The Red Coats
Understanding the RCMP
by George Forbes B.A., B.Ed.
The RCMP, among other police forces in Canada, often has members visit schools and give talks to students. These members address many issues of great interest to the students including specific laws and consequences of breaking those laws. They also talk about the actual job of policing, just as visiting professionals like accountants and dentists and skilled tradespeople of all kinds do when invited to speak in the classrooms. However, unlike other visitors, the police are also routinely invited to offer group counselling to the children upon the subject of peer pressure and it's many facets- like bullying and gangs to give two of the most important examples. The assumption is that by the very nature of their work with the victims of negative peer pressure- the police seem to be the obvious ones to ask. When you think about it though, particularly in the case of the RCMP in BC, the police have proven themselves time and time again to be the last people we should ask to speak to our children about peer pressure, bullying and gangs because- to quote...... "they are one".
For once in the field of psychological terminology, the accepted definitions and explanations of peer pressure make perfect common sense to everybody. A child starts school with a set of philosophical, moral and social standards that he or she acquired in their first five years of life. In order to get along in his new school and on the playground each child must adapt his or her behaviour to that prescribed by the teacher and by his classmates. How smoothly this goes depends upon how closely the standards the child arrived with conform to the standards he or she encounters at the school, and his ability to adapt to the differences. As we all know, some children do better at it than others and really, when you get right down to it, not much more needs to be said. All of us know about it because we all went through it. Even if we haven't been near a school in years we all remember and understand how it works. What is particularly interesting to note, however, is that when we apply our understanding of how peer pressure works specifically to the RCMP, we find to our dismay that the RCMP as an organization and the individual members themselves are perfect poster examples of all that can go wrong when negative peer pressure is allowed free reign.
The 'Bad Apple' Theory
The bogus 'Bad Apple Theory' is a good place to start. Most people don't dwell on the subject of the RCMP and it's many well published failings because of the many other things in life that require our immediate attention. However, when they were interrupted in their daily routine and specifically asked in a recent Angus Reid poll in BC, over 70% of us said the RCMP as an organization is failing us. That failure is a fact that has become such common knowledge that it isn't even necessary to take the time here to cite specific examples of the many excessively violent and often cowardly acts perpetrated by RCMP gang members. Routine inappropriate use of tazers and pepper spray, the punching of handcuffed people by officers, money crimes, sexual excess and depravity, harrassment, and downright investigative incompetance. Even the RCMP spokespeople now tend to say they will fix it, rather than trying to flog the blatantly false assertion that it isn't happening all the time.
Most of the survey respondents felt somehow disloyal about having to denounce the formerly well respected RCMP organization, and because of that feeling many were quick to add that while the RCMP as a whole is failing us, they have heard the fault originates with a few 'bad apples' who are spoiling everything. This 'Bad Apple' theory is so seriously flawed that is completely ludicrous, but the RCMP brass and their political apologists support it with enthusiasm because they mistakenly think it helps take the blame for the degeneration of the RCMP away from where it belongs- the top. (They add to this 'bad apple' excuse the thin claim that they are hamstrung by the RCMP Act when it comes to discipline. I will dispose of that in a few words while discussing the 'bad apple' theory).
What is wrong with the 'Bad Apple' theory?
Unpleasant though it may be to contemplate, it is pretty clear to all of us that the 'bad apples'- vicious swaggering bullies, moral reprobates and down-right crooks- would simply not be able to function within the RCMP if the RCMP members themselves would refuse to tolerate their presence rather than meekly consent to work alongside them in a business as usual manner. If you are an RCMP officer reading this- and if you are not too far gone- you will be feeling more than a little awkward at this observation. The simple every day fact is that if you have any backbone at all you would use the normal social instruements of behaviour that you learned in the school yard to keep the miscreants among you at arms length. Do you seriously think it isn't partly your own fault that we civilians look upon you with less respect as every month goes by with scandal heaped upon scandal?
An officer punches a handcuffed teenage girl in the face- you ostracize him. You refuse to treat him with any friendliness or respect. Right? Well apparently not. By going on with business as usual you condone their actions, and by condoning them you become their accomplices. How can you fail to see that? You voluntarily tar yourself with their brush, and in doing so you earn and deserve our disrespect. Also, by the way and while we're on the subject, if the top brass was serious and came out from hiding behind the RCMP Act, they could disarm the rejects they claim can't be fired and assign them to public service work like washing dishes in a soup kitchen or picking up highway garbage for their eight hours a day. Who does the top brass think they're kidding? It's as embarrassing to all of us that the RCMP brass spouts this kind of tripe and thinks we're buying it, as it is disappointing that the rank and file don't make the job untenable for the thugs and crooks among them.
So much for the 'bad apple' theory. You might as well say the Hell's Angels are a really nice bunch of swell guys except for a few bad apples. It would be more accurate to say that the RCMP has become a gang- a gang like any other whose members have more loyalty to their fellow members than to anybody outside their group.
