Friday, December 08, 2006

MORE PROBLEMS FOR THE SAINT JOHN POLICE FORCE!!!!


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Originally uploaded by Oldmaison.
I live now in the States ; Have been following all you went through : I have an online subscription to this paper up your way. Thought you may want to read this, form this mornings edition : What kind of Police do they have up there ? Are they Communists or What :

What type of stand are your Elected Officials doing or saying about this sort of thing ? This is not right and un constitutional. Last I heard, Canada was not old Russia :

My son is a Police Officer, this type of Attitude would not be tolerated AT ALL: Let alone treat a Blogger the way you were treated. We are not perfect down here in the States : But we don't Muzzle the media due to the First and second constitutional Amendments to our Democracy Sir :

Sue the Bastards Sir:

I fought in Vietnam, 2 Tours against an Enemy that did the very thing that was done to yourself : We are following your case down here. Stray Strong and Firm Mr. Leblanc. The Truth will prevail with the help of God.

I salute you :

Arbitrator suspends officers for neglecting duties
Bruce Bartlett
Telegraph-Journal
As published on page C1 on December 8, 2006
SAINT JOHN - Two city police officers were found guilty Thursday of neglecting their duties two years ago for their failure to answer a call about a man who had checked himself into a motel with alcohol and prescription drugs.

On Nov. 1. 2004, Const. Dean Secord decided not to visit the Hillcrest Motel in response to a call from the manager because he knew the man who had checked in was an alcoholic with serious medical problems requiring prescriptions.

His supervisor, Sgt. David Arsenault, supported the decision to ask the call centre to phone the motel manager back to say there were no concerns.

The next morning the guest was found dead in his room from an overdose of drugs and alcohol.

A two day arbitration hearing under the Police Act was chaired by Christopher McNeil, a deputy chief with the Halifax Regional Police. He found the two officers had stereotyped the man who died, based on his history as an alcoholic and as a subject of nuisance calls for the city police.

The officers were described as exemplary members of the force with unblemished records. McNeil ordered Secord suspended for two days without pay, but assessed a higher penalty of four days without pay against Arsenault.

Bob Davidson, who defended the charged officers at the hearing, said the decision would be appealed to an arbitration panel. The police union was never happy with the setup of the discipline hearing because the choice of arbitrator rested solely with Police Chief Al Bodechon.

The union fought to make the discipline hearing public, an unusual occurrence, because it believed an airing of the facts would show that the officers had done nothing wrong.

At the sentencing portion of the hearing, Davidson told the arbitrator his finding that the officers had stereotyped the victim had deeply shocked and devastated them.

Both Secord and Arsenault testified Thursday about their decision that night.

Motel manager Heather Meger told the civilian dispatcher the guest had a nearly empty OxyContin prescription bottle in his room that had been filled that day. She also said he was drunk, but none of that information was forwarded to the officers.

The dispatcher gave the man's name to Secord and told him the motel manager was concerned because he had checked in with alcohol and prescriptions. Arsenault testified it was viewed as a normal situation for the man because he was an alcoholic.

Both officers said if they had been told the man had consumed pills and alcohol they would have responded to the call.

Arsenault said that before he passed his sergeant's exam he was twice reprimanded for stopping people he suspected of committing crimes without having reasonable and probable grounds, a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

As a result of studying the Charter, the question is always at the back of his mind whether police have grounds for stopping anyone, he said.

Arsenault said if he had reason to believe the motel guest's safety was at risk he would have sent a car to investigate. But the only information provided was that the man had checked in with liquor and his medication, both of which are legal.

Arsenault was recorded as saying of the man, "he is who he is." He said Thursday he meant nothing disrespectful, only that the man was a person with a drinking problem and serious health problems.

The widow of the victim, who attended the two-day hearing, said she was happy with the outcome.

"But I am very disappointed to think that the police can pick and choose who they can make the calls to," she said. "Just because he was a nuisance and alcoholic they chose not to go to help him."

