIA. Canadian police recruiters are often having the polygraph as a test prior to entry. It is a $2 billion industry in the U.S., the average cost of the test being about $700.00. It has been rumoured, but so far I have not been able to confirm, that the RCMP is doing away with the polygraph test for applicants to the RCMP. It seems that the Mounties who are having trouble getting recruits and getting them through training, are doing away with the polygraph admission for the very reason that they were failing too many of their applicants. (If this turns out to be true, the ramifications of this would necessitate a more in-depth examination)
So despite a general acceptance of it as an aid in screening persons in the field of employment; there is still some mixed application of the polygraph in terms of future employees. The Ontario government for instance has banned the use of polygraphs by an employer. (One has to wonder whether this came about as a result of the Ford brothers who dabbled in a little crack cocaine while in office, but that would be a little too suspicious on my part.) The polygraph can also be prejudiced, according to scientific testing, against those that are innocent. Finally, there are clear ways to beat it. In the United States, from 1945 to the present six Americans were found guilty of having committed espionage– all six had previously passed polygraph examinations.
Regardless of the apparent flaws and leaving aside all the naysayers, here again is the proposal. What if a political party and each of its candidates, prior to election, came out and stated that all their party candidates would take the polygraph, and furthermore, it would be in an open and public forum, and they would even provide the questions that were the subject of that polygraph. Additionally they would promise to share those results with the clear assumption that the tests are done by a fully accredited and impartial body.
How many candidates would survive that polygraph test would be the first question. But assume they survive, clearly the pressure would undoubtedly then fall to the other parties and their candidates to also comply and prove their worthiness for public office.
For those not experienced in the use and application of the polygraph process. The actual test is only about fifteen minutes long, but there is a lengthy preamble between the tester and the tested. In the lead-up to the test the interviewer would review the test questions, in order to establish a control question and a probable lie test. This sets the boundaries for the tested and an agreement is reached on the testing questions and the boundaries around them. After going through this process, five or six basic questions are agreed to and formulated and the test is administered.
In this theoretical proposal, what would the basic questions look like:
a) Is everything in your campaign literature and advertisements accurate?
b) Have you ever been a member of an extreme right or extreme left organization?
c) Have you ever cheated on your taxes?
Anyways, you get the picture. It would seem at first blush to not be a bad idea. In the Middle Ages they would pour boiling water over people they suspected of lying, the thinking being that an honest person would be able to stand and take the burning. So a polygraph is at least better than that methinks.
It would be an entertaining drinking game to go down the list of all these "honest" politicians now plying their wares in government and be able to bet (or drink) on the subsequent outcome of the test. There are some politicians that simply ooze that crooked instinct and would be an easy bet with two to one odds, where others may have a fifty-fifty wager. And there are those of you out there that believe that no politician could take and pass the test. Maybe that is true, I am not so sure, it may be a little harsh.
Will any slate of candidates take on this challenge? It seems unlikely, given that it is easier to let sleeping dogs lay, no sense stirring the pot only to find yourself in a un-retractable position. In the 1950's there was a show called Lie Detector TV which was hosted by Melvin Belli a famous defence counsel of that day. During his day Belli had won over $600 million in damages and defended Jack Ruby who had shot Lee Harvey Oswald, the killer of President Kennedy.
Maybe instead of an all candidates debate hosted by Rosie Barton lobbying softball questions, we could have the polygraph test results revealed. If the candidate failed they could get a chance to debate why they failed, or why the test came back as in-conclusive. We could find a host like the lawyer Marie Henien who could cross-exam them on their explanations. It would be binge-worthy television drama, maybe cringe-worthy would be a better description, but I think it would draw the ratings, and the CBC could finally find a replacement for "Schitt's Creek"– we could call this "Up the Creek".
I clearly digress, but maybe ask the question at the next all candidates meeting you attend as part of your civic duty, when each and every politician is expounding on how they are best to represent the people you say:
"Excuse me, Dear Sir or Madam, will you take a polygraph test when you say you will never raise taxes?"
I will volunteer to hook up the electrodes.
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Commons and the Internet Archive Book Images – Some Rights Reserved
Posted in UncategorizedTagged Barton, Bill Clinton, Commissioner Lucki, government, Hillary Clinton, lie detector, Marie Henien, melvin belli, Ontario, polygraph, RCMP3 Comments
Some Summer Mysteries for the beach…
As the dog days of summer loom, those lazy hazy days, when serene contemplation comes easily– there are a number of mysteries being forced into my thoughts. Well, maybe mysteries is a bit of an exaggeration, maybe things that just make you wonder, scratch your head, or raise that proverbial eyebrow.
So here is just a few of the sporadic items which have been somewhat interfering in my enjoyment of sunshine and warm breezes.
Yesterday, I was caught up in the story of PAD dogs being introduced to the Surrey RCMP. For those that don't know, PAD dogs are certified assistance dogs, for those suffering from mobility and PTSD issues, and are there to provide comfort. What struck me, as the PAD dogs have been around for victim services inside Surrey detachment since 2019, is that this press release says that the Mounties are looking forward to "welcome an assistance dog to support the wellness of our officers and Staff at Surrey Detachment". Maybe it's cynicism, maybe it's an old veteran looking at the modern world with weary eyes, but somewhere in the last few years the police have now become victims. Press officers are now lamenting on a regular basis the effect a particular case it is having on its officers. Are we to believe that the public when calling in for police assistance, no matter what the level and form of help is needed, now are dealing with persons more concerned about their own welfare? Do we not expect a level of professionalism, a form of detachment from the emotional, a calmness and directness or is everyone now just expecting a group hug, a mutual shoulder to cry on. Should our officers not be trained to expect and handle trauma as part of their job, should there not be an expectation and preparation for taking on duties that deal with the dark side of humanity? It's just a bit of a mystery to me where we are going with all this.
Recently the Vancouver City Police said that they did not have the resources to do the "clean sweep" of the downtown Eastside, which everyone knows has become a circus tent city of filth and despair; and it has grown to ridiculous proportions since the VPD took away their attendance to assist with the sanitation and fire department, who would go through the area and try to remove the garbage and buildup of drug infused detritus of the homeless. Up until now I always thought that keeping the peace and maintaining law and order was part of their job. Instead the VPD are apologizing for the trauma that they may have caused. Here is a news flash for the VPD executives– what you do as a police department is often trauma causing. This is while at the same time with their apparent diminished resources, the VPD are issuing press releases and photos of their officers patrolling the beaches in their uniforms and spiffy ATV's; no doubt in search of rowdy behaviour and illegal drinking. Another mystery but my guess is that the VPD are playing politics with the city council.
Speaking of first responders. How is that (and this is very city centric in view) the fire department is attending medical calls (70 % of their calls are now medical). They are attending in multi-ton trucks, blowing their air horns and attending Code 3 no matter what the level of medical call. While at the same time there are not enough ambulances and paramedics to attend calls. Why is it not obvious that if you took away even 50% of the budget and manpower of the fire departments, and gave it to the paramedics, we would be far better along? Believe it or not the fire department is now complaining about spending too much time waiting around for the ambulance to arrive. Mysterious indeed.