Back to you, you long suffering regular RCMP hopefully non-villain member. When you joined the RCMP and went off to the training depot, like just about everybody starting a new job you had to compromise your internal standards that you had at that point in order to avoid rejection within your new group. Sound familiar from your school days? The difference between you and us is, you threw so many of your own standards completely down the toilet that you allowed yourself to be turned into somebody else! Let's skip a few steps and fast-forward five or six years to you being a fairly experienced officer now. You have seen the public begin to complain more and more frequently about various crimes many of your fellow officers have committed without those officers even being brought to book like any civilian would have been- let alone fired. The lack of consequences for their aberrant behaviour is a travesty and an insult to a people who deserve much better.
This point must be hammered home: we civilians understand that the mutant philosophical and moral standards that RCMP gang members now maintain in order to be accepted as worthy members, are standards that are totally in conflict with our standards. More and more, as we read daily accounts, we cannot bring ourselves to excuse the RCMP- neither the top brass nor the rank and file- for actively embracing a culture whose standards allow- even require- that they tolerate and even accept the behaviour of so many so extremely deviant fellow members. By tolerating them the gang itself becomes complicit. Make no mistake- by tolerating the rejects the rank and file members knowingly betray us. While the brass should have the rejects sweeping sidewalks in the first place, the fact remains that having been stuck with them by thier leaders, the rank and file haven't ostracized those rejects like they should have. No individual member has to be friendly or civil with anybody they don't respect, even if they are too chicken- hearted to be more obvious about it than simply giving them the cold shoulder. The fact that RCMP gang members, of all people, lecture to our children about peer pressure, bullying and gangs is a sad joke.
Before turning to the subject of gang mentality within the RCMP, I'd like to say a few things about the RCMP 'apologists' I mentioned earlier. RCMP apologists are the people who actively try to get us to excuse the RCMP. No matter what the latest crime or outrage committed by an RCMP member, the apologists will write in to the newspaper comment sections and saying in defence of the RCMP things like, " How would you like it if some creep treated you that way?" or, "These guys are on the front line while you sit safely at home criticising them", or even derisively "Listen to the Civil Liberties Association complain about this one!". Well here are a few facts for those apologists (many of whom I can't stop myself from suspecting are paid by the RCMP to read the papers and submit such comments no matter how outrageous the RCMP behaviour being reported) :
School teachers are often subjected to some extremely bad behaviour from students- some of whom are bigger than the teachers, stronger, and extremely volatile. Bus drivers, nurses, social workers and many others will know first hand what I'm talking about.When confronted by these same antagonistic children and adults on the streets, RCMP officers have tazers and pepper spray at their disposal, as well as usually being in the company of at least one other officer similarly equipped. An RCMP officer will tazer anyone from eleven to eighty years old rather than risk being touched. When it comes to being hurt on the job, the RCMP is tenth on the list, far below farmers, fishermen, construction workers and garbage men! And the RCMP wouldn't even be in tenth place if they didn't have so many car accidents. A police officer with a grade twelve education and one year on the job gets paid over sixty thousand dollars a year with full benefits, clothing supplied, excellent pension and retirement at an early age. The apologists for the RCMP have no more than a load of hooey to sling.
Before examining gang mentality within the RCMP I'll conclude this peer pressure aspect of understanding the RCMP with the following nearly twenty year old report but still perfectly relevant today about the importance of individual officers having the guts to stand up......
Former Police Corruption-Fighter on Peer Pressure and Ethics
By SELWYN RAAB
Published: June 18, 1995
http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/18/nyregion/former-police-corruption-fighter-on-peer-pressure-and-ethics.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
John Guido was in charge of uprooting and deterring corruption in New York City's Police Department from 1972 to 1986 -- a period viewed by most police experts as one of the cleanest in the department's history. He retired in 1986 as Chief of Inspectional Services and the Internal Affairs Division, with a reputation as the most hated commander on the force because of his relentless investigations.
Last week, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and Police Comissioner William J. Bratton announced a new set of anticorruption measures to clean up a department troubled by a series of scandals. In an interview. Mr. Guido (pronounced GUY-doe) discussed the corruption problems that are again besetting the department and ways of combatting police misconduct.
Q. Why can't the department stop, or at least contain, this chronic series of corruption and abuse problems?
A. I think the problem is the police itself -- I'm talking about the patrolmen basically. What it is, here, they outnumber the supervisors 10 to 1. And somehow the department failed to instill in these individuals a sense of doing the right thing. They come out -- I don't care how long you train them in the academy, you could keep them there a year, two years, three years -- the minute they come out, the first tour, they go into a radio car. There's a veteran police officer, he's got decorations from his shoulder down to his hip, and he tells him: "Hey, kid, forget about that baloney they told you in the academy. Here's how the job is done." And that's his peer and I think peer pressure will far, will far outlast any supervisory pressure.
