Pubdate: Wed, 19 Apr 2006
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Dean Fortin
Note: Dean Fortin is a Victoria councillor, board member of CREST, 
the local emergency radio system, and has served on the Victoria city 
police board.

PURSUIT OF JUSTICE REQUIRES INTEGRATION

A recent editorial in the Times Colonist urged the House of Commons 
to do a better job of fighting crime. In Greater Victoria, with new 
mayors and councils, it is time for us to look to get our house in order, too.

We have been debating the issue of amalgamating police services in 
the Capital Regional District endlessly, and it certainly appears 
that amalgamation of police forces is still a long way off in the 
future, if ever.

The previous B.C. Liberal solicitor general, Rich Coleman, and the 
city of Victoria may favour amalgamation but Oak Bay, Saanich and 
Central Saanich are opponents of a single regional police force. 
There is just not enough political will to amalgamate police services 
at the present time.

But if we can not agree on amalgamation, we should be able to pull 
off the integration of some key services.

Integration means that major departments would work regionwide but 
each police force would keep its own identity and patrols. Examples 
of major departments could include cyber-crimes, drugs/gangs, and 
serious crimes. Serous crimes include homicides and attempts, 
robberies and violent offences against persons. All are services that 
are highly technical, capital-intensive and specialized.

Cross-jurisdictional policing issues have received greater public 
attention and scrutiny as a result of the on-going Pickton murder 
investigation in the Lower Mainland. Locally, recent reports of 
various investigations have illustrated the need to look to 
integrating our specialized teams around the region.

Whether a high-profile traffic death in Oak Bay, a drug house bust in 
Saanich or an execution-style murder in Esquimalt and then Victoria, 
all could benefit from being investigated by a highly specialized 
team that has the benefit of specialized training, ongoing 
opportunities for officers to hone their skills and the appropriate 
resources needed to carry out investigations.

More and more, the courts are demanding a higher standard of 
investigation and higher level of evidence. As well, technological 
advances are producing more tools for our police, but are costly to 
implement and train for. When it comes to drugs, cyber-crime and 
gangs, the bad guys do not care about municipal boundaries.

The public must have confidence that resources are being used in the 
most effective manner possible and that jurisdictional issues are not 
interfering with the pursuit of justice.

CRD municipalities may be divided over amalgamation of police 
services into a single police force. However, local politicians and 
police chiefs have come together in the past to work on integrating 
specialized police forces.

Discussions between municipalities in 2000 resulted in the 
establishment of charters of governance for the co-ordination of 
canine, crowd management, dive team units, and a critical incident 
negotiating team -- but there was no progress on integrating 
specialized police forces.

In 2003 local mayors and police chiefs entered into discussions but 
again failed to reach consensus on integrating specialized police 
forces. In 2004 this prompted Coleman to issue the threat of forced 
integration should municipalities fail to make progress on 
integrating specialized police services in the "near future."

Coleman did not follow through on this threat likely because of 
political pressure from MLAs with municipalities opposing any change, 
and the potential for forced integration to become an election issue.

The elections have passed. It is time for the political resistance to 
give way in the name of public safety. The integration of some key 
police services just makes good practical sense. It is time for the 
new solicitor general, John Les, to provide some leadership on this 
issue in the capital region that we locally cannot seem to get.

In the end, it should not be about local politics -- it should be 
about fulfilling our mandates to protect and serve our citizens.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman