Pubdate: Wed, 15 May 2002
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Author: Allen Garr

ATTACKING PUBLIC POLICY A NO-NO FOR COPS

Vancouver Police Department Odd Squad constable Toby Hinton told the 
Courier he was speaking "as an individual" when he slagged police board 
chairman Mayor Philip Owen and the police department's official drug policy.

Police spokesman Scott Driemel excused the Vancouver cops who organized and 
participated in a controversial drug conference designed to discredit the 
city and the department, saying they were "on their own time, acting as 
civilians." These statements are not simply ludicrous, they fly in the face 
of policy directives that govern off-duty police and public servants in 
this province.

The Vancouver conference was organized by the International Drug Education 
and Awareness Society (IDEAS), which has four executive members: Bob and 
Lynda Bentall as well as two Vancouver Police Odd Squad members, Al 
Arsenault and Toby Hinton. Vancouver cops on the Odd Squad also provided 
logistical support for the conference, among other things.

The Bentalls brought money to the table. What Hinton and Arsenault 
contributed, besides manpower, was not just their opinions but the fact 
they are cops. There is also no doubt that, because they are cops-and cops 
whose reputation was enhanced by making an NFB film about junkies on the 
Downtown Eastside-their opinions on drugs carry more weight than your 
average car mechanic's.

Provincial public servants couldn't get away with what our Odd Squad rogues 
have been up to. Policy directive 5.4 dealing with standards of conduct 
states clearly that "public service employees must not use their position 
in government to lend weight to the public expression of their personal 
opinions," which is exactly what these guys do on a regular basis.

Now look at the code of conduct governing off-duty police, administered by 
the office of the Police Complaints Commission. Sec. 16 says off-duty cops 
cannot act "in a manner that is likely to discredit the reputation of the 
municipal police department with which the police officer is employed." 
Organizing a conference designed to discredit a major policy of your 
employer would seem to fit that bill quite nicely.

Here's what Hinton had to say about that harm reduction drug policy, which 
includes safe injection sites, in the Courier on Sunday: "As an 
individual-not as a representative of any police department-I think [safe 
injection sites] are based on fallacious logic and I think that it's going 
to make Vancouver more of a cesspool than it's going to do any good."

Trying to duck by calling himself "an individual" just doesn't wash. 
Imagine if Hinton was in the armed forces and, in his off time, made 
speeches attacking Canada sending troops to Bosnia.

Arsenault and Hinton now complain that questions about their role in this 
conference have trivialized the purpose of the conference.

You'd think they would take the question of just who sets public policy and 
controls what our cops say and do, both on and off duty, a little more 
seriously.

Chief Terry Blythe is already investigating a number of conference-related 
events, including the possible use by Const. Chris Graham of an unmarked 
police car to pick up conference guests, and the use of confidential police 
documents printed out from the Canadian Police Information Computer (CPIC) 
by Const. Gerry Wickstead for a display during a lecture he gave at the 
conference. This is a no-no under off-duty policy section 8(a)(ii), which 
deals with improper disclosure of information.

But the overall attack on public policy by police who claim sanctuary 
because they're doing it on their own time is far more serious. Blythe and 
the police board may be trembling at the prospect of expensive 
litigation-Charter issues and all that-if they try and shut these cowboys 
down. But letting them continue to run off at the mouth will only make 
leadership and policy-setting impossible tasks.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl