If you own a bright orange AMC Pacer do not use it as a get-away car.
If you are 300 pounds, overweight and have bad ankles, ensure your get-away car is in good working order.
If you discover after the fact that your bright orange get-away car should really be yellow because it has turned into a lemon during your flight from police, just do the right thing and surrender.
If you don’t, we will find you. Probably within the block, gasping for air and nursing a sprained foot (see point 2).
Last week’s coverage on the lethal injection execution of the Washington Area sniper John Allen Muhammad featured an interview by Larry King with Bob Meyers, whose brother Dean was shot and killed by Mohammad in 2002. Meyers witnessed Mohammad’s execution, and while one might expect someone in Meyers’ position to have an ‘eye for an eye’ mentality, he voiced a different opinion saying the entire situation filled him with sadness.
Another witness, Nelson Rivera, whose wife Lori Ann Lewis was among the shooting victims, said he was glad to watch Mohammad die, as it meant Mohammad could not hurt anyone else.
Another woman interviewed outside of the prison on the night of the execution voiced her opinion that perhaps the condemned killer should have been kept alive and locked away so society could study him and better understand what makes killers like him tick.
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Canada does not support the death penalty, having abolished it in 1976, so any conversation and debates Canadians have on the topic are just that – conversations and debates. We do not put people to death as punishment for their crimes, and I do not see that changing at any time in the near future.
But it still makes me think – should we keep the Dalmers and the Bundy’s alive in order that we may study them under the microscope like a sample in a petri-dish?
I’m not sure it can be done. Look at Canada’s Clifford Olsen. He is serving a life sentence for the early 1980’s murders of two children and eleven youths.
You are driving on a two lane highway, with one lane going in each direction.
No passing is allowed due to the turns and hills on the roadway – think of the Sea to Sky highway, or Hwy’s 3 and 5 to BC’s Interior.
The speed limit is 80 kms/hr, or 60 kms/hr, or 100 kms/hr. The actual speed isn’t the issue.
You are behind another driver who is travelling well below the posted limit for some unknown reason. Maybe the driver is not familiar with the road, or is a new driver, or has poor eyesight. Again, the reason for the slow driving isn’t the issue.
The road ahead of you opens up with a passing lane, with clearly marked signs that state SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT, followed by another sign that states STAY RIGHT EXCEPT TO PASS.
Your foot itches on the accelerator as you wait for the driver in front of you to pull to the right and allow you to pass. A quick peek in your rearview mirror shows a long line of cars behind you waiting for the same opportunity.
Much to your dismay, the driver in front of you finds a sudden burst of confidence at the open road and floors it. I mean, really floors it, and races forward in the left lane. To try and pass the car now would mean passing on the right (not a good idea) and would mean driving like an idiot to pass him.
Then, as your opportunity to pass dwindles with the end of the passing lane in sight, you are again stuck behind the slowpoke as he drastically drops his speed when the road closes in again.
I’m not sure about you, but this has happened to our family on several occasions. Not only is such driving behaviour dangerous, it frustrates other drivers. There are various traffic laws and statutes that can deal with this, but I’ve been trying to figure out why this happens in the first place.
Maybe if I can understand why I will be better able to educate drivers on safe practices.
Have there been any studies on this? Has anyone made a point of examining the driving mentality of people who do this? Is it something as simple as our competitive nature to not want to give up the lead even if we are poor leaders (wow – that last line works on a whole bunch of different levels, doesn’t it? But I digress…sounds like a topic for another post…).
If you know of any studies on this, would you please email me or leave a comment with the link?
The Federal Government is considering a new law that will allow police officers to perform random breathalyzer tests on motorists without first developing suspicion the motorist has been drinking.
My first thought was this was a great idea. By the law of averages, more random breathalyzer tests = more drunk drivers off the road.
Then, after giving the issue some more attention, I had to bridle my enthusiasm. Concerns were raised by lawyers on how the proposed law circumvents the Charter of Rights and a persons right to protection against unreasonable search and seizure.
Then again, driving is a privilege. A person is not born with the ‘right’ to drive, instead a person has to prove they are entitled to the privilege through training, education and responsibility. With this in mind, is a random breathalyzer test ’reasonable’ in respect to search and seizure?
Who knows – we’ll have to wait and see what the experts say on this one.
I read an article over at PoliceOne.com where a mayor of a town in South Carolina made it policy that her officers not be allowed to pursue suspects – either by vehicle or on foot.
Vehicle pursuits are a heated topic with many pros and cons to both sides of the argument on whether or not to engage in one, so I’m going to leave that topic alone for now.
