3739 replies to this topic

[Blair M.]

It's no surprise that the Teachers Association is claiming that, because the School Board is largely elected, they should be free to do and say whatever they wish - without consequences.

Unfortunately, the world doesn't work like that when you have a boss, elected or not.

 

You (VW) and I can speak our personal "truth to power" about the School Board, Police Liaisons, etc. We can pretty much say whatever we want and get away with it.

But the School Board has a couple of "bosses" in the form of the Minister and then the Provincial Government.

If you choose to speak your "truth to power" against your boss, you not only should expect to face whatever consequences your boss chooses to dole out, but the entire process begins to break down if you don't face those consequences.

 

The School Board made a choice to speak their own truth to power directly towards their boss, but against their bosses very specific directives, and they were fired for it - as we all would be for doing that same thing.

Edited by Blair M., 30 January 2025 - 03:04 PM.

[pontcanna]

@SaanichPolice

 

Ever wondered what policing a Saturday night looks like? Join us this Saturday, February 1st, as we ride along with the SPD night-shift from 6pm onwards #spd #yyj #saanichpolice #joinsaanichpd @SPD_Recruiting

 

[Victoria Watcher]

South Island mayors ask province to call off millions in upcoming 9-1-1 dispatch costs

 

Municipalities are slated to take on the brunt of the cost of local RCMP emergency calls

 

 

 

https://www.capitald...-dispatch-costs

 

 

 

 

 

The South Island will soon be paying nearly $5 million more to send RCMP officers to emergency calls this year. That’s “untenable and unacceptable,” 10 of the region's mayors said in a joint letter to the province on Wednesday.

 

The mayors are calling on Garry Begg, minister of public safety and solicitor general, to halt BC's plans to download 9-1-1 dispatch costs to their level. The mayors said they are strongly opposed to changes to property taxes in the region that could go up anywhere from 2.6% to 6%—a tough sell to residents in municipalities that have already tallied noticeable recent tax increases.

 

Under the Provincial Municipal Police Unit Agreements and the Provincial Policing Service Agreement, the provision of  9-1-1 services in BC is the responsibility of local governments.  However, a five-year long dispute with the province about if and when full fiscal responsibility for the services might land in the mayors’ laps was reignited last week.

 

 

 

 

 

That’s “untenable and unacceptable,” 10 of the region's mayors said in a joint letter to the province on Wednesday.

 

 

 

 

Why is it "untenable"?   You constitutions call 911, why should they not pay the process fee to take and dispatch that call?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 31 January 2025 - 11:21 AM.

[Matt R.]

Why not direct bill users like they do when the ambulance comes?

[Victoria Watcher]

Why not direct bill users like they do when the ambulance comes?

 

Because this would presumably discourage usage.  Why call 911 when your neighbour's car is being stolen, if it's going to cost you $30?

[Mike P.]

Isn't there already a 911 charge on landlines amd cellphone bills?

[lanforod]

Isn't there already a 911 charge on landlines amd cellphone bills?

I don’t think we do in BC, for mobile. Might be carrier dependent.
Bell: https://support.bell...le_phone?step=8

Edited by lanforod, 31 January 2025 - 06:56 PM.

[pontcanna]

Police to take ocean dip for Special Olympics

Times Colonist  2 Feb 2025

 

West Shore RCMP media-relations officer Cpl. Nancy Saggar is preparing to shiver for a great reason this month by jumping into the ocean.

She will be among other detachment officers and civilian staff taking part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Plunge for Special Olympics B.C. on Feb. 16 at Cadboro-Gyro Park in Saanich. It will be her first time in the event as part of a rejuvenated West Shore RCMP team, and she plans to hit the Cadboro Bay waves in full uniform — minus the equipment belt, of course.

Other police departments are entering teams as well, like the VicPD Royal Plungers, who say they plan to “get bold and cold” again this year.

Register for the Polar Plunge or donate at specialolympics.ca/bc/polarplunge

More: https://digitaltimes...282007563084541

[Victoria Watcher]

VicPD says it's already relying on reserve funds and can't make $2.85M cut

“We’re in a bit of a hole anyway and we’ve shaved costs off wherever we can,” says Elizabeth Cull, who chairs the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board’s finance committee.


https://www.timescol...5m-cut-10163001

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 02 February 2025 - 06:13 AM.

[Mike K.]

And call volumes are down, but case complexity is up.

We’ve managed to complicate absolutely everything in our society. You can’t move an inch in the current Canadian system without expanding colossal cost. From a car repair to a little home reno, to a road repair to just a simple government initiative.

We built the 124km first phase of the relatively remote Coquihalla in under two years, 1984-1986. It took three years to re-build a 1.1km highway section in Sooke, in an urban area, for $80 million.

[pontcanna]

@ChiefManak

Please slow down when roads are icy & slick. The Infiniti in front of me found out the hard way.

 

 Was tailgating a taxi then sped around it accelerating to 75km/h on Blanshard St by Mayfair Mall.

 

 I wrote the 21 year old driver a $167 ticket (Speed Relative to Road Conditions).

 

7:40 PM · Feb 3, 2025

 

[Mike K.]

$167 is too low. Fines for dangerous driving ought to be significantly higher.

Kid’s lucky. The chief could have argued the vehicle was 30km/h over the speed limit and it would have been towed. In fact it likely did travel faster, but the chief gave the kid a break. Will he or she learn? Or will it take wrapping that junk around a tree?

[pontcanna]

Oak Bay Police join the Integrated Canine Service

February 5, 2025

 

The Integrated Canine Service (ICS) is pleased to announce that the Oak Bay Police Department (OBPD) are now members of this unit.  OBPD’s inclusion will enhance public safety and law enforcement capabilities in Saanich, Victoria, and now Oak Bay.

ICS is a specialized police dog unit that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering tracking and apprehension, evidence searches and other critical services to police operations. With the addition of OBPD, the ICS will benefit from increased resources, further strengthening its ability to serve and protect our communities.

We are thrilled to announce that the Oak Bay Police Department has joined the Integrated Canine Unit (ICS). This collaboration underscores our commitment to enhancing public safety and providing top-tier service to the community of Oak Bay. The ICS has a proven track record of excellence, with their highly trained canines and dedicated officers playing a crucial role in numerous successful operations. By joining forces, we aim to leverage these capabilities to further protect and serve our residents. We look forward to the positive impact this partnership will bring.

Chief Constable Julie Chanin, Oak Bay Police Department

The Oak Bay Police Department (OBPD) joining the Integrated Canine Service (ICS) strengthens our already successful partnership between the Saanich Police and the Victoria Police. Their inclusion will enhance collaboration between our departments, ensuring greater safety and security for our communities. We are excited about the future and continued success of the ICS, and we look forward to working closely with OBPD as we integrate them into our operations.

Inspector Damian Kowalewich, Officer in Charge, Integrated Canine Service

The Integrated Canine Unit continues to play a crucial role in law enforcement, providing invaluable support in various operations. The addition of the Oak Bay Police Department is a testament to the unit’s success and the ongoing commitment to collaboration among local law enforcement agencies.

Edited by pontcanna, 05 February 2025 - 03:20 PM.

[Mike K.]

Jesus.

Are these guys engaged in urban warfare, or policing the sleepy streets of a little neighbourhood? Those uniforms are excessive.

[pontcanna]

Wounded Warriors partner with Saanich police

• Times Colonist
• 9 Feb 2025
•  
•  
• 

ADRIAN LAM, TIMES COLONISTSaanich Police Chief Dean Duthie greets Scott Maxwell, CEO of Wounded Warriors Canada, at a recent announcement of a partnership between the Saanich police, the Saanich Police Association and Wounded Warriors Canada to provide mental-health services and counselling for officers and their families.

 

Wounded Warriors Canada has begun a partnership with the Saanich Police Department and the Saanich Police Association — the police officers’ union — to provide mental-health services and counselling for officers and their families.

 

The partnership announcement formalizes a relationship among the groups that started in 2022 after six police officers, including three from Saanich, were injured in an attempted armed robbery of the Saanich Bank of Montreal in 2022 where the perpetrators, two brothers, were killed.

 

“Wounded Warriors Canada has been a trusted and vital partner, providing the Saanich police with tremendous support and resources over the years,” said Saanich Police Chief Dean Duthie. 

 

More: https://digitaltimes...281956023491607

 

 

 

[pontcanna]

Greater Victoria Police Foundation celebrates the success of Police Camp and announces new Junior Police Camp for summer 2025

Matching fundraising goal announced to expand youth programs

Times Colonist - 9 Feb 2025

 

Demand is at an alltime high for the Greater Victoria Police Foundation’s (GVPF) signature police camps, with 50 exceptional students selected for this year’s spring break camp, from over 160 applicants. The GVPF is a provincially incorporated nonprofit society that provides empowering leadership and citizenship programming for youth in a team-based learning environment. GVPF relaunched police camp in 2023, inspired by the very successful camps which ran in the region from 1996-2014, impacting over 1,000 local students. Today, GVPF is hoping to build its programming to reach thousands more youth across the Greater Victoria region.

The GVPF’s Police Camp is supported and guided in its programming by volunteers representing police services from Victoria and Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Saanich and Central Saanich, and the Westshore and Sidney RCMP. Youth from across the region are invited to apply to attend, however with demand being so high, the GVPF is actively fundraising in order to expand its program capacity. The GVPF underwrites the full cost of participation of $2,000 per student, to ensure inclusivity and accessibility across the region.

To be kept up to date on the work of the Greater Victoria Police Foundation, people can learn more and sign up for its newsletter - https://gvpf.org/subscribe/

More: https://digitaltimes...281612426107927

[pontcanna]

 

Link: https://iiobc.ca/app...rm-2024-080.pdf

[pontcanna]

Further to IIO report above:

 

B.C.’s police watchdog has cleared the RCMP of wrongdoing after a range of non-lethal weapons and devices were used on a knife-wielding man in Courtenay during an hours-long standoff that left him seriously injured.

At the time, the man – a  former military member with post-traumatic stress disorder – was on bail conditions which restricted him to house arrest except for two periods, from noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays and Wednesdays – or if he had prior written permission from his bail supervisor.

 

More: https://cheknews.ca/...andoff-1238466/

[pontcanna]

 

John Boyce- CHEK News

 

 

Report: https://iiobc.ca/app...th-2023-206.pdf

 

[pontcanna]

Saanich Police

Cst. Alex Omoding moved to Canada from Uganda in 1996 and became a police officer in 2009. He joined the Saanich Police in 2020 and currently serves in the Community Engagement division. Cst. Alex, as he is called by the youth of Saanich, is well known across the community for his compassion, approachability and ready laugh.

Last Monday, Cst. Alex, with CSO Kanojia, attended Pacific Christian School to give a presentation on his experiences. He told the students that he became a police officer because “Representation matters,” and he ended his talk by saying, “Be true to your identity and don't doubt your abilities."