Millions of dollars have now been expended on the visit of the Pope, not to mention the trips to the Vatican for the Indigenous to press the Pope with the constant need for apologies. And why is the long list of apologies pried from the Pope, and every other level of politician and sycophant always the "first step to reconciliation"? Is there ever going to be a "second step"? Is the $2-4 billion Olympic bid (without the approval of the city by referendum by the way) the "second step" to reconciliation? Also a bit of a mystery that will likely never be answered.
Can someone, anyone, explain to me why the City of Vancouver, which is basically broke, has the resources to join a futile and probably frivolous class action law suit, contributing $700,000 taxpayer dollars to go up against the oil companies. This suit is designed to force the oil companies to pay for any city costs associated with "climate change". Throwing money into the wind may not be a mystery, this may be just stupidity.
Why is that we have a climate "crisis", a covid virus "crisis", a housing "crisis" along with a homeless "crisis" but not an "inflation" crisis? Inflation is at 6% in this country, if measured generously, which will cause immense economic devastation in its many forms. Yet, we don't seem to be overly concerned other than the surface reporting of the price of gas and a bag of groceries. Its effect on government debt, on static or fixed incomes seems for the most part to be given little attention. The overall negative effects it is going to have on this country, long and short term and on productivity is obvious. A mystery as to why there are not protests in the streets.
How is it that climate change is blamed for every heat wave, every forest fire, and large rainfall? Scientifically of course it is just not possible to determine that daily fluctuations in the weather are all attributable to climate change, at least not without years of comparative study. Have you not noticed that the temperature new records are beating, by half a degree are records from the 1960's or the early 1900's? Is the consistent chant of climate change, working to alter scientific perception and analyses?
The latest health disaster is the monkeypox. At the time of this writing there were 957 cases across the country. That translates into a percentage of .00258 cases in Canada. Something that has to be taken seriously for sure, but should it be garnering the attention of every headline writer across Canada is one question? But what is mysterious is the lack of honesty in the reporting of the most common victims of it, because the government is worrying about "stigmatizing" the primary effected group, which is gay men. In fact the city of Montreal is advising those in the gay community to get the vaccine, rather than "limiting the number of people they have sex with". Why is the government and the press suborning the facts, why are they reluctant to report? Have we gone so far down the road of not being offensive that we don't report the facts, even when it is claimed as a world wide health crisis? It can only make you wonder about all health reporting. Have the Covid Stats been altered to serve a government agenda? It does make you question at the very least.
There are news reports that Kelowna detachment is running with a vacancy of about 40% which they are trying to deal with by calling on those outside the detachment and a weekly call goes out to Reserve officers. The fact that the RCMP is suffering shortages throughout every Province under contract policing is well known as the degeneration has been going on year after year for a decade. That is not much of a mystery, the officers have been complaining about the police to population ratio reaching catastrophic numbers, since the 1990's. The solution is long term, there is no short term cure, and the population will have to bear up despite motherhood statements coming from the executive suites in the RCMP. The mystery is how this now unionized force and its representatives in the National Police Federation are not screaming heatedly from the rooftops. They have put out the odd press release about staffing levels, but clearly their primary focus is the losing fight to keep the RCMP in Surrey and their concern about the rumblings of a Provincial police force in Alberta. It is mysterious how this most serious issue is not front and centre at every media opportunity.
Of course there are multiple mysteries that come out of the Federal Government on a regular basis. Today, the unions of Ottawa and Federal offices around the country are spitting mad that they may actually have to go back to the work site. We have also learned that the Federal government, after 2 1/2 years of working from home, have no consistent plan across all departments for them to go back to work. even on a part time basis. The union heads are worried about "safety issues" under the "9th wave" of Covid. The mystery is how we, in the rest of the country put up with it.
So you can easily see that there are many other mysteries worth reading at the beach as you adjust the sand out of your shorts, but these were just a few that came into mind. Did you hear that Kim Kardashian has broken up with Pete Davidson? Nobody would have predicted that, quite a mystery as they were clearly madly in love. Or you can try and figure out why we are being inundated with thousands of pictures of Ben Affleck and J Lo as they clearly pose on their honeymoon and wonder why the hell anyone would care?
You could try and figure out why Commissioner Lucki has not resigned. One would have thought that anyone with a modicum of pride would have stepped aside by now.
You could try and figure out who is Justin Trudeau's barber.
If you are up for a greater challenge, you could even try and figure out the ArriveCan app, and why Canadians are willing to give up all their personal information to the government to safeguard; the same government whose privacy and computer skills sent $26 million in payments to the wrong bank accounts.
Better yet, we can try and figure out why my hair only grows on the side of my head, in my ears, and in my nose, but not on the top of my head. Now, there is a mystery worth solving.
Enjoy the rest of the summer.
Photo courtesy of Ralph Daily via Flickr Commons – Some rights Reserved
It's Time to get to the Children
Like most of the general public last May 2021, when there was an announcement by the Tk'emlups te Seccwepmc band that they had "discovered", through the use of ground radar, 215 "unmarked graves", I was taken aback, and a little confused. How is this possible, how could they have gone un-detected for so long?
In a few short days, the discovery and the original news reports began morphing and transitioning, building to a crescendo of evermore outlandish and suspicious headlines. The "unmarked graves" quickly turned into "mass graves". The allegations captured news eyes from around the world and the international headlines began to follow suit. One of the first, the prestigious New York Times, the liberal media conscious of the United States, reported on the "mass graves" that had been found on the Kamloops Residential school grounds.
The use of the terminology "mass" graves is a tricky one. In most peoples minds and in the current lexicon, it infers criminal activity, the nefarious and clandestine disposal of bodies. It conjures up, in this case, the horrific image of children meeting a brutal and homicidal end. As the months have now turned into a year most of that which was an implied– all those reports that had stirred the loud voices –turns out to be inaccurate and much less than the reports had suggested.
Terry Glavin writing for the National Post, in a recent and well researched article dated May 26th of this year, wrote about the extent and breadth of the misperception. He puts the responsibility for the exaggeration and the inflammatory headlines squarely at the feet of the National press. It was the press he argues that turned the headlines even contrary to the original press releases that had been issued by the various bands at the time. As an example, the Kamloops Band initially spoke of bodies "buried on site", and it was the press, both television and print, who began to twist the wording to one that was more suitable for them and the headline writing editors. As Glavin points out time has now shown that there was "no mass murder", "no evidence of mass murder" and "no evidence of concealment". In fact for those children that died there, they were not returned to their original home for the rather mundane reason of it being a "cost-saving measure"; not to hide what had gone on.
The repercussions and the political and social media churn after the reported "discovery" moved into high gear, and the Liberals who clearly govern by headline could not wait to be seen as pre-eminent keepers of our social and political conscious. They wanted to play to their constituency. Canada Day was cancelled and the flags were put to half-mast for over five months. Apologies were demanded and received, tears flew out of the eyes of every politician standing in front of a bank of microphones. None dared to question even the slimmest of facts. Investigative journalism was non-existent.
The secondary results of the outrage, the burning of churches, the toppling of statues, and the bellicose demands for "reconciliation" reached a fevered pitch. Every news report had to include the tears of the Indigenous elders, stories of torture and abuse, and had to decry "colonization". It was the accepted script. As the words and terminology ramped up, the term "genocide" began to gain acceptance in liberal circles. It turned out to be a step too far, and it was then that some push back began. Including the residential schools with the likes of Auschwitz was beyond the pale, even for the fringe. Somewhat un-deterred "genocide" changed into the more acceptable "cultural genocide".
