opinion
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Friday, January 28, 2011 Peace Arch News
Peace Arch News Published at White Rock by Black Press Ltd.
editorial
RCMP should heed call for accountability
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f nothing else, former solicitor general and MLA Kash Heed deserves credit for drawing attention to the current negotiations between the provincial government and the RCMP for a new 20-year contract. Heed’s allegations that a police probe into his own conduct as MLA is an attempt at character assassination come at a crucial time in the RCMP’s history. Heed has been calling for more accountability for the RCMP, and for that he may have made a few enemies on the force. But it’s unlikely that the releasing of information in a warrant and charges related to alleged misuse of MLA funds to pay salaries of political operatives was merely an attempt to make Heed look bad and win public favour. As a career police officer and former solicitorgeneral, Heed has experience to back up his assertions that the RCMP needs to do a better job policing itself. But his voice is just one among many calling for greater accountability after the handling of the missing women’s case, which a recent report suggested was mishandled by Mounties (and Vancouver Police); the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski; and recent stories of rogue police officers misusing their power. In light of these stories, it would be a surprise if the new contract failed to reflect the need to restore public confidence. But these negotiations are being held behind closed doors, and the public has no idea whether changes are being contemplated. The plain truth of the matter is the RCMP needs to win back the public trust before arguing it does a better job than would a B.C. regional police force. But it has many hurdles to clear. For one, the national police force appears to be at arm’s length from the communities it serves. Unlike municipal police forces, there is no local board in place to set priorities, nor is it as deftly able to handle media inquiries because it is such a large organization. Still, the RCMP has great experience and resources to offer, and the success of the regional Integrated Gang Task Force and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team has proven the Mounties can work effectively with other police agencies. As for Heed, he should continue to ask for more police accountability but remain silent when it comes to his own affairs.
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question week of the
Too much needless carnage on the roads
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• Wait, is that a live cat in there, too? s it just me, or have B.C. drivers – particularly in Metro Vancouver But, by far, the worst are the aggressive – become even more insanely drivers – the bob-and-weave lanechangers, the tail-gaters, the aggressive in recent years? cut-off artists, the chance-taking Judging from the results Paula Carlson passers and the Neanderthals of a recent Black Press poll, apparently so. Three-quarters who flash their high beams in of poll respondents believe brazen self-righteousness. Where the frick is the fire? the majority of drivers in this There’s a great line in the movie province drive dangerously. The Shawshank Redemption, As a veteran commuter, I’ve certainly seen it all. when longtime convict Brooks Hatlen is released from jail after There are the multi-taskers: more than 40 years behind bars. • The dog/baby/spouse on the As he ambles down a city driver’s lap. • Cellphone in crook of neck, street, Hatlen is overwhelmed left hand on steering wheel, right by the change of pace that has occurred over the decades; horns hand on shifter... and a bowl of blast as he is nearly run over by soup on the dashboard. racing traffic. • Eyeliner and mascara application at red light. “The world went and got itself in a big • Open book splayed across damn hurry,” Hatlen observes. I’ll say. speedometer. Neither rain, nor snow, nor gloom of The hoarders treat their vehicle like a night prompts today’s motorists to ease home away from home: • A clutch of Kleenex boxes block off on the gas pedal, not to mention the view out the rear window while an tough new provincial legislation that can assortment of stuffed animals create blind see them lose their wheels for a week and get slammed with hefty fines if they’re spots along the front. • A mini landfill of fast-food wrappers, cruising 40 km/h above the speed limit. coffee cups and other trash form At best, all these street sins would be baffling – or at worst, frustratingly ecologically questionable mounds in annoying – if not for the tragic the slope between the dashboard and consequences of such selfish behaviour. windshield.
other views
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For an example of just how bad it can get, think of grieving widow Brenda Michie, who lost her “soulmate” Jim Neiss in a fatal collision in Langley Jan. 18. Neiss, a South Surrey resident and a bus driver employed by the Langley school district, was hit head-on after a dump truck hauling a “pup” trailer crossed over a double-yellow line to pass a small white car in the 19800-block of 16 Avenue. Eyewitnesses have told investigators the truck was weaving in and out of traffic in an aggressive manner before impact. A visibly angry RCMP officer was blunt in his assessment of the crash. “This person (Neiss) had absolutely no chance,” said Supt. Norm Gaumont, who is responsible for traffic services in Metro Vancouver. “This person was minding his business on his side of the road.” Police say the 62-year-old dump truck driver will likely be facing charges. But for Brenda Michie, there will be no redemption. She was planning to celebrate her 20th anniversary with Neiss on Feb. 2, and his 60th birthday on Feb. 7. Instead, she’s planning his memorial (Jan. 29). Overcome with sorrow, she still expects to see her “Jimmy” when she arrives home at the end of the day. “I’m going to miss him...” she said through tears. “He was the love of my life.” Remember those words the next time you’re tempted to punch it past the slowpoke in front of you. They want to see their loved ones again, too. Paula Carlson is editor of the Surrey Leader.
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