This week was a milestone for Vancouver’s Crime Stoppers when they celebrated their 25 year anniversary. A non-profit organization, Crime Stoppers works with the police, the media and the community to provide a service where people can call in to leave anonymous tips about crime in their area. Once tips are evaluated, the information is passed on to the appropriate police agency for follow up and investigation.
The program has been instrumental in the solving of several high profile cases in recent years, and since it’s inception in 1985, Crime Stoppers has helped clear over 11,000 cases.
Let’s hope Crime Stoppers can help with the following case – The Vancouver Police are asking for assistance in identifying a man involved in a incident earlier this week.
On May 23rd, a man approached a 13 year old girl who was sitting alone in a car parked in the 300 block West 6th Avenue and spoke to her through the open window. When the girl exited the car the man took hold of her arm and started leading her towards a nearby lane, but the girl was able to break free and run into a business.
The man, depicted above in a composite sketch, was wearing a cream coloured sweater with a collared shirt underneath, brown cargo shorts and black dress shoes, and was described as:
- 45 years old
- 5′6″
- 140 lbs
- olive skinned
- short black hair
- thick black eyebrows
Anyone with any information is asked to call investigators at (604)717-3117 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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In other news, the Odd Squad Production Society is hosting it’s first annual Gala Fundraiser for ON TRACK, a program geared towards helping today’s youth “set goals, lay their own track, and stay on it by staying drug free.” Funds raised through this even will help the Society continue it’s drug awareness programs. The Gala will be held on Monday, June 8th at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. For more information on, please visit the Odd Squad’s website.
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And of course the week isn’t complete without a bit of weird news…this time from Wellington, New Zealand, brought to us by CN News:
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Polly wants a passport — and isn’t above stealing one.
A brazen parrot, which spotted a Scottish man’s passport in a colored bag in the luggage compartment under a tour bus, nabbed the document and made off into dense bush with it, the Southland Times newspaper reported Friday.
The bird — a parrot of the Kea variety — made its move while the bus was stopped along the highway to Milford Sound on South Island, and the driver was looking through the compartment. Milford Sound, which runs inland from the Tasman Sea and is surrounded by sheer rock face, is part of Fiordland National Park, a world heritage site and major travel destination.
Police told the newspaper the passport has not been recovered and is unlikely to be located in the vast Fiordland rain forest.
“My passport is somewhere out there in Fiordland. The Kea’s probably using it for fraudulent claims or something,” the passport owner, who did not want to be named, told the newspaper.
Do we as a society become numb to the violence around us?
Do we glaze over the latest tragedy in an effort to remain detached from the suffering?
I think we do.
Then there are artists like Pamela Masik, who chose to delve into the lives of the missing women of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Masik’s exhibition, THE FORGOTTEN, remembers the missing women and puts into clear relief the harsh reality that these women had lives, friends and loved ones. Masik forces us, as a society, to see these women up close, to pay attention to the incredible loss of such potential.
These women were from broken homes and abusive relationships. They were addicted to drugs, living on the streets, and trying to scrape out an existence in violent and hostile surroundings. They were true survivors, trying to live in the most difficult of environments in a time and place where others had already forgotten them.
One woman will always be a like a black and white snapshot in my memory. She had a wonderful laugh, a bubbly outlook, and an addictive personality. She was street smart and strong willed. She was a mother and a sister and a friend to many. When it was confirmed she was one of the dead on ‘the farm’, I was shocked and saddened.
This woman had been a feisty little spark-plug, quick to be aware of her surroundings, and she was the last I would have expected to fall victim to a human predator.
Life is too short for too many.
Our neighbour to the south is recognizing Memorial Day. In much the same way we in Canada show our respects during our November Remembrance Day, the United States is remembering all those who have lost their lives in battle and all those dedicated to making this world a safer place.
Fellow blogger Meadowlark posted a great video about remembering the ultimate sacrifice her countrymen have made to ensure we are able to maintain our freedom and liberty. It’s worth viewing.