But to tell your officers they are not allowed to run after a person who is attempting to evade arrest?
I was so taken aback by the video of an interview with the mayor about her decision that I simply could not help commenting (as could over three dozen other people as seen in the comments section of the article). I’ll let you come to your own conclusions about the mayor’s professionalism.
In a nut shell, the mayor says insurance rates go up if an officer gets hurt running after a suspect. Funny, that. Policing is an inherently dangerous profession.
After consulting with a prosecutor, the foot-chase ban was lifted when the prosecutor believed such a policy would prevent officers from upholding the law.
Last weekend was beautiful and we spent the good part of it in Port Moody, a suburb just North/East of Vancouver. After visiting friends and doing some shopping we had started on our way home when I got the hankering for an iced latte. We wheeled into a coffee shop on our route and hubby stayed in the car with the kids while I ran inside.
My iced-latte was soon joined by a treat for the kids. It ended up being a balancing act between the drink, the weird cake-thing the barrista said the kids would love and my wallet. I almost dropped the entire production on my way out the door, but I caught it all and kept everything upright – barely.
Then I looked up and started back to the car, which was parked about a 1/3 of a block away. Coming towards me and cutting across the street were two hooligans. Both of them looked like they had been drinking and one of them was obviously high on drugs, probably meth. They both had me in their sights. They swaggered, had started to puff themselves up, and were eyeing the fact I was balancing my wallet and wearing flip-flops. By all appearances it looked like a mugging about to happen. Great.
Just try me.
They kept walking and so did I. They made no secret of the fact they were eyeing my wallet, and they kept trying to stare me down in an attempt to gauge what my response would be. I eyed them right back, silently telling them they were picking the wrong ‘victim’ and that they should buzz off. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, attitude is everything.
The two hooligans veered away as we got closer together and they dropped their eyes first.
‘Housewife’ – 1, Hooligans - 0
When I got back to the car and handed the kids their treat, hubby was looking in his sideview mirror at the retreating figures of the two would-be-muggers. He had watched the entire episode and said he thought the two guys were going to jump me. He also said they had eyed up the car as well, as if it were theirs for the taking, but had moved their attention to me when I stepped out of the coffee shop.
Either way, the two hooligans would have been in for a big surprise if they had carried through with what had obviously been their initial intention. The kids were part of this conversation and they turned around to get a look at the guys. Then my son cracked us up when he added his two bits.
“Mom, you would have been okay. Dad would have been all over them, I would have jumped on their backs and she (pointing at his sister) would have kicked them in the nards.”
In 2004, The Odd Squad, a non-profit society created by a group of Vancouver police officers, teamed up with the Vancouver Giants and created a project called ‘Stay on Side’as part of a drug awareness and education program for Junior League hockey players. There are several teams within the WHL that have teamed with their respective police departments in similar projects.
The goal of ‘Stay on Side’is to bring the young hockey players into the Downtown Eastside so they can witness first hand the reality of chronic substance abuse. Then, after receiving education on the drug culture and the short/long term effects of drugs, the hockey players go to the schools and give presentations on what they have seen and learned – all in an attempt to prevent future drug abuse/addiction by our kids.
I’ve met the hockey players as they’ve toured the Downtown Eastside, and I’ve had one come out with me for a shift on a ride along. That young man was the billet of a friend of mine, so I know what the hockey players see leaves a lasting impression.
Last week, CBC’s The National did a story on project ‘Stay on Side’ and I’ve included a link to the broadcast. At approx 11 minutes in length, it will give you a glimpse of what the Vancouver Giants do and see as they learn about the drug culture in the Downtown Eastside.
Kudos to The Odd Squad, the Vancouver Giants, and to Sgt. Mark Steinkampf and Det. Chris Graham for bringing this program to Vancouver.
We’ve all had them call us – I’m not talking about phone calls from friends and family, but calls from telemarketers and scam artists. Sometimes it’s the loud blast from a cruise ship tearing into your ear, and other times it’s just ominous silence. Either way, my usual repertoire is to either hang up without saying anything, or requesting that I be placed on their ‘no call list’. I’m not sure if this is right tact, but it seems to be working – we’re getting fewer calls.
Now if I could only figure out how to block text messages on my cell phone….