The best thing I have in my experience -- and I'll never forget this until the day I die -- is how the policeman should react. I was the head of the I.A.D. and somebody came in and said, "There's an officer from the Ninth Precinct who wants to talk to you. He wants to make an appointment to see you." I said, "Bring him in." And this guys comes in -- his name was Robert Ellis -- and he's in the Ninth Precinct. I said, "What's on your mind, Bob?" And the guy started telling me a harrowing tale -- I couldn't really believe it. I said, "I wonder if he's playing with a full deck." So I said, "Well, why are you doing this?" And here's the key. He was in the U.N. Security Force, and he came in the job kind of late, he was in his 30's. He said, "I always wanted to be a cop." And he said: "I'm proud of my job, I'm proud of being a cop. But these guys are so corrupt."
So he tells a story. There's a clique, between seven or nine men, ripping off drug addicts in the Ninth Precinct. He said they come and brag, and one guy carries a bugle, and when the guy won't tell him where the money is he blasts out his eardrums. Medically, you know, we substantiated later medically and it proved to be right.
So anyway, at the time when he came in I had my reservations. "Listen," I said, "you know you have to help us now."
He said, "Of course."
So I, you know, kind of almost fell off my chair. I said, "You know we want to wire up your car."
He said, "Why don't you wire me up?"
I said, "Oh, you're going to assist us?"
"You tell me what you want me to do," he said, "and it's done."
So the next day he started in. We put him in with one of the cops in a civilian car -- they were trying to get him to go into the group. They used to come into the locker room and just throw bundles of money in there and tell him what a jerk he was for not joining. Next day, he wears the wire and there it is, everything he's saying, it's corroborated.
Q. Can you produce enough honest officers to turn in others?
A. Well, they won't do it. I personally blame the P.B.A. because the thing is this: They built up a subculture which is stronger than the -- 10 times stronger than the supervisory culture.
Q. What is that subculture that you think is created by the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association?
A. The subculture is that they've got to stick together, that the world is against them and everything else.
Q. Are corruption and brutality inevitable? Is it a way of life in the department?
A. It really doesn't have to be if you could get more Robert Ellises. You know, here's what I found. Back in the late 60's and the early 70's I had a Public Morals Division, that's a high corruption-hazard enforcement. And twice my men came to me and turned in their own guys. Twice! Because the majority of the men in there -- and I don't know, maybe it was my leadership, because I used to be with them all over, I used to live with them -- and twice they came in and told me about officers that were deviating because there were more honest guys than there were thieves. And the thieves, you know, who would have broke out under different leadership.
But I think the thing is this. I have a dream, you know, that they are turning out a platoon and there's 40 cops. And one cop says, "Look, I want to make it known to everybody that I'm working with, if I see any corrupt practices, I'm turning that police officer in." And then another guy raises his hand and he says, "I'm with you." And before you know it out of the 40, 35 raise their hands -- they won, they won. That's the end of corruption.
Q. But you say that's a dream.
A. That's a dream. Because the culture -- they have a stronger culture.
Q. Is there any possibility that the police can police themselves?
A. Yeah, somehow if they produce more Robert Ellises.
Q. You mean more honest officers?
A. Yeah. Well, no, no, no. Don't say more honest cops. I think you have enough honest cops. What you have is the desire for the honest cops to influence the others that aren't.
Q. What is the single most important step that the department can take to deter corruption and misbehavior?
A. It's still in the police officers that there's more honest cops than there are corrupt ones and the honest ones should win out.
Back to......
The Red Coats
Understanding the RCMP
Conclusion:
'Groupthink' is an interesting term for an obvious phenomena. Members of sports teams, fraternities and civilian service organizations and hobby groups of many kinds psychologically reinforce and strenghthen each others pre-existing views that caused them to join the group in the first place. A T-shirt joke I read and enjoyed illustrates the idea perfectly: it depicts two fishermen outside their tents in the early morning darkness organizing their gear while a hunter with his rifle walked by in the background of their campsite. One fisherman said to the other "Can you imagine that idiot getting up this early to go hunting?!"
Unlike many harmless or even positive types of groupthink, members of the RCMP lean upon groupthink as a self-defence mechanism, rather than as an instruement to intensify their experience in a friendly or positive motivational spirit. They depend on groupthink to help preserve their sanity in the face of growing criticism all around them. They depend upon 'groupthink' in exactly the same way and for most of the same reasons as a moon-shine hillbilly family, secret society, or simple gang of thugs. Unfortunately, more and more, the RCMP resort to swaggering bravado and barely concealed contempt and sometimes outright violence and brutality in an effort to maintain their authority in the face of our growing knowledge. Tasers and pepper spray are favourite means of communicating with the public- young and old. They cannot succeed. Police through the ages have had to rely in the long run upon the cooperation and basic approval of the society they serve. The Red Coats have squandered their best weapon- the goodwill of the people. The Indians used to call them 'Red Coats' in terms of respect. Now neither the Indians nor anybody else would call the Red Coats at 911 unless they want to have the gang come out to mug somebody.
I believe we have now reached the point as a society that we have had enough. The 70% disapproval of the RCMP in a recent Angus Reid poll says it all. Canadians are slow to anger, but harder to appease once angered. Our provincial and federal political leaders and the top brass in the RCMP are making a big mistake thinking that the promise of reform will win them time, when it is plain that "bad apples"- who should have been ostracized from within anyway- could be immediately disarmed and shunted to public service work in charity organizations until the government changes the RCMP Act. Lately I have heard that a reformed Police Act will not be retroactive. At first I found this to be heaping insult upon insult, but then I realized it wouldn't matter if it was retroactive or not if the rejects were assigned to unarmed kitchen duty and ostracized by their peers. They don't have to wear special dunce caps or be humiliated in any public way. They just have to be disarmed and employed as highly paid undercover RCMP charity workers until they can be fired- if ever. Nobody has to know who they are. All we have to know is that they have been disarmed and have had their authority taken away.
Sound fair? You bettcha!
Alberta sex-cop’s wife comes to his defence, claims RCMP now ‘making an example of him’ (updated)
Alberta sex-cop’s wife comes to his defence, claims RCMP now ‘making an example of him’ (updated)
I'm not clear on this. He's a rotten creep because the job made him a rotten creep, or he's a rotten creep but so is everybody else: either way being sufficient excuse. Have I got it?
I'm not clear on this. He's a rotten creep because the job made him a rotten creep, or he's a rotten creep but so is everybody else: either way being sufficient excuse. Have I got it?
Corporal Brown
Brian Hutchinson: Mountie fetishist sparks new Code of Conduct review
Brian Hutchinson Jul 5, 2012 – 7:41 PM ET
Last Updated: Jul 6, 2012 6:41 PM ET
David Clark / Postmedia News files
Serial killer Robert Pickton's farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C.
.Comments Email Twitter inShare.1.VANCOUVER — Corporal Jim Brown has worked from the RCMP’s Coquitlam detachment for decades. He played a small but important role in the Mounties’ investigation of Robert (Willie) Pickton, the serial killer who murdered women and disposed of their bodies on a pig farm just a few kilometres from the same Coquitlam detachment.
Vancouver Sun/Handout
A cropped version of one of the images alleged to be of Jim Brown
.Cpl. Brown had an alter ego: A boot-wearing sadomasochist. In a shocking story published Thursday, Vancouver Sun columnist Ian Mulgrew described several photographs made available for public viewing on Internet websites catering to bondage and sadomasochism enthusiasts.
Hundreds more photos of Cpl. Brown in various S&M positions continue to circulate on the Internet. It’s wretched stuff. Just as disturbing, Cpl. Brown’s RCMP superiors have known about the photos since December 2010. An internal investigation was initiated then, and a decision was made to let the matter slide.
In an email exchange Thursday with the National Post, RCMP Supt. Ray Bernoties explained that “[RCMP] Legal Services deemed this to be off duty, non-criminal, adult consensual activity during which the individual was not representing himself as a member of the RCMP and thus did not appear to them to meet the threshold for a Code of Conduct violation.
Related
S&M photos emerge of RCMP officer who played part in Pickton investigation
Brian Hutchinson on the Pickton Inquiry: Whole story still untold
Brian Hutchinson: Inquiry under fire to the end
Brian Hutchinson: Wally Oppal’s slasher film is an exercise in bad judgment
.“While I agree the staged images are very graphic, they appear only on an adult site catering to those that seek them out,” Supt. Bernoties continued. “Having said that, I am very concerned and frankly embarrassed that the RCMP would, in any way, be linked to photos of this nature.”
While I agree the staged images are very graphic, they appear only on an adult site catering to those that seek them outThe Post has learned that other sexually explicit photographs depicting Cpl. Brown were discovered inside the Coquitlam detachment itself. The digitally rendered photos were stored in a small USB device, which was left inserted in a computer and found by other RCMP members.
Supt. Bernoties confirmed the existence of the USB device and its sexually explicit file contents. He added that “the RCMP first learned of the graphic staged photos around December 2010. This activity was investigated at that time and legal opinion sought. In March 2012, the issue of the member’s life style was again investigated. Following that, Cpl. Brown’s personal website was terminated.”
According to sources, Cpl. Brown is now working in an administrative capacity inside the Coquitlam detachment.
Something — media scrutiny, perhaps — has triggered the Mounties to take another, more thorough look at Cpl. Brown’s off-duty, adult consensual activities. They have launched a formal Code of Conduct review, “examining all the events,” to be conducted by RCMP members in Richmond.
“We have also taken the unusual step of requesting an external police agency to conduct an independent review of the internal investigation,” Supt. Bernoties told the Post.
A number of Code of Conduct reviews have been launched lately. Some involve officers convicted of crimes such as assault, theft, and drunk driving. Other officers have admitted to inappropriate sexual behaviour. The list of offences is lengthy.
The reviews are part of the RCMP’s discipline process and performed by “impartial” Mounties, usually drawn from a Professional Standards Unit. They rarely end with a dismissal order against an offending officer. Usually, an offender is docked some pay. Officers can appeal decisions, which can add years to the lengthy and cumbersome process. In many cases, officers retire before disciplinary procedures are completed.
Based on appearances in his sadomasochism photos, Cpl. Brown looks to be at the typical retirement age for an RCMP member.
We have also taken the unusual step of requesting an external police agency to conduct an independent review of the internal investigationHis name and his Internet nickname — Kilted Knight — were discussed during hearings at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, formed to examine why police bungled their investigations of Robert Pickton.
The inquiry heard that in 1999, Cpl. Brown “produced” a key Pickton informant for the Vancouver Police Department. The source had knowledge about criminal activities — including murder — on the Pickton farm. Sadly, three more years passed before RCMP arrested Pickton. He was eventually charged with 26 counts of murder, and tried in 2007. He was convicted on six counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
In May, an inquiry lawyer representing the families of Pickton’s victims suggested to two sworn witnesses — both former Coquitlam detachment members — that Cpl. Brown and other RCMP officers had, in the 1990s, attended social functions at Piggy’s Palace, a local booze can run by Pickton and his brother David, and popular with Hells Angels gang members.
Both of the former Coquitlam officers denied any knowledge of RCMP social visits to Piggy’s Palace.
Inquiry commissioner Wally Oppal said in a statement late Thursday that he has “no evidence to support reopening” the inquiry hearings, which concluded in June; however, he has asked his commission counsel to look into the Brown-sadomasochism revelations, and B.C.’s Ministry of Justice has been notified. Mr. Oppal has until the end of October to submit his inquiry report to B.C.’s justice minister, Shirley Bond.
National Post
Brian Hutchinson Jul 5, 2012 – 7:41 PM ET
Last Updated: Jul 6, 2012 6:41 PM ET
David Clark / Postmedia News files
Serial killer Robert Pickton's farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C.
.Comments Email Twitter inShare.1.VANCOUVER — Corporal Jim Brown has worked from the RCMP’s Coquitlam detachment for decades. He played a small but important role in the Mounties’ investigation of Robert (Willie) Pickton, the serial killer who murdered women and disposed of their bodies on a pig farm just a few kilometres from the same Coquitlam detachment.
Vancouver Sun/Handout
A cropped version of one of the images alleged to be of Jim Brown
.Cpl. Brown had an alter ego: A boot-wearing sadomasochist. In a shocking story published Thursday, Vancouver Sun columnist Ian Mulgrew described several photographs made available for public viewing on Internet websites catering to bondage and sadomasochism enthusiasts.
Hundreds more photos of Cpl. Brown in various S&M positions continue to circulate on the Internet. It’s wretched stuff. Just as disturbing, Cpl. Brown’s RCMP superiors have known about the photos since December 2010. An internal investigation was initiated then, and a decision was made to let the matter slide.
In an email exchange Thursday with the National Post, RCMP Supt. Ray Bernoties explained that “[RCMP] Legal Services deemed this to be off duty, non-criminal, adult consensual activity during which the individual was not representing himself as a member of the RCMP and thus did not appear to them to meet the threshold for a Code of Conduct violation.
Related
S&M photos emerge of RCMP officer who played part in Pickton investigation
Brian Hutchinson on the Pickton Inquiry: Whole story still untold
Brian Hutchinson: Inquiry under fire to the end
Brian Hutchinson: Wally Oppal’s slasher film is an exercise in bad judgment
.“While I agree the staged images are very graphic, they appear only on an adult site catering to those that seek them out,” Supt. Bernoties continued. “Having said that, I am very concerned and frankly embarrassed that the RCMP would, in any way, be linked to photos of this nature.”
While I agree the staged images are very graphic, they appear only on an adult site catering to those that seek them outThe Post has learned that other sexually explicit photographs depicting Cpl. Brown were discovered inside the Coquitlam detachment itself. The digitally rendered photos were stored in a small USB device, which was left inserted in a computer and found by other RCMP members.
Supt. Bernoties confirmed the existence of the USB device and its sexually explicit file contents. He added that “the RCMP first learned of the graphic staged photos around December 2010. This activity was investigated at that time and legal opinion sought. In March 2012, the issue of the member’s life style was again investigated. Following that, Cpl. Brown’s personal website was terminated.”
According to sources, Cpl. Brown is now working in an administrative capacity inside the Coquitlam detachment.
Something — media scrutiny, perhaps — has triggered the Mounties to take another, more thorough look at Cpl. Brown’s off-duty, adult consensual activities. They have launched a formal Code of Conduct review, “examining all the events,” to be conducted by RCMP members in Richmond.
“We have also taken the unusual step of requesting an external police agency to conduct an independent review of the internal investigation,” Supt. Bernoties told the Post.
A number of Code of Conduct reviews have been launched lately. Some involve officers convicted of crimes such as assault, theft, and drunk driving. Other officers have admitted to inappropriate sexual behaviour. The list of offences is lengthy.
The reviews are part of the RCMP’s discipline process and performed by “impartial” Mounties, usually drawn from a Professional Standards Unit. They rarely end with a dismissal order against an offending officer. Usually, an offender is docked some pay. Officers can appeal decisions, which can add years to the lengthy and cumbersome process. In many cases, officers retire before disciplinary procedures are completed.