What was really discovered of course, was "undocumented deaths".
This is not to deny that the endemic deaths of children, especially in the late 19th century were at unfathomable levels, some estimates reaching 20% of the children who had attended the schools. They were in fact dying of malnutrition, tuberculosis, and influenza. The conditions were deplorable at the schools run by the Churches but the deaths were "not a surprise". In fact 100 years ago, the Department of Indian affairs head resigned because of the number of deaths from tuberculosis, in his mind had reached unsupportable levels.
The conditions at the schools has in point of fact been exhaustively explored for decades: inquiries, public hearings, criminal cases, settlements and Federal investigations. The largest and now most pointed to was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada; which ran for over seven years, from 2008-2015.
In that report, using the numbers that they produced, the following was revealed for the years 1890-1969:
3,021 are listed as being "undocumented deaths" and there is no record of 1391 of those children. 832 died in schools, 418 died at home, 427 in hospital, 90 in non-school situations, and 43 died in a sanatorium.
But, looking at the facts would have tapped down the rhetoric. Rarely does anything get in the way of this Liberal Federal government or in the Provincial political corridors when there is an opportunity to make political statements of empathy. They are all apologists to the core. It plays well. The unglued Indigenous Minister at the time, Carolyn Bennett expressed hope that the finding of the graves would be a "catalyst" like "George Floyd". Again the inherent implication was that these children were killed.
Since that time, billions of dollars are being spent in one form or another for the "survivors" who suffered at the hands of those who ruled that "white supremacist, colonial settler state". Two billion dollars in reparations to survivors, a $10,000 "common experience payment" to the 90,000 or so current survivors, an additional $3000 per year for every year they went, and over $200 million for funding "healing and education programs". That was in 2006.
In 2019 there was a class action suit launched for those that attended day school, returning home everyday after school. That allowed for those survivors to be paid between $10,000 and $200,000 depending on the level of "abuse" claimed. Recently in a third suit settlement, "survivors" and "descendants of survivors" who died before May 30, 2005 can now also apply for compensation.
I will admit as being one who has always been confused how monies and the payment of monies to grandchildren for instance, somehow "reconciles" historical wrong doing but suffice to say that the price for any wrong doing seems to have at the very least been paid and paid in full.
Now, according to Chief Rosanne Casimir of Kamloops, commenting on the one year anniversary says that they have now entered into a new "phase". The lead investigative group for this matter is now the Band itself, the Mounties there to give "support" only. Even with that said, a debate continues as to whether the bodies should be exhumed at all.
"The remains are there, what more proof do they want" exemplifies that thinking.
All this is of course a tacit admission that this is not as originally inferred a "crime scene". Chief Casimir now describes it as an "exhumation to memorialization". The focus is now to find "evidence of remains and link them to their home communities". Ever so quietly they now seem resigned to the fact that the findings to date do not meet the criteria of anything bordering on a mass grave. The RCMP have already said that they have opened a file, but they are not actively investigating, clearly believing from the outset that this was not a crime scene. Garry Gotfriedson, a "survivor", and head of the Committee, is even quoted as saying "all of us that attended the schools already knew that they (the bodies) were there".
So the headlines that bounced around the world have now come full circle. The remains of these children have gone from being a symbol of a Church led criminal conspiracy to becoming a political lever, pawns in the game of "reconciliation", pawns elicited to generate legal apologies. The deaths of children by some form of criminal behaviour is almost unthinkable but it is those thoughts and inferences which are now being used in various political arenas. Translating this narrative to various forms of reconciliation is the base of every political and economic Indigenous demand. It is unseemly. It should be criticized, not condoned.
Despite the recent announcements there is no current timeline on the exhumation of the bodies which is unlikely to yield little if any evidence of criminality or wrong-doing. Everyone knows that. They also know that the story will be reconstituted when that exhumation process begins (if ever) and that the results could actually water down the current political Liberal accepted narrative.
A thirteen person "committee" has been assigned by the Kamloops band to oversee the exhumation; the first stage being the "oral telling by elders who survived the school". They will then use that information to begin collecting DNA from those survivors to try and identify the children remains.
"There is no manual for us to follow, so we are taking things slowly" said the Chair of the Committee Gottfriedson.
It is only after that stage will they begin to exhume and "only at that point will forensic archeologists and archivists begin their work."
He estimated that the first stages "will take years" and the ever present caveat that the Federal government must fund the entire multi-year operation.
Is the process being prolonged and forecast into many of years to come intentional? Or is it due to a need to control the narrative? They are impolite questions to be sure. But the Indigenous need to be held to some form of accountability, both to the makeup and conduct of the investigation and its eventual outcome. Reporting on those findings and being questioned as to the process is also part of that expectation.
The grieving has to be subsumed and the political staging replaced by the real need to get to the children. At the very least you could give them back their dignity and their identity in their deaths.
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Commons by GotoVan – Some rights reserved
Posted in UncategorizedTagged chief rosanne casimir, discovery, indigenous, kamloops, mass graves, National post, residential schools, survivors, terry glavin, unmarked graves3 Comments
"Given what we had…"
This simple, semi-apologetic phrase, has become the background theme weaving through all the testimony at the Portapique "Mass Casualty Commission" in Nova Scotia.
I have written previously about the Commission and the obvious misgivings which had surfaced after the government tried to review the twenty-two deaths in private. The government was deaf to the mass of public sentiment, did not predict the hue and cry and accusations of cover-up, but reluctantly in the end, gave in to its now current public format. But again, this was only after being pilloried in the press by the victim families.
It is indeed a compelling story, but one laden with unfathomable and uncomfortable sadness, and the government was clearly reluctant to tell it. That reluctance is still there, reflected in the current set-up of the Commission who is casting a gauzy lens over the testimony. This is a watered down version of what normally constitutes an "inquiry" in the way it is structured, the way it accepts evidence, and the mind-set of the Commission members themselves.
It was predicted then and it seems to be coming to fruition now, that what happened in Portapique was both an abhorrent event, and an aberration; a set of circumstances that is not likely to repeat itself on any regular basis, and a series of events that most police officers through the course of their careers will likely never encounter and likely never anticipate.
The circumstances were unique but the police response as it is unfolding before the Commission points to the "system" and "structure" issues which have been plaguing the RCMP for many, many years. Could it have been be done differently, surely, nothing is ever perfect. Some would and could argue that there were no apparent problems in the police response, that they did the best with "what they had". Before one delves into the possible problems in the police response, there are some other just as pertinent observations after watching several hours of testimony.
First and foremost, there is the Commission structure itself, which in this "inquiry" is clearly more an exercise in victim identification and the proffering of support more than a need to discern facts. The very name "Mass Casualty" seems to suggest something less than the horrific killing spree it actually turned out to be. The hushed hearing room tones, the condolences, prayers, tears, group hugs, all permeate the atmosphere of the Commission and all of those that come before it. The police, as is apparently the accepted belief in these times are now being included as victims. Unable to recover from having seen, heard or participated in that night of a thousand hours. Broken and deformed by violence, bodies laying on driveways, houses and cars in flames around them providing the only light. A never ending and surreal series of scenes fitting of a Pekinpah movie. However, when everyone is a victim, where does one turn, where is there any room for self-examination?
