05) STEPS FORWARD.... AND BACK

People's Voice Editorial

     The struggle to make police forces accountable to the people of Canada who pay their salaries saw both gains and setbacks during recent weeks.

     One victory was the decision by the government of British Columbia to establish an independent process to review cases of police violence. For decades, cops who kill in British Columbia have been immune against any serious penalty. Their crimes are "investigated" by members of other police forces, rarely producing any result more dire than dismissal, especially when the victim is Aboriginal. After a growing number of police homicides in B.C. in recent years, the public demand for civilian review could not be denied any longer. However, the details of the new process have yet to be announced.

     On the downside, prosecutors in B.C. will not lay murder charges against the four RCMP officers responsible for the 2007 taser killing of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski. Why? "No reasonable likelihood of conviction." In our opinion, the real reason is that a jury would likely have convicted these brutal cops, further undermining support for the RCMP.

     Meanwhile, Ontario's Special Investigations Unit says it cannot identify officers involved in a G20 arrest that left Dorian Barton with a broken arm. Civilian witnesses told the SIU that Barton, who was taking pictures of mounted police officers, was struck with a riot shield and then hit with a baton after he fell to the ground. Photos were shown to 11 officers, but apparently none could identify the perpetrator. Even with a civilian-based review process, the "boys in blue" and the politicians who support them will invariably close ranks to protect violent, abusive cops.

     The lesson? Despite some steps forward, Canada is far from reaching the goal of police forces under genuine civilian control.

(The above article is from the June 1-15, 2011, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)