Wednesday 28 October 2015

How many cops does it take to change a lightbulb?






The judge said that police officers have a high standard to uphold.
"Police officers are the visible representation of the rule of law in the community," he said. "We teach our children to go to them if they need help. We give them a status commensurate with their importance. When a police officer breaches the public trust and engages in illegal activity, even if off duty, it undermines the public confidence in the police and the rule of law." 

         Nelson police officer gets 30 days of house arrest
                        Bill Metcalfe - Nelson Star, Oct 27, 2015





It also undermines the public confidence in a judge - our judicial system as a whole but let's not get into that one now! - when his sentencing is not commensurate with the crime. The sentence given CST. Drew Turner supposedly is similar to what's generally handed-out for a similar offense elsewhere. But precisely in line with Judge Hewson's sanctimonious blather above: Turner deserves something more exemplary than a month in the comfort of his home.
But then: he's a good citizen and family member!






Not mentioned here is whether he will continue receiving his generous pay-package - for sure no overtime, shucks! - while kicking-back in front of the TV with a few cold ones. Napping. Working on the truck. Doing house-stuff for winter. And napping.



  


Turner's legal fees will be paid by the local police board - in effect, by the City of Nelson. This is not automatic: the Police Act states that a municipal police board may pay the fees if it chooses to, which in this case it did.
Actually it's neither the Board nor the City paying for this charade: it's us taxpayers who - in effect - get to reward an out-of-control cop for brutalizing a handcuffed woman into unconscious submission.
Awriiight!!! Get This Man A Beer!!!

According to Holland, the police board could attempt to recoup the fees from Turner at a later date if it wishes to.
Not very bloody likely the Board will - even though Turner is now a convict with a criminal record and undoubtedly far from destitute.





Neither is it likely that this Board will ultimately fire him - which it could: but what's to follow internally now is pretty much cops-for-cops - and at the end of that line is Chief Holland. Who is a rather energetic presence on the Nelson Police Board!





No matter what all those reviews to follow come up with: it won't be about the victim, she won't benefit - unless she gets herself an ambulance-chasing lawyer to go for bigtime damages. Which - if she wins - will again come out of our pockets. The real winner: good citizen Bad Cop!






While Metcalfe's copdom-workings are revealing: reader-comments on this article - once again and as on all previous Turner-related ones - have been disallowed by the Star's editor. What - rather who - is Greg Nesteroff afraid of? The cops?






None of these images are of the victim here: Tawny Campbell. 

Thursday 15 October 2015

NPD: Panhandling for Attention!






Perspective 1 -
Panhandling is certainly a regular call (?) for police and bylaw officers, said Nelson Police Department deputy chief constable Paul Burkart. City officers have responded to a minimum (?) of 57 calls in the past year regarding the behaviour (?) of panhandlers.
"Most (of those calls) will be (?) during the summer and you can imagine that the vast majority (?) of people will not be calling the police even if they feel harassed by a panhandler's behaviour (?)," he said.
Perspective 2 -
Although panhandling is an increasing occurrence in the city, it is not an increasing problem, said Kootenay Christian Fellowship pastor Jim Reimer, who operates Our Daily Bread - a daily hot lunch program.

The many forms of panhandling: Hot issue from the street gets a police and social service perspective
                        Timothy Schafer, thenelsondaily.com
                         13 Oct, 2015







The one bump in this write-up is that Schafer refers to

The proposed regulatory bylaw regarding aggressive panhandling ... 

In the official Request for Decision - this is a Panhandling Bylaw and not an Aggressive Panhandling Bylaw. Adding aggressive is fear-mongering seeping in through widening cracks!


That said: the article - under Other News Stories (Page 7) - is a must-read for all of Nelson! 



With this it becomes clear that Council's realization of first needing to look for/listen to community input - instead of coming to a decision based solely on a poorly-framed/reasoned/substantiated document - is the appropriate and only way to go.