Is this Commission trying to expose or is it trying to ameliorate the circumstances. Are we trying to learn from the incident or simply trying to provide support and counsel. And that is where this Commission begins to shred, caught between the dichotomy of grief for all versus victim rage. The Commission espouses a "trauma informed approach", clearly currently less interested in pointing a finger than giving a hug. This may work for those observing and for those support groups that surface endlessly when tragedy strikes. The problem is that it is not what the families of those slain want.
This approach has resulted in the Commission allowing group or panel testimony, remote video testimony, and declarations of fact that have been pre-determined by Commission investigators prior to the hearings. The Commission has ruled that police officers or witnesses with "bona fide wellness concerns" need to be accommodated –and should therefore not have to withstand the usual rigors of cross-examination by the lawyers of the victim families.
As a result, the families of the victims have now decided to boycott the hearings. From any viewpoint this could not be considered a good look or outcome for the Commission.
It has been announced that the Commission has decided that the evidence of Andy OBrien and Brian Rehill will be pre-recorded over Zoom; and only Commission counsel will be able to ask them questions. There is no reason given, as this of course is private medical or psychological information. S/Sgt Brian Rehill was the Risk Manager working in the Operations Centre when this file was generated. Sgt Andrew O'Brian was the Operations NCO for Bible Hill Detachment, the detachment which encompasses Portapique. Both these persons clearly played key roles and should under normal inquiry or civil circumstances be cross-examined. That said both could very well be suffering from psychological trauma. And therein lies the investigative dilemma.
S/Sgt Bruce Briers did testify and was the officer who took over from Rehill in the Operations Center at 0700 am the following morning. Briers testimony was concise, compelling, rational, and at times emotional. His early service was spent in Labrador and Newfoundland, once a polygraph operator and at the time of the Portapique incident had spent four years in the Risk Managers role. His responses to questions were professional and honest. Briers, became emotional when talk became what could have been done to prevent the whole disastrous set of circumstances– when he reflected back on what the community could have done prior to the incident.
In the hours of testimony that has been watched to date, suffice to say that all the officers testifying came across well and well-intentioned. They were honest in saying that night they were doing the best they could with "given what they had". There was exasperation and futility expressed in some of their answers, and sometimes outright anger, that the system and the structure of the RCMP in their operations is flawed and that night mass confusion and exasperation had resulted in a delayed and confused response.
Again, not the fault of the officers involved, as Briers testified, they were being fed a fire hose of information that was being funnelled through a garden hose. The picture as told by Briers, by Cpl Mills the ERT commander, by Jeff West and Kevin Surette the Critical Incident Commanders, and by others was one where there was problems trying to establish a clear line of command, no unified reporting structure, and insufficient resources –all of which worked to the advantage of a mad man, a denturist, who in high school wanted to be a cop (according to a source), but now just wanted to kill.
These types of problems and issues of disconnect have all been heard before, through other inquiries, other Coroner's inquests, and assorted criminal trials in one form or another over several years. All of course with the benefit of honed 20/20 hindsight. Too many in "command" working from an assortment of unconnected software programs that when the crisis hit and stopped being a "table top" exercise it distilled down to paper charts and felt markers and a flukey run-in with the killer at a gas station.
For years the RCMP has covered under-funding, inexperience, and under-resourcing with a series of one-off solutions. They add layers and layers of supervision as a form of compensation for inexperience and sporadic training. If the experience or skill set is not there, give a course or a webinar to cover it off. Centralize, de-centralize and the integration of resources have all been initially prompted by a need to cover off a fundamental shortfall, whether it be in resourcing or experience.
Software and technology as part of the communication and reporting systems has proven no different. The inability to orchestrate uniformity has led to multiple systems; CAD, PROS, CIIDS, MWS, and Pictometry. Municipal forces don't necessarily share with the Federal force, and some RCMP Provinces are different from other RCMP Provinces. As an example, Halifax city police use Versadex instead of PROS or PRIME to report. Therefore for Portapique, the RCMP had no direct access to the Halifax file information. Layers of software programs, multiple data bases, multiple avenues to access, none of them synthesized into one coherent product.
Then add a radio communication system that is not capable of being 100% effective, dead spots, no cellular coverage. The original attending members excited, shouting without pre-announcing themselves, protocols always forgotten in the mad need to be heard.
Jeff West and Kevin Surette were the "Critical Incident Commanders" assigned to the file. A "scribe" for the Commander was assigned as protocol dictated. They were both from out of the area, in fact Surette was a 2 or 3 hour drive from Portapique. Suffice to say they had no personal or direct knowledge of the geographic area of Portapique.
The Critical Incident Commanders have their own command triangle and falling under them is the ERT team, and the Crisis Negotiation Team. After ERT comes the uniform officers, the General Investigation Section and the Major Crime Units. It was at 10:42 pm that S/Sgt Halliday the Acting Operations Officer calls for ERT and the Critical Incident Team. As the calls went out, others now got involved on the periphery, and included, the District Commander, the District Policing Officer, and the District Advisory NCO (the "Danco") S/Sgt Addie MacCallum. A call to Air Services in Moncton tells them that the helicopter is "unavailable". Of course.
For a number of years now, all of policing management has fallen in love with the term and idea of a "Command Centre". The bigger the event the more Command Centers. (As an example, during the Olympics there were no less than three Command Centers)
Often they are large trucks, RV's and the like, all suitably emblazoned with the logos and community minded sponsors. Or they pick a community hall, a firehall to accommodate the sure to be descending legion of experts and expertise. In this case they chose the Great Village Firehall (they had initially picked the Bass River Firehall but then realized it was in the "hot zone" and had to change locations).
The Critical Incident team arrives at the Firehall at 0100 hrs, more than two hours after the initial call. They initiate their "critical incident package". In the beginning they are working off portable radios, awaiting a base station to arrive, and in fact often have to stand beside a window so that they have radio coverage. Their planning and tracking tool consists of a series of white boards and felt markers or as Commission counsel likes to refer to as "The Boards". They have no laptop with them.
The ERT team first goes to the Command Post. The Critical Incident commanders worry about needing to make a firm radio announcement that they are now "in command". There seems to be much confusion on the air waves at this point, one frustrated officer pointedly asks "who is in command here?".
The Critical Incident Command strategy comes from their training in "SMEAC". Situation, Mission, Execution, Administration and Command. This is police operational manual and acronym strategy at its finest, and this stuff makes most operational police officers ears hurt and eyes water. It makes sense in a classroom and rarely translates to efficiency.
Of course, none of this is the fault of the officers involved, West and Surette were doing what they were taught, it is what they are told is the latest thinking in a time of crisis, it is part and parcel of the "National Course Standards" after all.
It is clear that the whole mobile command centre structure needs to be re-thought. Is it time for a fully suited-up command centre that is available on a permanent basis, one equipped with all the technology and a set of unified technology programs?
Secondly, one needs to get rid of all of the supervisors. The operational triangle, with uniform at the base is now upside down. It is top heavy, bureaucratic, inflated, all at the expense of the base which is the front line. The uniforms, the actual first responders need to be made into the priority, the heavy end of the hammer, where the most experienced and skilled are promoted, reside and prosper. The supervisors or those that need to be in control in these type of situations needs to be pushed down to the lowest level, no different than the theory of quick response developed under Columbine.
Gabriel Wortman came to an end, because he ran out of gas in the stolen vehicle he was driving; and because of some keen observations and commendable actions of a dog man and an ERT member, Ben MacLeod and Craig Hubley who were travelling together, and had also stopped for gas. Hours and hours of terror came to an end about twenty seconds later.
Wortman was not stopped by the structure or the organization that had been put in place to apprehend him. He was stopped by luck and coincidence. Cpl Mills of the ERT team in testimony called it a "broken organization". He was referring to the treatment of his team members after the incident, but he just as easily could have been referring to resourcing, communication systems or the organizational structure impediments.
Once again, look to the top if one wants to assign blame, not to the men and women working the shifts.
Photo courtesy of Flickr Commons by Chester902 – Some Rights Reserved.
Posted in UncategorizedTagged Ben Macleod, Bible Hill, Bruce Briers, CAD, Cpl Mills, Craig Hubley, Critical Incident Command, ERT, Gabriel Wortman, given what we had, Halifax PD, Jeff West, Kevin Surette, Mass Casualty Commission, Nova Scotia, Portapique, RCMP, S/Sgt Addie MacCallum, S/Sgt Brian Rehill, S/Sgt Halliday, Sgt Andrw Obrian, victims boycott5 Comments
Policing in Canada's LaLa Land
Hitting the headlines in the past couple of weeks was the fact that the NDP led government of British Columbia released a report by the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act , dated April 2022, entitled "Transforming Policing and Community Safety in British Columbia".
Fairly or unfairly, most times these types of reports receive little or no attention. This report by ten MPP's seemed to garner headlines for two primary reasons; one being that both of the current political parties produced a bi-partisan report in a rare act of consensus; the implication being that this report could therefore actually result in action. Secondly, it was news because one of its eleven recommendations was that the currently contracted RCMP should be replaced as the Provincial level police force.
It is still a government report of course, so it will likely atrophy on those always burgeoning government shelves. Especially a report with especially grand recommendations. Even In the body of this ninety-six page report they state that enactment of their recommendations will take: "many years and successive parliaments to enact". So if you are a bettor, bet the under, as the odds of retaining the political attention of successive governments are not good.
In terms of full disclosure, few of you who on occasion read this blog would be shattered to learn that there is a belief, that this once proud organization is structurally flawed and needs to be re-built. Nothing less than a tear down– if there is to be any hope of reformative change. If that is not possible, unlikely, or more accurately never undertaken, then there is little cogent argument against having the RCMP replaced in the Province of BC or any other contracted Province.
This current proposed structural re-alignment is not the first time that this has either been proposed. So no one should be shocked by a recommendation of this kind.
What is shocking is an actual reading of this report reveals some clear and deeply flawed assertions, some mis-held perspectives and is more a reflection of "woke" in-breeding than thoughtful contemplation.
What is truly appalling is the recommendations in this report which are not being talked about. Recommendations which are aimed at totally altering the policing structure in this province to the benefit of a single favoured political group. Even though they state that the goal was to work towards "modernization and sustainability", the flaw and subjective bias in this report is revealed quickly at the very beginning of this report.
In their words there is a need to determine the "scope of systemic racism with policing agencies" and that their study must be "consistent with the United Declarations of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples". Their underlining principle therefore is formed around the "increasing widespread awareness of systemic racism in policing…(therefore) transformal change is required". This is of course a perspective that those in policing circles, if brave enough, would categorically dispute. Unfortunately, police leadership in this country are proving themselves to be sheep not shepherds.
To be fair one can not accuse this committee of not spending a great deal of time listening (and tax dollars) in the pursuit of their truth. They list over four hundred and ten agencies and individuals who came before them over the course of eighteen months. Predictably, there were the usual organizations, those that seem to appear before every committee: Civil Liberties, social workers, Downtown Eastside Women's centre with a group called "Red Women Rising", numerous Indian bands throughout the Province, Pivot Legal Society, and even the University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre .
The police were also more than adequately represented: the RCMP, the Chiefs of Police, various Municipal police agencies, Vancouver City Police, the Pacific Training Centre, Depot Division of the RCMP, Nelson Police Department, and the list goes on. One has to wonder what these policing groups thought of the final report and whether it reflected their views in any semblance.
This smorgasbord of agencies and individuals led the committee to come up with eleven recommendations based on hearing "clear evidence of systemic racism in policing as well as the colonial structure of police services". Ironically, they also heard that many of the Indigenous communities were both "over-policed and under served" –all in the same breath.
The "clear evidence" of systemic racism is a little more difficult to find in the report. There were muddled explanations of that evidence, such as the one by the Human Rights Commissioner who found there were "patterns of behaviour..that create and maintain the power of certain racial groups over others". How one patterns the entire report on a presumption, without definitive evidence of the underlying premise, is manifestly frustrating.
The police agencies appearing before the Committee, with little doubt talked about things such as service delivery, oversight, accountability, and funding. There was talk of the mental health and addiction issues, and the recommendations coming from that part of the world are also highly predictable. More resources, more funding.
So what are the Eleven recommendations? They are listed here as they appear in order in the report. I paraphrase them here, in the interest of brevity.
Leading the recommendations, first and foremost, is not the creation of a Provincial Police force but:
That the Indigenous have direct input into the structure and governance of police services. The Indigenous need to be involved in the drafting of a revised Police Act.
The Indigenous clearly have now garnered a special advisory relationship in all matters of government whether it be pipelines, the environment, climate change, or lumber and mining, and this now continues into policing. Special laws and special courts already exist, and now their wish is for their own police departments. Their claimed expertise seems limitless. On page 64 of the report, they go even further in that there was a need to "establish robust and well-funded Indigenous civilian police oversight bodies…in all jurisdictions"
2. The formation of a BC wide Provincial Police Force.
This is explained as now being needed primarily because of the "fragmentation" of services. The report authors also point to the needs of of consistent education and training and the sometimes jurisdictional boundaries which interfere with communication and that consistency.
3. That the Indigenous have direct input into their police "service structure and governance".
What the authors imagine is that the Indigenous be allowed to have their own self-administered policing services as well as the full governance over those services.
This recommendation also includes a revision of the type of training and education that will be required for all police services. In effect extending programs such as "Circle of Understanding". In anticipation of this being a successful venture they hypothesize that the Indigenous police services may be able to expand and offer up their services to other non-Indigenous neighbourhoods and jurisdictions who are in close proximity. Logistically just to be clear, in this Province there are 13 municipal departments, and 65 RCMP municipal agencies. There are 198 "distinct First Nations". Does that mean a potential 198 new police departments? (One wonders how one points to an apparent problem of the fragmentation of police services in the province and then recommends further fragmentation.)
The Indigenous want to be involved in oversight to "observe and oversee in (all) cases involving Indigenous peoples".
4. That there be some revision of the Mental Health Act which includes integrating Mental Health worker attendance into the 911 dispatch system. They also recommend that there be "increasing investment in social services".
5. That there be "equitable access to high quality police…" …which is "informed by the community". It is not real clear as to what this even means.
6. An equitable shared "funding Model".
7. Police Education to be increased.
8. The need to collect and report "disaggregated race-based" demographics. This is interesting because for a number of years, questions directed as to race involvement in crime were in and of themselves discriminatory. The intention here is that if they gather this disaggregated evidence they will be able to prove that there is racial inequality in the enforcement of laws in this Province.