Based on appearances in his sadomasochism photos, Cpl. Brown looks to be at the typical retirement age for an RCMP member.
We have also taken the unusual step of requesting an external police agency to conduct an independent review of the internal investigationHis name and his Internet nickname — Kilted Knight — were discussed during hearings at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, formed to examine why police bungled their investigations of Robert Pickton.
The inquiry heard that in 1999, Cpl. Brown “produced” a key Pickton informant for the Vancouver Police Department. The source had knowledge about criminal activities — including murder — on the Pickton farm. Sadly, three more years passed before RCMP arrested Pickton. He was eventually charged with 26 counts of murder, and tried in 2007. He was convicted on six counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison.
In May, an inquiry lawyer representing the families of Pickton’s victims suggested to two sworn witnesses — both former Coquitlam detachment members — that Cpl. Brown and other RCMP officers had, in the 1990s, attended social functions at Piggy’s Palace, a local booze can run by Pickton and his brother David, and popular with Hells Angels gang members.
Both of the former Coquitlam officers denied any knowledge of RCMP social visits to Piggy’s Palace.
Inquiry commissioner Wally Oppal said in a statement late Thursday that he has “no evidence to support reopening” the inquiry hearings, which concluded in June; however, he has asked his commission counsel to look into the Brown-sadomasochism revelations, and B.C.’s Ministry of Justice has been notified. Mr. Oppal has until the end of October to submit his inquiry report to B.C.’s justice minister, Shirley Bond.
National Post
RCMP corporal under investigation for sexually explicit photos won't be asked to quit
RCMP corporal under investigation for sexually explicit photos won't be asked to quit
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In Arts HomeMoviesTelevisionEvent ListingsTV ListingsMusicBooksCelebrityCapital CappiesThe PlaylistTop Stories The wonderful witches of Oz She’s green, mean and powerful. But Elphaba didn’t just appear one day as the Wicked Witch of the West. That metamorphoses was nurtured. Photos Bluesfest Photos: Seal, Norah Jones, The Wooden Sky and more on July 8, 2012 For tabloids, Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes split a celebrity divorce like the good ol' times Photos: Anne Hathaway looks sleek and slim with super short hair Kourtney Kardashian gives birth to baby girl; reality TV star names second child Penelope Usher's stepson declared brain dead after boating accident Oscar-winning film star Ernest Borgnine dies at 95 Arts Blogs The Big BeatClassical OttawaJazzblog.caSax and the City More in Arts •Life
In Life HomeReal DealHealthFashion & BeautyFood & WineParentingRelationshipsCitizenCycleFaith & EthicsWorld of BirdsLife StoryDiversions - Comics & GamesTop Stories When life hands you lemons: the new science of positive thinking... Canadian social psychologist Jamie Gruman is proposing a new way of achieving nirvana: Do nothing. People who are obese face higher rates of pain: study Cheer up, and that heart attack may never happen Canada fifth in global happiness ranking David Lynch on transcendental meditation and his foundation Fitness Laughing yoga cultivates merry mindfulness Dave Brown: Canoe camping with the kids People who are obese face higher rates of pain: study Ottawa runner spreads word about women and heart disease Hotdog versus hamburger The Week Ahead Diabetes drug triggers neuron growth, potential to regenerate brain cells: study Life Blogs Adventures of a Working MomOmnivore's OttawaReal Deal More in Life •Technology
In Technology HomePersonal TechGamingTech-BizInternetEnvironmentSpaceScienceFuture TechBest of YouTubeTop Stories Yahoo and Facebook announce they have settled patent dispute... SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook and Yahoo have agreed to settle a patent dispute, averting a potentially lengthy battle over the technology running two of the Internet's most popular destinations. Science Ancient Fossils Newfoundland fossil discovery unearths ancient animal... New airport virtual assistant holograms guide passengers... Alberta researchers help find earliest evidence of... Canadian scientists use stem cells to reverse diabetes... More in Technology •Travel
In Travel HomeTrip IdeasTools & TipsDestination GuidesTravel ShotsTop 5Top Stories British Airways Googles VIP fliers so crew recognizes them British Airways really wants to get to know its customers. So much so that the airline has dispatched crew members with about 2,000 iPads to look up the Google images of a select group of VIP customers... Share your best travel photos with us on the canada.com Travel Flickr pool. Airlines up chase for corporate traveller with new come-ons Teddies to trinkets, airlines eye sales in the sky The next airline fee: Paying more to get off a plane faster? Delta adding more restrictions on pet travel Travel The next airline fee: Paying more to get off a plane faster? Belgian tourism officials blame the weatherman Route 66 still holds allure for travellers, industry Quebec City hotel partners with clinic to offer 'medical tourism package' Photo Galleries Travel Photo of the Day Photo Gallery: Spain's Pamplona bull-run fiesta kicks... Photo Gallery: Relaxing at Thailand's resorts Photo Gallery: Hindu pilgrims climb to Amarnath Cave... More in Travel •Health
Health HomeWomenMenFamily & ChildSeniorsSexual HealthDiet & FitnessEditor's Picks Stampede bastion of deep-fried everything faces invasion by healthy alternatives The tempting culinary hodgepodge of deep-fried everything has brought us such concoctions as the 1,550-calorie doughnut cheeseburger with bacon, the macaroni and cheese pizza, deep-fried Coke, deep-fried... Photos: How to avoid summer diet pitfalls Gallery: How to avoid common breakfast mistakes Gallery: How to eat smart after dark Gallery: Keep the doc away with fighter foods Happiness When life hands you lemons: the new science of positive thinking Laughing yoga cultivates merry mindfulness •Jobs
In Jobs HomeSearch JobsResourcesPost JobsJobseekersEmployer LoginTop EmployersTop Stories As demand grows for skills training, certificates grow popular... The number of people earning college certificates has dramatically increased as students seek the quickest connection to a job. Find a job! Teens 'struggling to survive' tough job market Global experience viewed as an asset Generation independence Canadian startups struggle to attract talent: survey How to find a job that suits you Internships How interns, employers can benefit from internships Working anytime, anywhere creates overtime problems Features Loud Co-worker Control reaction to noisy co-worker For new spot at workplace, take action Many midlevel jobs go missing as employment market... Reflect on your career as you recharge during holidays... More in Jobs •Cars
In Cars HomeNewUsedWeekly SpecialsSellResearch & CompareNews & EventsVideosFeaturesTop Stories BMW to invest $388 million on Mini in Britain German carmaker BMW will invest $388 million U.S. (250 million pounds) over the next three years to increase capacity at the British manufacturing plants where it makes the Mini. Gallery: 2012 Mini Roadster Gallery: 2012 Mini Coupe Gallery: 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman Road test: 2012 Mini Coupe First drive: 2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster First Drive: 2012 Mini Cooper JCW Comparison: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth vs. 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupe Kia Robots run flexible Kia plant Wheels when you want them Peugeot Citroen posts sales slump, shares drop Jerry Seinfeld launches "Comedians in Cars" series Blog: Fiat targets Mini with 500X SUV Fisker Karma pushes the envelope of technology CAW, CEP draft merger Mercedes sales growth drops to slowest YTD pace Features 2012 New Cars 2012 New Model Preview Going Green Auto Shows Special site: Sensational supercars Special: Driver Education More in Cars •Homes
In Homes HomeFor Sale/RentReal Estate AdviceRenovatingDecoratingGardeningVacation HomesMike HolmesTop Stories The Soho brand The morality police better be on high alert: There is a new party place in town. It's 17 floors up on the terrace of Soho Parkway, a slick condo on Parkdale Avenue with a hot cool factor and filled with... Video: SOHO brand in Ottawa Homes What’s in a name? From a quick fix to a total gut A new Group of Seven Marketplace: One nightstands Does your cottage look like a sauna? Propped up on a cliff Bringing the shine back to brass hardware What they got in Stonebridge Green thumb app tells users when plants need watering Calendar Ottawa Condos Homes The Soho brand What’s in a name? One-stop shopping for condos 23-storey tower proposed near Bayview station Condo scene: Getting the scoop on pets More in Homes •Classifieds
In Classifieds HomePersonalsObituariesAnnouncementsVehiclesReal EstateRentalsJobsPetsFor SaleShoppingPlace an AdFlyerCityTop Stories BMW to invest $388 million on Mini in Britain German carmaker BMW will invest $388 million U.S. (250 million pounds) over the next three years to increase capacity at the British manufacturing plants where it makes the Mini. Gallery: 2012 Mini Roadster Gallery: 2012 Mini Coupe Gallery: 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman Road test: 2012 Mini Coupe First drive: 2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster First Drive: 2012 Mini Cooper JCW Comparison: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth vs. 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupe Kia Robots run flexible Kia plant Wheels when you want them Peugeot Citroen posts sales slump, shares drop Jerry Seinfeld launches "Comedians in Cars" series Blog: Fiat targets Mini with 500X SUV Fisker Karma pushes the envelope of technology CAW, CEP draft merger Features 3 Acre Commercial Property on Bank Street (Oodle) $... Own Your Own Smoothie Bar (Oodle) $115,000 2003 St Joseph Blvd (Househunting.ca) $75,000 601 St Isidore (Househunting.ca) $239,900 More in Classifieds Don't miss: Digital Lounge OttawaGolfing.ca Sens Extra Style Online Weather Watch FlyerCity Shopping Reader galleries » RCMP corporal under investigation for sexually explicit photos won't be asked to quit
But Bond disappointed by officer’s actions
By Lori Culbert, Vancouver Sun July 6, 2012 •Story•Photos ( 4 )
Cpl. Jim BrownPhotograph by: Handout , Special to the SunJustice Minister Shirley Bond is disappointed and unhappy about the actions of a Coquitlam police officer who posted online sexual images of himself domineering women, but stopped short of demanding the corporal resign.