To all the soldiers, here in North America and to those serving overseas – Thank You. What you have done, are doing, and will do, does not go unnoticed.
You are a great neighbour indeed.
I was going to comment on a variety of topics for TWIP, but nothing comes close to the loss of a child. So today, I send my most heartfelt condolences to the parents, family and friends of 8 year old Tori Stafford of Woodstock, Ontario.
Tori Stafford
Tori Stafford went missing on April 8, 2009 while walking home from school. The police investigation into her disappearance was intense, and on May 20, 2009, a 28 year old man and an 18 year old woman were arrested and charged with Tori’s abduction and murder. The investigation continues, and as of this writing, Tori’s body has not been located.
I cannot even imagine what it is like to lose a child. To try and place myself in the place of Tori’s mother is impossible – my heart and soul will simply not let me go there. Our children are our future, and the most innocent of victims when a crime like this happens.
God Speed, Victoria.
Memorial - PSD Chip Hope, British Columbia
Since witnessing the death of one of our police dogs in 2006, I have been researching the laws and regulations surrounding the current status of cruelty to animals. Specifically, how our Canadian laws protect our police service animals. Here’s where we stand as of May 2009:
Section 445 of the Criminal Code of Canada:
Every one who willfully and without lawful excuse
A) kills, maims, wounds, poisons or injures dogs, birds, or animals that are not cattle and are kept for a lawful purpose, or B) places poison in such a posotion that it may easily be consumed by dogs, birds or animals that are not cattle and are kept for a lawful purpose,
Is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction
As you can see, there are no laws in place to protect police dogs and police horses. While I’m of the opinion that our laws surrounding cruelty to ALL animals needs to be improved, animals used in law enforcement should have an additional level of protection. We as society ask so much of our police service animals and they give of themselves without question.
In most cases, police dogs and horses are issued a badge number by their respective police agencies and serve their communities along side their human partners. They are active members of law enforcement, yet they are treated as simple items of property by the law if mistreated, injured or killed while performing the tasks required of them. Police dogs and horses are not tools to be thrown away if damaged – they are living, breathing creatures who form a bond with those around them.
Several times over the last two decades an amendment to our Criminal Code has been proposed before Parliament, asking for an additional level of protection for our police service animals. Each time, the proposed bill has fallen through the cracks when something ‘more important’ is tabled or when there is an upcoming election.
Back in 2006 I wrote a letter to my member of parliament outlining the proposed bill. The federal government sent me response stating there already was a law to protect animals, and as such, nothing else was going to be done.
I’m sorry. Our laws as they stand are not good enough. Not when you consider the following cases:
- February 24, 2006 – Toronto, Ontario – Police Service Horse Brigadier and his rider were run down in a deliberate hit and run. Reports were the driver of the suspect vehicle intentionally aimed at the horse and rider after being asked to stop by the mounted officer. Brigadier suffered massive injuries and had to be euthanized on the street. The police officer suffered non-life threatening injuries. A suspect was later arrested.
- January 23, 2006 - Vancouver, British Columbia – Police Service Dog Nitro was killed when the auto theft suspect he was apprehending jumped onto a moving train in an effort to get away from the dog. Nitro was swept under the train and killed instantly. His handler was not injured. A suspect was later arrested.
- June 23, 1998 - Edmonton, Alberta – Police Service Dog Caesar was killed after being shot by a suicidal man The man was waving a shotgun and walking towards an occupied elementary school. When the man threatened police and citizens, Caesar was sent and was able to distract the man, allowing officers to move in. However, the man shot Caesar at point blank range, killing the dog instantly. The man was subsequently shot by police. No citizens or human police officers were injured.