9. Civilian oversight. Not easily done but difficult to argue against and most police officials would counter by saying that there is already policing/civilian oversight.
10. Review of the Mental Health Act.
11. The establishment of an all-party standing committee on policing and community safety.
Of course this report is much more effusive under each of these categories, but you get the intended direction.
The National Police Federation are already out on the hustings, running countering media spin, no doubt apoplectic at the thought of their union representation taking a 4,000 member hit if in fact a Provincial Force was formed. They are reverting to their tried and true arguments, calling the recommendation a "little odd" and a "little premature". After all they say they have done "waves and waves of independent research in policing in British Columbia, and consistently British Columbians have told us they were very satisfied with policing they receive from the RCMP". Of course it is not independent research, but that may be nitpicking, but they too are missing the point. This is not about individual police officers being liked or doing a good job. This is about the structure of an Ottawa headed police force being inert and ineffectual in terms of its ability to police portions of this country.
The possibility of a Provincial replacement force, first surfaced in 1994 under Judge Wally Oppal. It has now surfaced a couple of decades later, and will likely re-re- surface again a couple of decades from now. There is little need to concern ourselves with this recommendation.
As to the other recommendations. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the government would review the report and its recommendations and consult with "community groups" and "First Nation leaders". Apparently you as the actual police, have no input here as to the recommendations.
This report is another ridiculous and over bearing attempt by the government to genuflect to the dialogue of the enlightened, to bow to a special interest group, regardless of the actual needs of policing. It would establish a fragmented policing structure, where different laws and different levels of enforcement would create two separate classes of individuals, laws and their enforcement based on race, not on equality before the law.
This report should be buried on the very last shelf in the dingy basement of the Legislature.
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Commons by Stuart Butterfield – Some Rights Reserved
Posted in UncategorizedTagged committee on reforming the police act, governance, indigenous, mental health act, mike farnworth, NDP, police structure, provincial police, public safety minister, RCMP, systemic racism, transforming policing, Wally Oppal1 Comment
Oh…Lighten up!
Posted on May 5, 2022 by Pete Cross
This is an admittedly delicate subject. In fact, there are few topics in this broad wide world which engender more rancorous discourse and will inevitably lead to someone being termed "harsh" or "unfair." This is a subject not broached in respectful company, especially in this era of hand wringing sensitivity.
I am speaking about the problem of obesity. In particular, the problem of obesity among police officers.
The fat burning question is: are there some police officers who are too "fat" for the job? It's a question that is clearly part of a bigger question –whether police need to be in premium shape in order to fulfill their duties. If one assumes that there is a physical element to the job, and there is no convincing evidence that upper management in the RCMP concede this; this seems like an easy question to answer.
What prompted this broad question is a policy which has been instituted, in of all places, the State of Texas, the Lone Star State of big vistas and big state boundaries. The people who run the Texas Rangers, a very well-regarded police agency we should add, has now come out and dared to go where others fear to tread. They in essence have implemented a "chubby list" –for want of a better term. They are apparently now prepared to shame some of their officers into maintaining certain health and fitness standards and have drawn a line in the sand. If not met, the officers could ultimately face suspension.
Before people start writing to this blog in protest, the least we should do is explore this policy that has been implemented.
The Department of Public Safety for the state of Texas oversees the Texas State Troopers. The "Troopers" are about 4,000 officers strong and are spread throughout the state. The Department is implementing these guidelines because they feel, and have concluded that part of a police officers job is to have a "command presence". In other words you must look the part, as it commands respect and cooperation and therefore enables one to do their job better.
As much as we hate to admit it, one would think that most police officers would agree that this is in fact the case. Someone who is overweight, or sloppy in their appearance will seemingly not get the street respect often needed to control or coerce, rightly or wrongly; it just seems to be a fact. There have been psychological studies which in fact back up this theory and of course it is also true outside of policing in the "real" world.
So what the Department of Public Safety has dared to do was state that male officers must have a waist line of 40″ or under, and a female officer must have a stated waistline of 35″. I should say in terms of full disclosure, after 34 years in policing, the last ten years of my service meeting this standard would have been a real struggle. With middle age the downward spiral inevitably begins, or that's what most would blame- it couldn't possibly be the two in the morning hamburgers or muffins.
Now, we should also point out that the Department has allowed for exceptions to the rule, so it is on a bit of a sliding scale which takes into consideration; height, weight and levels of body fat. When they reviewed all their officers, 213 failed the test, a mere 5.3%. Of those 213 only two had failed the original fitness test and therein lies the rub and the argument.
Nevertheless, the officers that couldn't meet the girth guidelines have until December 1, 2023 to slim down. Until then, they will be barred from promotion, lose any overtime opportunities, and could be re-assigned. If they is no final compliance layoffs could follow. They will all have counsellors available who will put them on less sugar diets and will encourage and teach them how to avoid fast foods. All of it geared of course, to a goal of solid physical conditioning and a healthier lifestyle. All of those involved must document their progress and be prepared to share their health records.
Of course there are protests. In 2019 the Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association launched a lawsuit describing the terms of the policy "arbitrary" and "unfair to women". The lawsuit was dismissed, but only because at that date and time nobody had actually lost their job over not meeting these conditions. (One would have thought that the lawyers for the Association could have pointed this out in the beginning). Arbitrary of course means random and unpredictable, which doesn't seem to apply, the rules are pretty black and white and addressed to all, and all levels of management. I am assuming the "unfairness to women" is being argued due to the vagaries of child birth etc., which seems somewhat legitimate, but maybe not totally.
Clearly, there are holes in the policy as currently being reported, but unfortunately we do not have the full policy in front of us. As an example, a 5'2″ female with a 34″ waistline would likely be termed obese in normal measurement standards, but in this instance they would they meet the guidelines? How would that work? Again, we aren't privy to all the vagaries of their current measurement system.
An interesting question is could we imagine a similar policy in Canada?
When this blogger was beginning his career with the Mounties in the late 1970's and stationed in J Division (New Brunswick) there was a "fatty list". And admittedly, some wore the designation with a tinge of pride. Those on the list were determined to be overweight and given a time line to get rid of their expanding bellies. Of course, like a lot of Mountie human resource mandates, there was no enforcement or follow thru, and the policy just died on the vine, never to be heard of again. Even back then, in those now archaic times, management did not have the fortitude to take on this subject.
Nowadays all police agencies demand that one pass a fitness test to gain entry. That is routine and standard. The "PARE" is the Mountie grind it out rite of passage, and all the other police departments seem to have similar tests to get in.
Once in the rank though one is free to take part in any smorgasbord or buffet that comes before you. Oh sure there are physicals every few years, but no one seems to be called up for being overweight. (Covid should have proven to us that obesity is a significant medical condition so one wonders how doctors overlook this, or more precisely ignore it in terms of one's ability to do the job.)
The only real negative for being out of shape, other on a personal level, is that over time you may be forced to re-order uniforms at your expense to cover your waistline. Casual observation leads one to believe that having to buy new uniform every few years or so doesn't seem to have been much of a deterrent.
