POLICING OPINIONS

Re: "VicPD demands silence," March 4-10

A few months ago, Jamie Graham came to my local seniors' centre for a
meet-and-greet. I expected Victoria's chief constable to be dressed in
a suit, reflective of his desk job. Instead, I was surprised to find
him all uniformed-up from boots to cap, including a large handgun on
his hip.

While in uniform, and on the clock (my tax dollars at work), this "man
in blue" spoke out strongly against the harm-reduction model for
dealing with drug addiction. Among other questionable "facts," he
stated that pot smoking led to hard drugs and crime.

This is unacceptable. The police should not be spending my tax dollars
to publicly support or oppose legislation while on duty; that's the
job of the politicians to whom they report. The role of the police is
to enforce the law, not opine about it. If they want to speak out
publicly for, or against, a law as private citizens on their own time,
that should be their right as Canadians.

Mr. Bratzer and Mr. Graham should both have the same right to free
speech-as private citizens-not while in uniform and on duty.

Jo Smith,

Victoria