Cops Lie … Because They Can.

Cynicism ? At its best,without doubt. Unfortunately, it is based on this and other recent events that portend an increasingly ominous trend for us all as our thinning democracy is further eroded by police officers who abuse their positions with impunity and commit actions that, for the rest of society, would be considered criminal and worthy of prosecution.

There was a time when police officers could command respect. These days, police officers are demanding respect from a public they increasingly abuse.

Yes, policing is a difficult job. That’s a given. Good police officers are becoming increasingly difficult to recruit (and retain) as society continues to become more liberal … and litigious. Police officers today are recruited out of that same demographic … with the result that a lot of those we hire simply don’t measure up to the requirements of character and ethical behaviour we have come to expect from those we elect to police us.

Consequently, we have RCMP officers documented as murderers and liars … their superiors tampering with or withholding evidence that could prove incriminating, as in the case of Robert Dziekanski who was the victim of a premeditated murder by Tazer.

Similarly, Howard Hyde succumbed to the same instrument of death at the hands of Corrections Officers at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in November of 20007. Hyde was a known paranoid schizophrenic who had been arrested for abusing his common law spouse. Because of his illness, Hyde apparently became combative and guards, who later described him as delusional and nonsensical, Tazered and caused his death. Laymen made their “diagnosis” and those who dismantled this province’s mental health care facility were obligated to back them or collaterally be held responsible for what clearly was an “error in judgment” precipitated by a “save our asses” mentality.

 

These two cases are cited because they are fairly recent and became high profile because relatives, in each case, would not let those ,who should be held accountable, sweep them under their rug.

 

How many more have been hidden away without any written record or because police officers and their superiors have managed to suppress or bury evidence of wrong doing?

You might very well ask the question as to who wields power over those police officers when they are caught red handed … breaking laws they are sworn to uphold? 
 

Lately, no one wants to take responsibility for controlling these renegades. Certainly,not the politicians. Bureaucrats haven’t taken the initiative and governments at all levels are equally reluctant to get embroiled in any action that might make them liable.

Instead, and only when the truth and incontrovertible evidence cannot be “lost”, “inadvertently erased” or otherwise mitigated with a public relations blitz on those gullible portions of the public, is anything done to answer the public call for justice.

 

In Canada, that amounts to a public inquiry ( in lieu of an actual murder trial and sentencing) that can go on for months, as in the case of Robert Dziekanski’s murder, until authorities are satisfied the public has become sufficiently inured to the facts and the media has moved on to some other “story of the week” that diverts public attention away from a fundamentally flawed and failing system that is surely in need of remediation by someone with the character and determination to do what is right.

 

So far, that person remains hidden. Paul Kennedy was responsible for the investigation into the actions and outcome (Robert Dziekanski’s death) by four RCMP officers who tazered the man to death. Mr, Kennedy, because his report flew in the face of the direction the CONservatives wanted to go, has been terminated. He recently speculated on CBC’s Sunday Edition that the position he had filled will be left fallow unless the “government” replaces him with one of their own who is more able to take direction.

 

It is said that all politics is local. Laws come out of political expediencies and those politicians who get to be governments take advantage and exploit laws with impunity.

In the Halifax Regional Municipality, the subject of policing is very much an integral part of local politics.

 

How police officers on the ground respond and react with the public is very much a reflection of the police chief and his lieutenants. Again, what is happening today in the HRM is a reflection of pervading attitudes in other provinces, as well as the RCMP of late. In Halifax, when the municipality needs money, police officers who are on traffic detail, for example, are exhorted by their superiors to go out and “earn their keep” .

 The result is more speeding fines and drivers ticketed for infractions that, in many instances, are of no threat to public safety. This brings in dollars … and money is the paramount reason behind such actions these days.

The pressures on police officers must be great. We have heard stories ( anecdotal, admittedly …. but too numerous and consistent to be without substance) where police officers have stopped drivers without cause, citing “lane changes without signaling” or “wandering” in the hope that by doing so, they will find something that can feed the HRM coffers and justify their existence. Just recently the HRM police announced they would be cracking down on cell phone use while driving and seat belt infractions. Both of these are well suited to Chief Beazley’s need for high profile acts that show his force is doing the job for which they are well paid.

In the Halifax Regional Municipality, one could not be faulted for developing the opinion that policing is more “PR” than process.

This is a police force that is very cognizant of developing public perception and makes extensive use of public relations to promote that … sometimes in lieu of actually doing anything.
 

When this police force was recently criticized for having some thirty plus unsolved murders on its books, Police Chief Beazely immediately made the rounds of the local media to refute the obvious with platitudes and statistics. The unsolved murders have not gone away,however.

This “smoke and mirrors” attitude has filtered down to the rank and file, it appears.

We heard the story of a young lady who was recently stopped by one of Chief Beazely’s zealots for no good reason. She was innocently driving home from work when she found herself suddenly “lit up” by one of HRM’s “extortionists with a badge” out for a conviction. He approached her and asked, “Do you know why I stopped you?” he asked in his most intimidating manner. When she replied, “No”, he claimed she was talking on a cell phone while driving. Not about to be intimidated, the young lady replied that her cell phone was in her purse on the back seat of her car. This loutish bully with a badge didn’t apologize. Clearly, another attempt by an HRM policeman to intimidate innocents whom he thought fitted a profile he could capitalize upon.

If ever there was a reason for police cars in the HRM to be equipped with video cams this is it. Authorities claim to be “studying” the prospect of having these video cameras that have every potential to further protect the public from a police officer’s false account of what really happened when he over stepped his authority, but, can also protect the municipality from liability if a member of the public should sue. One of the biggest deterrents, aside from the initial cost, is, perhaps, a decline in revenues when ambitious police officers have their activities curbed to legitimate law enforcement activities.

 

Once again, a police force is only as good as the organization and people behind it.

 

In these days when governments continually come under public scrutiny, it is apparent their first line of defense against an outraged public who declares it is not about to take any more, is a strong, motivated police force.

 

Perhaps this is why those in authority are prepared to “look the other way” and allow errant cops to abuse law and intimidate the public. The side “benefit” is that a chastened public is less likely to make waves or threaten governments who would act with secrecy and impunity. When the crunch comes, those governments will need their “hired guns” to prop them up.