The poor Mounties in terms of their looks are already behind the eight ball. The Mountie uniform has to be considered one of the ugliest in the policing universe, khaki on blue with a yellow stripe would only be something that could be approved by people who did not need to wear it. If you have a larger than normal circumference, then you throw on that bullet proof vest over top, with notebooks, pens, and assorted papers and you have quite a sight that is sure never to grace the pages of Vogue. We won't even mention the hat. Changes to the uniform have been studied for decades, but everyone knows how that goes.
The municipal agencies seem to fare much better, with the usual dark blue or black shirt and matching pants, and for the most part have a much better uniform presence. And even though technically they have no weight and height standards, they benefit from many applicants for fewer jobs, and discreetly pick and choose those that may fit the uniform "presence" much better.
When I think of the now put upon Texas cops, quite honestly the figure of 5.3% seems low. I have seen many Dallas and Houston cops over the years, and let's be frank, very few men would have a 38″ waist line. As they used to say about Texas, there are some "big ol boys" down there.
Kidding aside, one would be hard pressed to argue that any policy which encourages better health and fitness should ever be seen as a negative. The problem is drawing the line. Is the Texas line too harsh for application in Canada? Maybe. But right now, the Mounties and other agencies, once one is brought into the blue fold, don't even have a line in the sand. One would think that there could be a compromise position.
If only the police could be like the fire men and women (those other "first responders") who can work out while they work and get a good nights rest while on duty. They also eat very well judging by the amount of times I've seen the fire trucks parked in front of the grocery store. Let's face it, it works, they usually look very fit. Jealously will get you nowhere.
In the overall list of problems facing the RCMP in 2022 it will be conceded that this may not be the biggest problem. The Mounties are struggling, the Province of British Columbia has also now announced the possible study and formation of a Provincial Police Force –albeit a long way down the road.
If there is any lesson in this, it should be accepted that policing is a physically tough job. It wears and tears at your body over the years, no matter how much you try to keep in shape. Police should welcome stringent guidelines, not for "presence" but for one's own personal safety and well being. If implemented in Canada, however, there is little doubt that every police union would fight it– but that may not be a good thing. Food for thought.
Anyways, I am off to the gym. Until next time.
Photo Courtesy of Flickr Commons by Eric McGregor – Some Rights Reserved
Posted in UncategorizedTagged fitness, fitness tests, municipal police, obesity, RCMP, texas rangers, uniform3 Comments


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History Goes Bump Podcast
Podcast dedicated to the side of history that goes bump in the night. Every episode's content features community time that includes listener mail and experiences, a "Moment In Oddity" and "History Of The Day" segments and then interviews and discussions about a historic location, event or person and the hauntings associated with the subject of the particular show. The tagline for the show is "Ghost tours for the theater of the mind" and our goal is to entertain you while creeping you out just a bit.
@HistoryGoesBump
http://historygoesbump.com/
historygoesbump@gmail.com
Ep. 368 - Haunted Houdini
Harry Houdini was an extraordinary showman. He's one of the few people that is still mentioned on a daily basis somewhere in the news. Many listeners are probably very familiar with the stories of seances trying to conjure a message from Houdini. Has Houdini made his presence known from the other side of the Veil? On this episode, we explore the fascinating life and legend of Houdini and share the history and haunts connected to this amazing man who just may still be with us! The Moment in...
Ep. 367 - Haunted Cemeteries 17
Every cemetery is unique. Each has its own unique character based on location. Sometimes it is the landscape that is different. Other times, it is the local culture or customs. But truthfully, it is the personalities buried within that define the true character. We have featured over seventy haunted cemeteries around the world in the past six years. After compiling a list, we realized that there were several states, thirteen to be exact, that have not been included yet and on this episode we...
Ep. 366 - University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is located in the city of Florence and has been a fixture here for almost 200 years. It started like most older colleges, in a different spot and much smaller. Today, it has grown into a large university covering several acres with many buildings. Several of those buildings are reputedly haunted and there are even a couple of creepy statues that come to life! Join us as we share the history and haunts of the University of North Alabama. The Moment in Oddity...
Ep. 365 - Marshall House Hotel
The Marshall House Hotel has stood in the heart of historic downtown Savannah for nearly 170 years. This was not only a place for weary guests to the city, it also served as a hospital before and during the Civil War. A nod to the history of the Civil War can be found on the third floor. We stayed here for one night and based on the haunted reputation of the place, we decided to do a little paranormal investigating. The activity started practically the minute we walked in our room. Join us...
Ep. 364 - Andres Pico Adobe
The Andres Pico Adobe dates back to the early 1800s and is the second oldest residence in Los Angeles. This was named for the man who once lived there, Andres Pico. The adobe part of the name refers to the material from which it is constructed. Today, it is the home of the San Fernando Valley Historical Society and is a museum that can be toured featuring artifacts and cultural relics. Maria Wessenauer is the Vice President of the San Fernando Valley Historical Society and creator of...
Ep. 363 - USS North Carolina
The USS North Carolina was a battleship commissioned in 1941 that participated in every major naval battle in the Pacific during World War II. During that time, the battleship had several men die on board and was struck by a Japanese torpedo. The battleship earned 15 battle stars for its efforts. The battleship is today a floating museum that hosts both historical tours and ghost tours. We had the privilege of doing an overnight investigation with not only six of our listeners, but also...
Ep. 362 - 1837 Bed and Breakfast and the Old Jail
The 1837 Bed and Breakfast in Charleston, South Carolina is the former home of a cotton planter. The style of the home is a great example of the Charleston Single home. Although this was not a plantation, it still had slaves that lived on the third level and there are stories that claim that a mother and father were sold off to another planter, leaving their nine-year-old son without his parents. He may have tried desperately to find them and ultimately lost his life. Ghost stories claim...
REPLAY - HGB Thanksgiving Special 2016
We are so very grateful for our listeners and supporters! Happy Thanksgiving you Spooktacular people! This is a replay of one of Diane's favorite interviews that made its first appearance on the Thanksgiving 2016 Special. When we think about Thanksgiving, one of the things that comes to mind is food. So we are talking food and ghosts on this episode with author and journalist James Bartlett. James has been featured in over 100 magazines and he is author of Gourmet Ghosts and Gourmet Ghosts...
Ep. 361 - Fort Delaware
Fort Delaware started as a defense for the Delaware River on Pea Patch Island in Delaware. During the Civil War, it would serve as a prison camp for Confederate soldiers that was considered a death camp. Today, it is a state park featuring re-enactments, tours and other events. Many groups have investigated there including Britain's Most Haunted, Ghost Hunters Academy and Ghost Hunters used it for one of their Halloween episodes. Join us as we explore the history and haunts of Fort Delaware!...
Ep. 360 - Cripple Creek
This episode has it all! Cripple Creek is a spooky old mining town with a ton of history and many haunts, leading it to be thought of as the most haunted Colorado mining town. We have haunted hospitals, hotels, jail, schools, brothels, saloons and even Nikola Tesla. Cripple Creek is on the south side of Pikes Peak and was once considered the "Greatest Gold Camp on Earth." Many people would find their fortune here, but some would find tragedy and death. Violence, mining accidents and natural...
Ep. 359 - Zalud House
The Zalud House in Porterville, California is like a time capsule glimpse into the life of a family. A family who suffered much tragedy in the house. This home is unique in that the Zalud Family were the only family to live in this mansion and it is furnished with their belongings. Several family members died here and it seems to have trapped their spirits. Paranormal tours are offered and Ghost Adventures has investigated the house. Some of the activity is fairly mundane, but there also is...
HGB Halloween Special 2020
It's our favorite day of the year and here is our seventh Halloween Special! Our theme for this year is Horror Hosts! We share about some of our listeners' favorite horror hosts and the history of how these quirky characters got started. Then we share real paranormal experiences from our listeners and Jannae joins us to share her profound experience from when she was a child and what it is like to have some psychical gifts. HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO THE BEST PEOPLE ON THE PLANET! Check out the...
Ep. 358 - The Ghosts of Whitechapel
Jack the Ripper. That name can cause one's blood to run cold. No serial killer is as famous as Jack the Ripper. This killer was unique in that he seemed to be the first who reveled in provoking the police. The area where these crimes were committed, Whitechapel, would hold onto its infamous reputation. On this episode we will examine the crimes, talk about the victims, theorize on who the killer may have been and share the hauntings that have plagued Whitechapel ever since. The Moment in...
Ep. 357 - Old Diplomat Hotel and Haunted Baguio
Atop a hill in the Filipino city of Pines sits an abandoned and dilapidated building that not only has a brutal history, it is considered the most haunted place in the Philippines. This is the Old Diplomat Hotel, which was originally a retreat for friars of the Dominican Order that later became a place of sanctuary and then eventually a place of death. But this is not the only creepy location with a haunted reputation in Baguio. The city is dotted with haunted locations like the Laperal...
The listeners love the haunted cemeteries episodes and here we have our sixteenth installment. The cemeteries featured on this episode include Little Pennsylvania Cemetery, Simms Cemetery, Miami City Cemetery, Indian Spring Cemetery, Seventh Day Baptist Cemetery/Green Lady Cemetery, Nunica Cemetery and Toowong Cemetery in Australia. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of these haunted cemeteries. The Moment in Oddity features Leo "Suicide" Simon and This Month in History features...
Ep. 355 - Forepaugh's Restaurant
Forepaugh's Restaurant was once housed within the beautiful mansion for which it is named. The restaurant shuttered in March of 2019 after the death of its Executive Chef. Before closing, this was considered one of the most haunted restaurants in Minnesota. There are thought to be at least three spirits in this former home, including the man who had it built. One has to wonder if these ghosts are lonely now. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of Forepaugh's Restaurant. The...
Ep. 354 - The Legend of Screaming Skulls
Creepy people like us love skulls. Many of us include them in our home decor. The Bone Daddy, Jack Skellington, is one of our favorite characters. Skulls are pretty special. Screaming skulls are supposed to be even more special. And while many people have relegated these craniums to legend and lore, there are several that are believed to have really existed and may still be around. Perhaps even a few still have their spirits connected to them. Join us as we share the legend of screaming...
HGB Anniversary Show 2020
History Goes Bump has been in production for six fabulous years! Join us on this celebratory episode where we bring you the wonderful talents of our listeners when it comes to writing. We have the three runner-up stories and three winners of our Flash Fiction Contest for 2020! Thank you everyone for your support! Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump The following music is from...
Ep. 353 - Boggo Road Gaol
The history of Boggo Road Gaol is both interesting and troubling. This history goes all the way back to the late 1800s when Brisbane was finally moving from a penal colony to a free community. Many violent offenders came to their ends at the gaol. Punishment was dealt out in the black hole. Conditions became so poor that reforms were necessary. Today, the gaol is a museum offering tours and there are stories of ghosts on the grounds. Join us as we share the history and hauntings of the Boggo...
Ep. 352 - Cleveland's Millionaire's Row
Cleveland's Millionaires' Row was the place where the elite built their grand mansions in the early 1900s. Industry was booming and men like Marcus Hanna, Amasa Stone, Samuel Andrews, Charles F. Brush and John D. Rockefeller picked this sixth largest city in America as their home. These were some of the most powerful men in the country and their street would be known as the "Showplace of America." All but four of these mansions would eventually be demolished. They are a testament to the past...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For the Whimsy Stamps "Prints" Special Blog Hop please click here!
Hello and Happy Weekend to you all!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Can you believe it's December already!!
We want to see you use up some of your old things.
they have some really cute digistamps in their store, do go check them out, there is something for everyone!
Here is what I created using two of Stamp Fairy's images.
Back in June I was the lucky winner of a challenge sponsored by Stamp Fairy, and these two stamps were two that I chose for my prize. I've been wanting to create my card with these for a long time, finally I had a chance to do so.
I printed the trees onto some old Stampin Up designer paper (I flipped one of the trees), and then I cut them out. The snowman was printed on white card stock and also cut out.
I created some snow by tearing white paper scraps and adding glitter to the torn edges. the trees and snowman were tucked under the "hills" to create some dimension.
The paper that I used for the "sky" is also from an old Stampin Up designer paper pack. So glad I was able to use these papers, I think they are gorgeous, but you all know how easy it is to push old papers back and always reach for the new stuff.
I colored the snowman with copics. The sentiment is from the set by "Winter Letter Seals" whimsy stamps. I embellished with an old SU button that I had for ages.
Thanks so much again for visiting. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!
hello,this snowman looks a joy one,love whimssy stamps,i have got your first project book great. love bluebell-flowerwood.
Gorgeous Christmas card, lovely papers and image.
What an adorable snowman!! Love the different papers you used to create this cute card. Thanks for joining us at DRS Designs this week!
Great card love the image and the way you put everything together. Thanks for joining the dRS designs challenge.
Thanks for sharing with us at DDCC this week!
One very cute christmas card Ellie !! Love the stitching !! So glad you could play along with us this week at Crafty Sentiments Designs !!
Gorgeous creation, wonderful coloring on this cute image! I love the stitching as well! Thanks so much for playing at Crafty Sentiments Designs and Pixie Dust Studio this week!!
This card is just darling! I love the way you used your paper piecing, fabulous job! Thank you for joining us this week at the Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge! I hope you play along with us again soon!
So cute! Your paper piecing is fantastic and thanks for playing along at DRS Designs!
This card is just ADORABLE! Great job! Thanks so much for joining our "SCRAPS" challenge at Shelly's Images! Please come back and join us again real soon!!


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Vietnam not to license Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts after deadly crashes
Hanoi, Mar 12 : The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said on Tuesday it would not license Boeing 737 Max aircraft in the country after the two deadly crashes in the world within five months that left no survivors, local media reported on Tuesday.
"We will not be reviewing licences for the use of the series until the causes for the crashes are identified and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration takes proper remedying measures," the authority's chief, Dinh Viet Thang, was quoted by daily newspaper Tien Phong (Pioneer) as reporting on Tuesday.
Currently, no Vietnamese airlines are using the aircraft, Thang noted, adding that their common airplanes in use include Airbus' A350-900, A320, A312 and Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner and 747. In February, Vietnamese budget carrier VietJet Air placed an order for 100 Boeing 737 Max jets totaling 12.7 billion U.S. dollars, including 80 airplanes of 737 Max 10 series and 20 of Max 8.
It was the second crash of the new aircraft after one operated by Indonesia's Lion Air crashed in October last year, just 13 minutes after taking off from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.
Ethiopia also announced a complete grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet. XINHUA