- September 13, 1996 - Hope, British Columbia – Police Service Dog Chip was killed after being stabbed by a suspect wanted for several offences. Chip and his handler had tracked the suspect through a heavily forested area and located the suspect hiding in the bush. During the arrest, the suspect stabbed Chip in the neck, and stabbed the officer several times. Chip died at the scene, trying to protect his handler. The officer survived his very serious injuries. A suspect was later arrested.
All of these events had deadly outcomes for the police service animals and there were outpourings of support from the general public after each one of these tragedies. Police dogs and horses are highly trained and valuable members of the police forces they serve. They are partners to their human counterparts, and in these above instances saved the lives of their partners.
The stories that people do not hear about are the ones of how often our Vancouver Police Dogs are struck, punched, and kicked during the course of their duties. Several times over the last couple of years our police service dogs have protected their handlers and have been injured in the process.
Police officers and police agencies have come before me to try and amend our current laws, and all have met with an insurmountable task. I’m prepared to take up this fight once again, and have started reaching out to agencies across the country. The public support is there. The knowledge of our current system has increased. Other officers have already joined me.
So here’s what I’m asking – send me an e-mail at sandra@behindtheblueline.ca or leave a comment if you would like to help.
There is no wall too high, or obstacle too tough for sheer will and determination. If our government has the ability to change laws for others, they have to ability to assist us with this very important task.
Sometimes, would-be criminals should just stay at home.
The gas stations and convenience stores (particularly the 24 hours ones) in our city have been targeted on a regular basis for robberies and thefts. Staff at these establishments have policies and safety measures in place to combat crimes and keep their employees safe, but there will always be the criminal who tries his hand at jacking the joint. Usually, the robbery attempt takes place in the middle of the night at a remote location, but such was not the planning of two would-be criminals.
These two would-be criminals attempted an armed robbery, but not in the middle of the night and at a remote location, but in broad daylight at one of the busiest intersections in the city. They walked across the gas station parking lot, masked up in full view of traffic, and approached the kiosk. All the while unaware that an officer, who just happened to be at the above mentioned intersection, saw them and radioed in for backup.
As the would-be robbers entered the kiosk the attendant walked out the back door to help another customer, obviously not aware of the robbery attempt . The two robbers, now alone in the kiosk with a locked and secure cash drawer, bumbled about for a few moments before fleeing. They didn’t get very far before the troops descended and took them into custody.
Later the same day, a motorcyclist tried to evade police during a traffic stop. I say ‘tried’ because he too did not get very far.
The suspect demonstrated the incredible acceleration ability of his motorcycle, but he obviously did not know the lay of the land. Not good. And motorcycles do not fare as well in deceleration department – which the suspect discovered when he zoomed through a stop sign and was struck by another car.
But here’s the kicker – as the motorcycle suspect tried to maintain control of his bike (he did the wobbly-wook down the road and wiped out), the car that hit him took off. So now there was a hit and run on a suspect driver who had been attempting to evade police. The motorcycle suspect was taken into custody, and the hit & run suspect was able to make good his escape.
It’s all in a days work, folks. I do not make this stuff up.
It’s a beautiful long weekend, and it’s the first time in the last few years where the Victoria Day holiday has not been plagued with rain. The streets, markets, parks and campgrounds are filled with people taking advantage of the sunny skies and welcoming the unofficial start to summer.
But it’s not all roses. Every year there are a multitude of car accidents throughout the province, and a few unlucky souls get killed. I’ve not watched the news today, so I’m not sure if we’ve had any fatalities, but as of 0600 hrs this morning when I got home from night shift we were still looking good.
Here’s what brings me to the title for this post. On Friday, as I was driving around getting ready to head in to work, I noticed most people were already in holiday mode and had left their usual driving etiquette at home:
- People talking on cell phones and weaving in their lanes
- One fellow behind the wheel of a tractor trailer looking as if he were texting on his phone and not paying attention to the fact he was straddling the center line
- Another person driving at 60 kms/hr in the fast lane on the highway with all the other motorists trying to jockey around him. All of this adds up to bad driving ‘ju-ju’.