A few days ago, a new scam was brought to my attention. This scam has been used with some success, and it’s targeting seniors. It all starts when a grandparent gets a call from someone they believe to be their grandchild. The ‘grandchild’ is usually calling from a noisy location, which makes it difficult to communicate and makes it easier for them to convince the senior they really are their loved one. The ‘grandchild’ then says he has been arrested for a minor offence and is being held in a Canadian jail, with bail posted at several thousand dollars. The grandparents, being the loving and caring people that they are, immediately wire their ‘grandchild’ the money.
You can probably see where this is going – the ‘grandchild’ is a fake and the money is never seen again.
There have been several cases in the States where grandparents have been duped out of tens of thousands of dollars. It’s had a far reaching effect, as even our jail here in Vancouver has fielded calls from worried relatives who eventually find out their ‘grandchild’ has never graced the cells of our jail.
These scam artists will stop at nothing to get their paws on your money, so treat EVERY request for funds with a little bit of scepticism.
Thanks to Ray for sending me a link to a great blog out of Wisconsin. Onconto County Commission on Aging’s Blog is “intended to keep seniors up-to-date on current programs, scams, press releases and recalls.” While most of the information is more suited to local residents of the Onconto County, there are still some very valuable tips for our Canadians and it’s worth a look.
If anyone has a good link to such a Canadian site, please let me know.
BC has declared the last Wednesday in February as Anti-Bullying Day. Premier Gordon Campbell said parents, teachers, students and community members are taking a stand against bullying, and that no one should ever ne made to feel intimidated or discriminated against.
PinkShirtDay.ca
This day has also been called Pink Shirt Day, and there is a growing call for everyone to wear something pink in the stand against against bullying. The t-shirt seen above can be purchased through PinkShirtDay.ca, with the proceeds being donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Vancouver.
What started with two Nova Scotia high school students showing support for a bullied school mate has turned into a national cause. From CBC news:
“Two Nova Scotia students are being praised across North America for the way they turned the tide against the bullies who picked on a fellow student for wearing pink. The victim — a Grade 9 boy at Central Kings Rural High School in the small community of Cambridge — wore a pink polo shirt on his first day of school. Bullies harassed the boy, called him a homosexual for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up, students said.
Two Grade 12 students — David Shepherd and Travis Price — heard the news and decided to take action.
“I just figured enough was enough,” said Shepherd.
They went to a nearby discount store and bought 50 pink shirts, including tank tops, to wear to school the next day. Then the two went online to e-mail classmates to get them on board with their anti-bullying cause that they dubbed a “sea of pink.” But a tsunami of support poured in the next day. Not only were dozens of students outfitted with the discount tees, but hundreds of students showed up wearing their own pink clothes, some head-to-toe.
When the bullied student, who has never been identified, walked into school to see his fellow students decked out in pink, some of his classmates said it was a powerful moment. He may have even blushed a little.
“Definitely it looked like there was a big weight lifted off his shoulders. He went from looking right depressed to being as happy as can be,” said Shepherd.
And there’s been nary a peep from the bullies since, which Shepherd says just goes to show what a little activism will do.”
Bravo to David Shepherd and Travis Price.
Bullying is a huge concern, and as police officers we see the impact bullying has on our community. Later today, when I put my uniform on, I’ll be wearing a pink bracelet to support this very worthy cause.
It’s been a crazy week. Homicides, shootings, home invasions…you would think that’s all that happens in this city. I’d like you to know that while these incidents grab the headlines they are not what really define a city, a community and a police department. It’s calls like these that do:
An elderly man suffering from dementia wandered away from his loved ones. His family called 911, and with the assistance of the police the man was found only a few blocks away, a little disoriented but otherwise okay.
An alert citizen called in what appeared to be a break and enter in progress – multiple units responded, a police dog located the suspect just as he was about to commit another break-in, and property from a yet-to-be-reported break-in was recovered.
A patrol unit showed compassion while dealing with a young man newly diagnosed with schizophrenia, and assisted his family in finding the resources they needed to manage their loved one’s illness.
There are many good stories within the Vancouver Police Department, and most of them never get acknowledged when overshadowed by the latest ‘hot story’. Don’t get me wrong – the gun violence and gang warfare are a huge concern for police, and rightly so. But as the gangsters and those associated to them continue to shoot at one another, the rest of the world continues to tick along. Let’s not forget about everyone else.
So, on that note, here’s a video to lighten things up. This ad originally aired as a Superbowl commercial, and falls into the parameters of ‘auto crime prevention’ and nipping a gang-related problem in the bud:
**Just to clarify – I am NOT endorsing the company named in the video and neither is the VPD….it just happens to be a funny video that serves the purpose of bringing a little humour into this otherwise busy week. Enjoy!
