News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: Police Abuse Authority, Legal Advocacy Group Says |
| Title: | CN BC: Police Abuse Authority, Legal Advocacy Group Says |
| Published On: | 2002-10-30 |
| Source: | Vancouver Sun (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-08-29 11:22:39 |
POLICE ABUSE AUTHORITY, LEGAL ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS
City police routinely break the law and abuse the very rights they are
supposed to protect in the country's poorest neighbourhood, says a report
released Tuesday.
The conduct of Vancouver police in the Downtown Eastside meets the legal
definition of abuse of authority and, in 12 cases, meets the United Nations
definition of torture, according to the Pivot Legal Society.
"A police culture that ignores, if not permits, police misconduct makes us
all potential victims and condones police practices that demean both the
victims and the officers themselves," said John Richardson, executive
director of the society, a legal advocacy group based in the area.
Of 50 sworn statements collected by the society over nine months, six
people said they suffered broken bones or teeth at the hands of police.
Eight others said they were beaten after they had surrendered or were in
handcuffs.
Thirty-six people said police used unreasonable force and seven said they
were subjected to illegal strip searches.
Seven people said police ordered them out of town or out of a specific
area, playing "judge and jury right on the street."
Detective Scott Driemel, spokesman for the department, said the force has
not received a copy of the report and could not comment on the allegations.
He would not say how many complaints the department receives annually.
"Just because some of these people have signed an affidavit, of course, an
investigation would reveal whether or not, in fact, those complaints are
bona fide or not," Driemel said.
Pivot's Richardson said the criminalization of drug addiction is partly to
blame.
"You see someone lying in the street, you know in your gut that they're
sick but you've got to arrest them. You send them to jail and they're back
shortly after and they're in exactly the same situation," Richardson said.
"That's got to breed frustration and the mere fact that they're required to
enforce these . . . archaic laws against people I think has a serious
effect on the peace officers themselves."
City police routinely break the law and abuse the very rights they are
supposed to protect in the country's poorest neighbourhood, says a report
released Tuesday.
The conduct of Vancouver police in the Downtown Eastside meets the legal
definition of abuse of authority and, in 12 cases, meets the United Nations
definition of torture, according to the Pivot Legal Society.
"A police culture that ignores, if not permits, police misconduct makes us
all potential victims and condones police practices that demean both the
victims and the officers themselves," said John Richardson, executive
director of the society, a legal advocacy group based in the area.
Of 50 sworn statements collected by the society over nine months, six
people said they suffered broken bones or teeth at the hands of police.
Eight others said they were beaten after they had surrendered or were in
handcuffs.
Thirty-six people said police used unreasonable force and seven said they
were subjected to illegal strip searches.
Seven people said police ordered them out of town or out of a specific
area, playing "judge and jury right on the street."
Detective Scott Driemel, spokesman for the department, said the force has
not received a copy of the report and could not comment on the allegations.
He would not say how many complaints the department receives annually.
"Just because some of these people have signed an affidavit, of course, an
investigation would reveal whether or not, in fact, those complaints are
bona fide or not," Driemel said.
Pivot's Richardson said the criminalization of drug addiction is partly to
blame.
"You see someone lying in the street, you know in your gut that they're
sick but you've got to arrest them. You send them to jail and they're back
shortly after and they're in exactly the same situation," Richardson said.
"That's got to breed frustration and the mere fact that they're required to
enforce these . . . archaic laws against people I think has a serious
effect on the peace officers themselves."
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