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Oppal presses for police reform a year after inquiry By Jeff Nagel
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he head of BC’s Missing Women Inquiry says he’s pleased with some of the actions taken in the year since he released 65 recommendations aimed at protecting vulnerable women from a future serial killer. But Commissioner Wally Oppal told Black Press he wants much more done, particularly with his recommendation of creating a regional police force for Metro Vancouver. Oppal acknowledges various improvements in policing since botched, badly coordinated investigations let serial killer Robert Pickton stalk addicted sex-trade workers in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for years until his arrest in 2001. “They have more regional cooperation and they have better communications,” Oppal said, citing improved police databases, the regional homicide squad IHIT and other integrated teams. “But still the present patchwork of policing really makes no sense,” he said. “The evidence was quite clear – if we’d had a regional police force a number of murders would have been prevented.” The mix of municipal police forces and RCMP detachments across the region was one of his main
targets for reform but several Metro mayors have resisted any change, fearing a regional force might mean less local control over policing or less coverage if officers are pulled away to regional priorities. Oppal contends a regional force could still be created that allows decentralized community-based policing that respects their wishes. The province this month announced a pending review of policing in the new year that is expected to consider further integration of forces and potential alternate models. Victoria is also funding more work to combat sexual exploitation and human trafficking, which often sees criminals lure girls from small towns and reserves into drugaddicted prostitution in the Lower Mainland. “I do recognize that the situation is much improved from what it was when Pickton was killing women,” Oppal said. “The likelihood is that he would be apprehended quicker. But I can’t say it couldn’t happen again.” The provincial government’s move to fully fund the WISH dropin centre in the Downtown Eastside is one of the steps Oppal credits. The province says it has fully implemented three recommendations and is working on others. Ernie Crey, brother of murdered
HandyDart trip denials soaring: report
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union-funded study is blaming TransLink for a seven-fold jump in the number of HandyDart users denied trips over the past five years and warns the situation is set to get much worse as the number of older seniors grows. The report by transportation planner Eric Doherty says the number of HandyDart trip denials doubled last year to 37,690 and that number has skyrocketed from less than 5,000 in 2008. The number of seniors over 70 is growing at more than two and a half times the rate of growth of the general population, it warns, rising by an expected 40 per cent over the next decade. But without approval of new funding for TransLink, the HandyDart budget is expected to remain frozen for years to come, leaving the custom transit system increasingly unable to meet demand. Doherty’s report, on behalf of the union representing HandyDart drivers, argues TransLink is inappropriately attempting to force more transit users who have disabilities onto regular transit. It warns allowing service to deteriorate will isolate vulnerable HandyDart passengers. It’s the latest volley from the Amalgamated Transit Union in a running battle with TransLink officials after they contracted out
woman Dawn Crey, said he fears the drive for change has faltered since the resignation of former Lieut-Gov. Steven Point as the “champion” for Oppal’s recommendations. Point left as families of Pickton’s victims launched civil lawsuits against police forces and the government seeking compensation. Crey said the province must name a successor to Point “to drive the process forward.” He also said that if the province had compensated victims’ children — as Oppal recommended — the families likely wouldn’t be in court suing the authorities and much more progress might have been made. One initiative both Oppal and Crey said should be pursued is an intercity bus service between northern BC communities along the so-called Highway of Tears where many women have vanished hitchhiking. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said the province is making significant progress on many of the inquiry’s recommendations. “None of us want to see something like this tragedy happen again in British Columbia,” she said after meeting with advocacy groups Monday. “ The province is committed to building a legacy of safety and security for vulnerable women.
all HandyDart service to MVT Canadian Bus. Also enraging the union was TransLink’s decision this year – after urging by auditors — to use cheaper taxis to provide more trips with the same amount of money. The shift of 15,000 service hours or two per cent of the total to taxis meant layoffs for a few HandyDart drivers and a drop from full-time status for some others. Martin Lay, TransLink’s director of transit services, said the taxi pilot project is so far on track to meet its goal of generating 7,000 more trips for users than would otherwise have been provided. The pilot initially switched passengers from HandyDart to taxis on the four costliest routes where minibuses must often deadhead back empty. They connect Surrey and White Rock to either Vancouver and New Westminster. Jane Dyson, executive director of the BC Coalition for People with Disabilities, said she’s seen no groundswell of protest from passengers over the increased use of taxis, which she said many users find more convenient. She said taxis are a more costeffective way of providing service given TransLink’s funding restraints and the coalition supports expanding their use – as is done in other cities. — Jeff Nagel
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