She said the three women from the civilian dispatch unit who testified about their involvement in the breakdown in communication all offered condolences for her loss, but she has yet to hear anything from the officers.

6 comments:

Ian said...

It's a sad case but I would venture they have the stereotyping issue backwards. Alcohol and prescription drugs are legal so if the police were to respond only because they knew him to be an alcoholic, *that* would be stereotyping him. In this case, they treated him like any other person and gave him the benefit of the doubt that he would not cross the line.

However, the reality is that they knew his past and *should have* stereotyped him as higher-risk and given him additional consideration. That would be an example of neglecting their duty toward the common good. A sad corollary is that this police officer seems to have second-guessed his instincts, worried a response would be over-reacting.

Police profiling is a big issue. Is the original poster suggesting that we profile alcoholics and monitor them more? I think that would be the responsible thing to do, for benefit to both the sufferers of alcoholism and the community, but lets frame this question against the larger picture.

Anonymous said...

What Happened to the Code of Law Enforcement " To Serve And Protect "

My son gets a call from his Dispatch Center or 911 Call Dispatch Emergency Center, they go to the scene of the Call, because they are not allowed to Second Guess thier Dispatched Call's.

When Dispatched to any call even a Dog Barking late at night possibly distrurbing neighbors or the peace, or what-ever they GO, because that's their job.

Ian said...

Yeah. I miss the good ol' days too.

Here in Halifax we're having quite the discussion over police response to calls. There are lots of accusations that police are avoiding or standing by as people get swarmed, then walking over afterward with long faces to say, "Sorry, there was nothing we can do."

On the flipside, I've heard that 911 operators are being swamped... by people reporting on their neighbours for violating the smoking ban.

Lord, do we ever need to reestablish priorities in this country.

Mixing issues here: Don't know what will happen now that winter is here either. There could be fewer swarmings because it's too cold for the beasts to lie in wait... however some have suggested that the new smoking bylaw will send more and more drunk clubhoppers on to the streets while they grab their puff.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Ian above, however, that's not 'stereotyping', just like if you have a caller who complains about a neighbour who has been charged in the past with beating the hell out of his wife, and they complain about yelling, well, duh, put one and one together sherlock.

There's a reason there are things called warrants, and here it might be helpful to have a 'lawyer hotline' if police haven't been trained enough to know what to do (and I suppose they are not lawyers so can't know everything)

If this cop had a record for stopping people without probably cause then I think a spotlight should be shown on them. If tougher notification laws are getting pushed for sex offenders and drunk drivers, the same should be true about cops. If a cop pulls me over I'd like to have been able to find out that he has a habit of stopping people and harassing them for nothing.

In Kitchener Ontario five years ago a man was harassed by police and the courts refused to do anything about it. It was one particular cop and after having enough he put posters around town will all the facts, which were all verified. He was arrested for putting up the posters, and not only that but was BARRED from ever entering the Region of Waterloo except for his court case, a clear violation of mobility laws. In other cases protestors are forbidden to associate with friends, yet another violation of charter rights, even though most charges for protestors are as bogus as Charles was.

These are all serious issues and its good they are becoming more and more public. THey've been happening to the poor for years, its good to know they are getting some attention.

Anonymous said...

Your on a roll Charles,dont stop now cause you have the peoples interest ! Our courts are corrupt to the core and need the light that you have turned on,Remember that those in power are more likley to break the law without any consequences... I like your site better than the CBC or CTV sites for local news! Most People do not understand the corruption in the courts until you have been wronged by the legal system and have to fight it!!

Anonymous said...

When a person never had any dealing with the Police and all of a sudden something happens out of the blue. It is very disheartening to pay a lawyer $1000.00 dollars and have him convince you that it would be better for you if you plead guilty even when your not. It happens all of the time in Saint John and its highway robbery with a record!!!!!