The bad driving was not contained to the highway either – going through town was like playing ‘Frogger’, and I was on high alert to just get home from the grocery store. It was absolutely incredible, and I don’t recall ever being so aware of all the people driving as if on a trip through La La Land.
Then, during my shift last night, I pulled over more people than usual. Some were called into 911 as suspected impaired drivers, but most were just distracted. Or tired. Like the woman who fell asleep behind the wheel of her minivan while stopped at a red light. I drove past her on the way to an unrelated call (I didn’t realize she was asleep at the time), and she was still there five minutes later when I returned. She was slumped over, leaning against the driver’s side window, having a little nappy-poo. Apparently jet lag can do that to a person.
So please, if you are out on the roads for the remainder of the weekend, pay attention! Apparently it’s not your driving you have to be worried about, but the driving habits of others.
This weekend it pays to have had a course in defensive driving…
I never did catch up with last week’s TWIP, so I’ll try and catch up now…
Vancouver
- CON AIR, a program to transport ‘wanted’ parties back to the province where the criminal warrant had been issued, has been up and running for just over a year. Up until the program was introduced, the VPD estimated there were approximately 2500 people living in the Vancouver area who had outstanding warrants from other provinces. For the most part, the wanted parties were able to live in BC and not have to face their charges. However, because of a tiny, little clause in the Criminal Code of Canada, the wanted parties can be arrested and shipped back to their original province. Thanks to the efforts of Staff Sgt Ruben Sorge, 53 wanted parties have been arrested and 35 have been sent back to the jurisdiction where their offence occurred. For more on CON AIR, please read the following article from CTV.
- The Vancouver Police Department supports various fundraisers, and officers regularly take part in events to raise money for noteworthy causes. On May 31, 2009, come out and support the 2009 Motorcycle Ride for Dad. What began in 2000 with the Ottawa Police Association as a support/fundraising ride for those suffering from prostate cancer, the Motorcycle Ride for Dad has spread across the country. Following is a press release made by Chief Constable Jim Chu in support of Constable Peter Groenland, the chair of the West Coast Motorcycle Ride for Dad. Cst. Groenland, a police officer since 1978, was diagnosed with prostate cancer only a few days after last years ride. Cst. Groenland has since returned to work cancer-free, and understands first hand how important these fundraising events are.
CHIEF CONSTABLE JIM CHU
I’m not going to hog the podium this morning – that rightly belongs to Constable Peter Groenland and his incredibly hardworking and dedicated team and partners. But I would like to say how proud I am to work for a department that can support these types of charitable fundraising efforts.
Over the years I have seen it time and time again, as our members truly go Beyond the Call to support their charities and contribute back to the community. Nowhere has that effort been more apparent than in the number of members who have banded together to raise money to fight cancer. I have seen them run their hearts out, bicycle until they are exhausted and work tirelessly to raise that one extra dollar. I have seen them shave their heads and wax their legs. Some of those images were more shocking than others and some will haunt me forever.
But there is another image that I will never forget and that’s the sight of hundreds of motorcycles stretched out along the highway, with every rider there for one reason and one reason only, to raise money to fight prostate cancer. I don’t have to tell you how important this fight is or that some who are in that ride are literally fighting for their lives.
Greater Vancouver/Fraser Valley
- Chief Constable Bob Rich, of the Abbotsford Police Department, released a public warning directed at all those involved in the drug trade, particularly the youth involved at the bottom end of the dug trade. This warning comes after four young men, a few still in highschool, have been founded murdered in recent weeks. It is thought their killers assumed the young men had gang ties, and all investigations are still underway. Thank you Global TV BC for the link.
