Pubdate: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Ian Austin POLICE ABUSE NOT A CONCERN IN VANCOUVER But Legal Society Vows Further Battle On 50 Brutality Complaints An angry Pivot Legal Society is planning its next legal move after the final report from Police Complaint Commissioner Dirk Ryneveld into allegations of police abuse. In a dramatic change of tone from an earlier interim report, Ryneveld is now satisfied with police actions taken regarding 50 complaints of police brutality Pivot filed in June 2003. "Only 11 of 39 officers co-operated with the investigation," said David Eby, a lawyer with Pivot. "As far as we're concerned, this isn't satisfactory." Pivot wanted a public inquiry into the allegations, while Ryneveld said with policy and procedure changes in the pipeline no inquiry is needed. "I am satisfied that the public interest would not be served by holding public hearings with respect to any of the outstanding complaints in question," Ryneveld wrote. "I am persuaded that the review by the Vancouver Police Board into both the use of force policy and the breach of peace policy will result in improved police practices." Eby said a group of the society's lawyers will gather to plan their next move, to be announced on Monday. Eby said an independent RCMP investigation substantiated abuse in 14 of the cases, but Vancouver police Chief Jamie Graham had his officers re-investigate and "unsubstantiate" those charges. "We don't understand how that can happen," said Eby. Ryneveld blasted Graham's interference earlier, but now predicts the abuse is a thing of the past. "There is reason for optimism that, in light of a change of attitude by the VPD and changes in policy recommended by the Vancouver Police Board, the underlying problems will likely not reoccur," he wrote. Eby said his clients, many of them poor and marginalized, took a large risk by going public with the hope that more would be done. "Our clients will believe it when they see it," said Eby of Ryneveld's prediction of less abuse in the future. "A lot of people put their necks on the line." The Vancouver Police Department issued a terse press release, stating: "We acknowledge that it has been a long and expensive process involving more than two years of investigations, hundreds of police hours and more than a million dollars in expenses. We are pleased that this matter has been concluded and with the conclusions that have been reached." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman