Pubdate: Tue, 31 Jan 2012
Source: Windsor Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2012 The Windsor Star
Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/PTv2GKdw
Website: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501
Author: Douglas Quan, Postmedia News 

RCMP DROPS U.S. DRUG TRAINING PLAN

The RCMP has scrapped plans to send hundreds of officers to Arizona 
for training in recognizing and testing drugimpaired drivers after 
learning that the sheriff 's office they had partnered with has been 
accused of engaging in "unconstitutional policing."

A scathing U.S. Department of Justice report recently concluded that 
the Maricopa County Sheriff 's Office in Phoenix engages in racial 
profiling of Latinos, unlawfully stops and arrests Latinos and 
unlawfully retaliates against individuals who criticize the force.

An RCMP official stressed Monday that at no time were Maricopa County 
sheriff 's officers going to be involved in teaching the Canadians and 
that the only role of the sheriff 's office was to provide access to 
people in custody at a remand centre who could be evaluated for 
drug-impairment.

Still, the seriousness of the allegations prompted the RCMP to cancel 
its training sessions in Arizona, said Insp. Allan Lucier.

"It was almost immediate after having read the report that this would 
not be a facility that we would associate ourselves with," he said.

Officer Christopher Hegstrom, a spokesman for the sheriff 's office - 
whose commander, Joe Arpaio, likes to call himself "America's toughest 
sheriff" and has received a lot of attention for his tough approach to 
illegal immigration - said Monday in a statement that the accusations 
against the force are unproven and overstated by a "sensationalistic 
press, and so far represent mere words uttered by administration 
officials in Washington, D.C."
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MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.