Darwin Award in lieu of Weird News
Nothing ‘weird’ has happened lately (I know, I know, be careful what you wish for), so I’ll leave you with a recent inductee into the Darwin Awards, compliments of the D.A. website:
“23-year-old Strahinja Raseta, one of the members of the team that pulled off the spectacular robbery of the Split post office earlier this year, died on Sunday in hospital in the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
On Saturday evening, Raseta attempted to plant an explosive device under his friend, Milan Mitic’s jeep, but ended up killing himself. The Press reports that, although Raseta and Mitic were friends, Raseta’s €15,000 debt towards Mitic drove him to murder. Raseta waited for his target to show up. When Mitic did not appear, he decided to plant the explosive under his jeep. However, the muffler was not yet cool, and the heat of the exhaust system set off the explosive. Raseta died the following morning in hospital.
‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend.’
– Shakespeare (Lord Polonius, in Hamlet)”
It’s the unofficial kick-off to the summer camping season with Victoria Day long weekend underway, so please remember to drive safe. Have a great weekend, everyone!
On Monday I touched briefly on the fact we flew to Ottawa with five police dogs, and that travelling with big dogs is a lot of work. Here’s the rest of the story:
The people at YVR were a little overwhelmed when we all showed up at the flight counter with dogs, kennels, coolers for dog food and all our regular luggage. The staff themselves were very accommodating and did their best to get us checked in as quickly as possible, but it still took an hour to get us booked in. Three of the kenneled dogs disappeared into the ’special/oversized’ baggage area to get carried into the belly of the plane. The other two stayed with us in preparation to ride top-side.
Yes, you read that right. Two of the police dogs rode in the passenger compartment. I guess there was not enough room in cargo for all the hounds.
We knew this ahead of time, so it didn’t come as a surprise. Hondo and Knight, both wearing harnesses to identify them as police dogs, walked with us as we went through the screening process - ID check, metal detector, everything except a pat down (one of the security guards tried to give Knight a pat down on the return flight and got yelled at by his supervisor to not touch the dog. I guess the poor guy hadn’t read Knight’s harness, and I’m not sure what he was looking for…a few hidden bits of contraband kibble?).
Then Hondo and Knight were the first ones on the plane. This system worked very well – by the time we were seated in the bulkhead with our dogs at our feet, the rest of passengers were able to file past and into their seats. Some people are downright afraid of dogs, and being seated this way kept any potential ‘issues’ from occurring.
The system worked well in reverse, with the dogs being the first ones off the plane. Doing things this way kept most of the stress off the dogs (and the handlers!). Kudos to West Jet for making the trip as easy as possible.
For the most part, the actual flying experience was uneventful. The dogs were very quiet and it appeared quite a few passengers did not realize there were dogs at the front of the plane. At one point there was a lineup for the bathroom, and one passenger, dressed in a black suit, stepped backwards into our seating area and narrowly missed stepping on Hondo’s paws. My dog takes offense when someone stomps on his toes and was prepared voice his displeasure, so I tapped the gentleman on the side of leg to catch his attention and have him step away. When he turned around with a kind smile my eyes locked on the white collar at the man’s throat.
That’s all I needed. To have an ‘issue’ between my dog and a minister. Not good.
I smiled in return and pointed at the floor, where my dog was giving the minister the hairy eyeball. The minister took a slow step backwards and crooned softly, “Who’s a good boy?”
Well, apparently my dog was. Hondo’s tail thump-thumped against the bulkhead, and he tilted his head to the side, his tongue hanging out in a doggy grin.
Dogs are so easy to make friends with, aren’t they?
We are in the midst of a provincial election, the winner of which is to be decided upon this evening when the voting polls close.
I found myself really struggling this morning when I placed my vote and I was not satisfied with the options presented.
In my personal opinion, it all came down to the lesser of two evils.
Trust me on this one – we need more police officers. I work on the front lines, and we are stretched thin.
The same applies to all emergency services, fire and ambulance included. While blockading a major roadway during rush hour is a way to get attention (not necessarily of the positive kind), I completely understand where these professionals are coming from. We need more police officers, paramedics and fire fighters.
I just hope I cast the right ballot, as I am very tired of empty promises.
