3317 replies to this topic

[pontcanna]

Nelson police officer killed in avalanche, second officer critically injured

January 9, 2023 

The Nelson Police Board has confirmed one of its officers has died and another is critically injured after they were caught in an avalanche near Kaslo.

It adds, both officers were on snowmobiles when the incident occured.

The City of Nelson made the announcement in a Facebook post Monday evening.

The identities of the officers have not been publicly shared. 

The City says more information will be released in the coming days.

More: https://globalnews.c...lice-avalanche/

[North Shore]

Not sure that it's newsworthy that they are RCMP members?  They were off-duty, and not acting in any capacity other than just regular Joes when they were (sadly) caught in the avalanche.  Hundreds of people are killed every year in non-job related accidents, and we dont learn their occupations...

[pontcanna]

Just to again be the pedant for a moment - Nelson are Muni po-po, not Horsemen.

[Victoria Watcher]

Yes, one of the smallest police forces in the country. Seems both more members were former Calgary police officers.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 January 2023 - 05:32 PM.

[Mike K.]

Yeah, strange. I thought the accident occurred in the line of duty.

[Mike K.]

West Shore municipalities prepare for $82.4 million RCMP detachment expansion

The West Shore’s RCMP detachment is in expansion mode, with the facility requiring an $82.4 million new detachment to keep up with population growth and demands on policing.

With a population expected to reach 167,000 people among just Langford, Colwood and View Royal (not including Metchosin and Highlands) by 2045, the West Shore RCMP detachment will have to expand to 210 full-time-equivalent officers from the current 96, while administrative roles will increase from 51 to 70, according to a policing facilities expansion project report prepared for municipal councils.

The report cites a total square footage required for the new detachment to be 92,000 square feet, compared to the current 37,000 square feet.

The new facility would remain at its Goldstream Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway location in the City of Langford.

The costs to expand the detachment would be split with approximately $49.6 million payable by Langford, $20.1 million by Colwood, and $12.8 million by View Royal.

Local councils will decide on whether to support the project plans in upcoming council sessions.

More details in a report here: https://colwood.civi...nsion Proje.pdf

[Victoria Watcher]

Police chief wants to see officer dedicated to monitoring violent offenders

 

When violent individuals with lengthy criminal records out on bail know they are being monitored, they are far more likely “to stay crime-free,” says Del Manak.

 

https://www.timescol...fenders-6372111

[pontcanna]

Mistaken identity leads to arrest of autistic Nanaimo man: ‘He can’t comply, he can’t hear’

Jan. 13, 2023 

Tying her son’s shoes on Friday, Laura Langstaff smiled at the grown man before her and walked him through his highly structured day to come.
 

 

The mom quietly hoped he would come back to her safely because her son Mischa, who she describes as “loving and patient,” is 46, non-verbal and severely autistic, and an incident just outside their Hammond Bay Road front door has shaken her confidence in his safety.

It happened on May 20, 2021, when RCMP were called to the Rock City Plaza for a fatal gangland-style shooting of a man in a BMW. Witnesses described the fleeing suspect vehicle as a white Cadillac Escalade.

“Mischa just happened to be being driven home by his caregiver in a white Escalade,” said Langstaff.

So when the two pulled up to Langstaff’s door, she said so did police, who were shouting at her son, who is the developmental equivalent of a three-year-old.

“A guy with a long rifle shouting, ‘We don’t want to shoot you. Show me your hands, show me your hands,'” recalled Langstaff.

 

 

 

“So I was running down the stairs rehearsing how quickly I could say what I had to say to save him. Hoping he wouldn’t slap his head or reach down,” she said.

According to Langstaff, it took 30 minutes before Mischa and his caregiver were released, and the mistaken identity was acknowledged.

Nanaimo RCMP would not comment on this case. But a similar arrest of an autistic in Alberta last October has prompted the Complaints Commission for the RCMP to review how RCMP members are trained to deal with neurodiverse people.
 

More: https://www.cheknews...t-hear-1132772/

 

 

 

[Matt R.]

That’s an Escalade?

[Victoria Watcher]

I think that's a police truck.  Escalade not in photo.

[Matt R.]

I guess that explains why they are standing behind the door!

[LJ]

^Which is pretty useless if the guy was armed.

[Matt R.]

Just like in the movies.

[pontcanna]

Impaired Driver Stop Leads To Unauthorized Entry To Police Vehicle Caught On Video

January 15, 2023 - File: #22-1683

Victoria, BC – An impaired driving stop early Sunday morning led to a 24-hour driving prohibition and an unauthorized entry to a police vehicle – an entry which was caught on video.

Just before 2 a.m. on Sunday, January 15, Patrol officers were flagged down by a driver who was concerned about the operation of a nearby vehicle. The concerned driver told officers that the suspect vehicle had driven through two red lights. They were concerned the driver of the erratic vehicle was going to injure someone.

Officers conducted a traffic stop in the 500-block of Kingston Street and noted that the driver displayed clear signs of impairment by drugs. An officer issued a standard field sobriety test demand to the driver who initially started the test, but then refused to continue, resulting in a 24-hour driving prohibition and their vehicle being towed.

When a supervisor on scene returned to his vehicle, he discovered that a subject had made an unauthorized entry to his police vehicle.

Officer confronts an unauthorized occupant in his vehicle (poor Instagram video, but it's a cat - pontcanna)

The unauthorized vehicle entry occupant was released roadside without charge.

 

Link: https://vicpd.ca/202...aught-on-video/

 

[Victoria Watcher]

https://www.vicnews....nd-shared-them/

 

  OPCC orders conduct review of VicPD officer who took ‘inappropriate’ videos and shared them

 

Special Municipal Constable Foster Martin was the subject of a disciplinary conduct investigation

 

 

 

 

 

 

The department's investigation determined Martin committed discreditable conduct in September 2021, after he allegedly recorded videos of prisoners masturbating in Victoria police cells and showed them to colleagues and friends.

 

https://vancouverisl...ues and friends.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 16 January 2023 - 04:45 PM.

[pontcanna]

https://www.vicnews....nd-shared-them/

 

  OPCC orders conduct review of VicPD officer who took ‘inappropriate’ videos and shared them

 

Special Municipal Constable Foster Martin was the subject of a disciplinary conduct investigation

 

The details, for those who want 'em: https://opcc.bc.ca/w...-the-Record.pdf

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria police board proposes 9.55% budget hike

Staff salaries, benefits make up majority of draft budget increase

https://www.vicnews....55-budget-hike/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 January 2023 - 12:46 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria councillor Dave Thompson asked how steps taken by the province to address the mental health crisis—like adding complex care beds—might alleviate the police department’s future budget needs. He was followed soon after by Coun. Jeremy Cardonna who wanted to know how much time the department spends on policing mental health and addictions calls. 

 

“I don't want to put a percentage on it, you're putting me on the spot there, and I know that numbers matter. We just haven’t done the calculation of it, but I can tell you that it is a drain on our resources” Manak said in response to Caradonna. 

 

______________________

 

https://www.capitald...budget-increase

 

When asked by Esquimalt Coun. Andrea Boardman what happens to the ongoing funding for new hires when officers who are currently off-duty return to work, Manak said officers going on stress leave is an ongoing fixture of the department.

 

“We're not seeing more officers come back,” Manak said, citing his observations (sans data) of the trends over the past few years. “I will tell you that almost for every two officers that are coming on, there's two that are going off.”

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 19 January 2023 - 06:41 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The sister of a Vancouver police officer who died by suicide told a coroner’s inquest she believed Const. Nicole Chan was being blackmailed to have sex with another officer in the department.

 

Jennifer Chan told the inquest she believed her sister’s mental health problems stemmed from a sexual assault by her co-worker, culminating in her death by suicide in January 2019.

 

Chan said her sister Nicole struggled with anxiety and depression after she complained to the police chief in 2017 about inappropriate relationships that she had with two senior officers.

 

She said her sister felt aimless about where her life was headed before her death, that her career had stalled and she had no other job prospects.

 

 

 

 

https://www.todayinb...8ca11b97212fd9a

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 23 January 2023 - 05:43 PM.

[pontcanna]

SPD LAUNCHES NEW COMMUNITY LIAISON SECTION

January 24, 2023

The Saanich Police Department (SPD) is excited to announce that through an internal review, we identified a meaningful opportunity to modernize services to better reflect and respond to the changing needs of our community.  Effective January 23, 2023, our new Community Liaison Section (CLS) is being launched, which incorporates the former Schools Section and Crime Prevention Section. The new section has increased in size by reallocating existing resources and will focus on diverse and inclusive community relationship-building, education, and crime prevention.

For many years the SPD has enjoyed excellent working relationships with our partners in the Saanich school community, due in large part to the exceptional work of our School Liaison Officers. There is no question that these relationships have benefited from our commitment to maintaining a dedicated School Liaison Section, which currently consists of five officers with the full-time responsibility of serving the 53 public and private schools and educational institutions within our jurisdiction.

In keeping with our organizational commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, our goal is to be equally responsive to the needs of other segments of our community, such as the LGBTQ2S+ community, our older adult population, and our culturally diverse communities, to name a few examples.

While our Patrol Division officers reflect this commitment in responding to calls from all members of the community, many community members do not currently have a dedicated resource within the SPD that they can call upon or partner with as we work together towards the shared goal of a safer and more inclusive community for everyone.

The expanded mandate of the new Community Liaison Section will mean that each Saanich school will no longer have an individual officer assigned as its dedicated School Liaison Officer. However, schools are one of the community groups that will now be able to call upon the CLS five days per week, fifty-two weeks per year to receive assistance from any or all of the eight officers as necessary to address specific issues, functions, or investigations.

“We believe that this progressive change responds to the growth and changing needs of Saanich and enhances our flexibility and inclusivity as we provide meaningful police service to all members of our community,” said Chief Constable Dean Duthie.

Community groups in Saanich that wish to connect with our Community Liaison Section can send their requests to communityengagement@saanichpolice.ca.

Cst. Markus Anastasiades
Public Information & Communications Officer