Perspective 1A -
Between Oct. 2014 and Feb. 2015: stretching points, omitting them, providing vague numbers - if any - and voicing sweeping assumptions then - all fear-mongering, really! - were cop-shop tactics similar to Burkart's panhandling-reasoning.
In those days it was hordes of mentally ill within Nelson's walls - regularly - having to be driven to the hospital and even greater hordes at the gates and about to gasp! crash through them - unless!
Unless Council gave in to the cops' demands for a budget-increase of $311.000. And when it became clear that Council wouldn't - the hordes dematerialized! Just-like-that!

Oddly-or-not - Burkart didn't before this interview voice any panhandling-concerns in/to the general public, just as he didn't in the Request for Decision on this particular bylaw. In fact - his name is never mentioned in it: neither with cops nor meter-maids - both groups supposedly officially requesting this bylaw - although both minded by him!
Unfriend Burkart!


 






Perspective 2A - 
Pastor Reimer's views are refreshingly lucid, objective and comprehensively informed: intelligent! Addressing most concerns Nelsonites may have on/around the topic.
Vote Reimer!








The Nelson Committee on Homelessness representatives were  contacted about thoughts on the panhandling bylaw but elected not to comment until after its next board meeting later this month.
                                                Same Write-Up

What with its most recent - 2011 - data available rather out-of-date to begin with: it is astonishing that they can't pull themselves together enough to at least make a statement in reference to the panhandling bylaw - this to be locked-in-or-not later this month as well. Oh, boards!
There are response-issues with this - ostensibly - key-committee!










facebook
copshq.generaljoe.com
  

Tuesday 13 October 2015

BARBARIANS AT THE GATE!!!





Chris Alexander, the Conservative immigration minister who's facing a tough Liberal challenge in his Toronto-area riding, held a news conference Friday to remind the electorate of last November's "Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act", and to promise even more government resources if re-elected, including a proposed RCMP tip line where people could report "information about incidents of barbaric cultural practices in Canada".

Tories promise RCMP tip line for people to report neighbours for 'barbaric cultural practices'
                     Bruce Cheadle, The Canadian Press, Oct 2, 2015






Today's Peeping Tom - Tomorrow's Big Brother. 
Trudeau lurking in the same bushes.

While not Mulcair! 




Vote Against Barbaric Political Practices!





 
Harper: Jenkins/theglobeandmail.com  

Friday 9 October 2015

Permafrost Minds



Defending the government's Arctic strategy during a foreign affairs debate, the Conservative leader said that having Inuk candidate Leona Aglukkaq sit in parliament is an indication that "those people, that the Inuit and the North has arrived in our country."





Harper's comment followed an attack by Thomas Mulcair targeting the Conservative environment minister. The NDP leader chided the incumbent Nunavut MP's response to a northern food crisis-related story that concerned her constituents.

"When we brought cases to the House of Commons about people going into garbage cans to find food in the North, his minister, Leona Aglukkaq sat there in the House of Commons reading her newspaper," Mulcair said on stage at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall.

Harper Offends AFN Regional Chief With Inuit Debate Comment
                                  Zi-Ann Lum/huffingtonpost.ca
                                  Sep 29, 2015





"Those people" frequently refer to the PM as
"Big Sled-No Dogs"



Vote for Each Other!





Images
Aglukkaq: huffingtonpost.ca
Sled Dog: pulpbits.net 

This post is not an endorsement for any political party     

Monday 5 October 2015

Canada: Human Rights a la mode!




Membership of the UN Human Rights Council
The Council is made of 47 Member States, which are elected by the majority of (193) members of the General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot. The General Assembly takes into account the candidate States' contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitment in this regard.

Canada - by Assembly vote - currently is not a Council member.



Johanna Quigley, spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson ..... said: "Canada is the best country in the world. We are proud of our human rights record at home and abroad."
                                      Chris Cobb, Ottawa Citizen
                                     July 23, 2015



  


The latest data indicate that 19 per cent of Canadian children, nearly 1 in 5, live in poverty. A staggering 40 per cent of Indigenous children live in poverty. A short period in poverty in childhood can lead to more illness throughout life, impair educational attainment and contribute to employment vulnerability.
                                      Commentary, thestar.com
                                     Oct 5, 2015




VOTE: YOUTH for the YOUNG!