Following is the text (with minor adjustments) of my presentation to the Committee Of the Whole (COW), Apr. 22, 2013. And some councilor-reaction to it.
Text
I am aware of 3 versions of the local back-to-tasers story: 2 by the police-chief and 1 by a police-sergeant:
The chief's are direct quotes in the Nelson Daily and his broadcast explanations on the CBC - both lacking substance and only somewhat similar. The sergeant's - more to some point than the chief's and different from either one of his - I sought after the chief failed to respond to my written request for clarification.
All 3 versions are neither comprehensive, nor do they address why this sudden need for tasers in - what the CBC refers to within this context - the small town Nelson.
The Board
Throughout this, the Nelson Police Board (NPB) - signing-off on the tasers - has remained in its customary behind-closed-doors mode, although it is accountable to the community of Nelson. And runs - according to its Strategic Plan, 2011 - 2015, its stated goal to increase community awareness.
But not really!
Part of the reason can be found in the mayor - thanks to the wonderful, whacky world of BC-politics - also being permanent chair of this board. Thus anything coming from him - via City Hall! - in regards to the police - period! - can automatically be perceived by the public as some conflict of interest. Wearing 2 hats! Or not! Or what! I am not aware of any recusal ever from acting as either mayor or chair, within this double-duty context. Outward silence seems the safe way to go.
For Council as well: what with councilors - usually allowing themselves to be out-reasoned by the mayor - having given the financial go-ahead for the tasers!
The large photo on the NPB's main-page - below the large heading Nelson Police Board - shows 9 people, 2 of them in uniforms and looking like identical twins. All posing for the camera: NPB-picture time! None are identified by name/position on the Board. While - on following pages - a picture-and-name list comprises 4 so-called directors plus the mayor. Adding-up to 5. Go figure! Only the Board knows!
Small Town Nelson
At the very same time of re-introduction of tasers here - we have the BC Coroner find that Robert Dziekanski died in an RCMP-multi-tasered-to-death homicide. 1 of 17 between 2002 and 2007 in Canada! Here closely followed by this item picked-up in the New York Times and then by several Nelson/taser-specific CBC news-segments.
So it's not very likely that the chief - with all this totally negative PR - will now retrace his steps to a comprehensive factual explanation.
Re-introduction of tasers into the local mindscape by chief-and-chair is self-promoting - while scarily ignorant - for 3 reasons:
1.
There's absolutely no need-based justification for this waste of taxpayers' money - while there is the absurdity of taxpayers paying for getting themselves tasered - particularly with this recently twice expanded police-force, Nelson-crime being negligible and the RCMP just down the street.
2.
In view of the hooplah around so-called homeless and dogs by downtown-merchants - ramping-up their gimme-your-money volume - it seems like a veiled threat to just zap one-and-all into submission!
3.
To outsiders it implies out-of-control crime. Potential tourists must worry: Nelson isn't safe. And if IT isn't - neither would WE be! Like getting stuck between a high crime-rate and cops ready to taser! So let's just go someplace else instead!
What these possible visitors don't know is that Nelson now may feel unsafe only because of its taser-packing cops, their less than forth-coming chief and unaccountable police-board.
Mind you - there's also the recent overnight renaming of Nelson to - Harperville! Predictably - with Council's tacit approval and without community consultation.
End of presented text
Councilor Cherbo - chairing the COW - defends tasers in Nelson by saying that they are useful in animal control as well. Right! That's why the NPB - prompted by Chair/Mayor Dooley - okayed probably around 30.000 taxpayered bucks to equip cops with these new toys! Question, Councilor: Don't we have local animal-control professionals?
Cherbo then goes into elementary it's-not-my/our-job mode: declaring the NPB responsible. Not wholly, Councilor! Council is responsible - together with the inconsistent police-chief and absent mayor: it approved taser-funding! No defining questions about need asked!
Probable negative impact of taser-news on tourism is not an issue for Council.
The Fear-Factor
No questions asked because the mayor is the NPB's chair - and Council habitually lines-up behind him. Ducks-in-a-row kinda thing! He's running their and the show - period - with Council following paper-trails. This particular show with his double-whammy! How good is that!
It would seem most efficient/reasonable to have approached him in this matter (he has not approached them!) - particularly what with the NPB being accountable to the community of Nelson and it's stated goal to increase community awareness. But councilors do not rock the boat ever: fear of personalized fall-out! The Nelson-thing: politics are personal, business is personal, and the personal is cliquish.
I am looking forward to the day when just 1 councilor will strongly voice an individual opinion - regardless of possible/imagined consequences to her/him: coming from integrity/conviction and genuine concern for flesh-and-blood, body-and-soul people. Here - in Nelson!
You either do it with fear - or you don't do it because of fear!
Also see 2 posts immediately below:
Nelson: A Shock To The System
7 Apr. 2013
Harperville And The Cop-Shop
12 Apr. 2013
Non-Canada images: Andy Warhol
No comments:
Post a Comment