“I am clearly unhappy about the kind of message this incident sends to the public. It’s important that British Columbians have confidence in the men and women who serve in our communities every day as police officers,” Bond said in a statement Thursday.
“We expect more from our police and I am disappointed in this particular situation.”
The Vancouver Sun first reported Wednesday the Coquitlam RCMP launched a code of conduct investigation into Cpl. Jim Brown, after sexually explicit photos of the Mountie — who at times was clad only in his RCMP-issued boots — were posted on a slave-and-master website.
Bond noted Brown has been placed on administrative duties and said she could not comment further until a review of the RCMP’s handling of the case is completed by an outside police agency.
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart did not return several messages Thursday asking for comment on whether he has any concerns about Brown working in his city.
Hilla Kerner, who works at Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, said she and her colleagues were outraged by the thought of a police officer engaging in sexualized images that portray women in a demeaning way.
“It is absurd to think that his personal, private behaviour has nothing to do with his professional role as a police officer,” she said.
Kerner added it is stories like this one that have made some women hesitate to report sexual assaults to police.
“We do not trust this man, and the agency he is part of, to protect women from male violence,” she said.
But University of Victoria philosophy professor Eike-Henner Kluge, whose area of expertise includes police ethics, said as long as activities in a person’s private life are not illegal or unethical or cross over into his professional life, the public should not cast aspersions.
“While it may be emotionally questionable to onlookers, in fact, ethically speaking, there is nothing wrong here. We have a tendency to equate people with their professional standing and that is unfair,” Kluge said.
“One should never confuse an emotional reaction with what is ethically appropriate.”
University of B.C. psychology professor Del Paulhus, whose research includes psychopathy and narcissism, said there is no evidence to suggest that slave-and-master sexual activity at home will necessarily reflect how an individual behaves in the office.
“It is possible to have an interest in S&M photos, for example, and not necessarily have an aversive [unpleasant] personality in your personal life or any other aspect of your life,” Paulhus said. “In particular, the S&M community seems to be a group of people who are normal in every respect, except for their interest in sadistic and/or masochistic activities.”
Paulhus allowed such research might be surprising to some, but said the results shouldn’t be applied any differently to Brown because he is a police officer. “Other than for public relations purposes — it is going to look pretty bad because of the association of any kind of unusual sexual behaviour.”
That is of little comfort to Lilliane Beaudoin, whose sister Dianne Rock was one of the 26 women Coquitlam pig farmer Robert (Willy) Pickton was accused of killing. Beaudoin accused Brown, who played a small role in the Pickton investigation, of discriminating against women in the photos.
“To me, he broke the oath he took when he became a police officer. I think it is disgusting and he should be reprimanded and should lose his job,” Beaudoin said.
A now-retired Vancouver police officer, Dave Dickson, said his recollection is that the B.C. Police Act states improper off-duty conduct that could sully a police agency’s reputation should be considered discreditable conduct.
Dickson also took umbrage with Brown’s comment to The Sun that there were no victims in his photos.
“As [a] former police officer still working with the women in the Downtown Eastside, I found it extremely offensive that the officer would suggest there was no victim,” Dickson said in an email to The Sun.
Maureen McGrath, a nurse who hosts CKNW’s Sunday Night Sex Show, said many people are into consensual bondage and submissive/masochistic sex acts. “Photographing these scenes is [however], unnecessary and disgusting, and to post them even worse,” she said.
McGrath added it is disturbing behaviour by a police officer: “the very person one would look to to help us in this kind of crisis.”
lculbert@vancouversun.com
With files from Ian Mulgrew
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Mulgrew+Officer+racy+photos+spark+inquiry/6885247/story.html#ixzz209IXcdQ7
•HomeOttawa & AreaCanadaWorldThe BlotterWeather WatchToday's Paper & ArchiveAround TownDiplomaticaOttawa & Area A lifeline for society’s most vulnerable smokers When Jen Biscope couldn’t pay for cigarettes any more, she turned to butt picking, joining other impoverished, mentally ill people who scavenge others’ discards. Homicides Ottawa police offer rewards in seven ‘cold case’ homicides Blood-donor debate on the books at Carleton University The royal treatment — Ottawa audience graced by performance of Handel’s Water Music Plan to renovate community centre could leave arts groups singing blues Parishioners asked to pray for Father Joe Blogs Opinion The Bulldog Greater Ottawa Omnivore's Ottawa The Ed Board Campus More in News •Opinion
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In Business HomeMoneyMarkets on FPMortgagesTop Stories Samsung wins bid to sell Nexus in Apple court battle Samsung has scored a partial victory against arch-foe Apple after a U.S. appeals court lifted a freeze on sales of its Galaxy Nexus smartphones but upheld a lower court's decision to temporarily halt ... Follow canada.com Tech on Twitter Samsung's Galaxy powers record $5.9 billion profit; euro a worry The top apps of the week The history of mobile patent wars U.S. judge rejects Samsung request to lift stay on Nexus sales Canadian firms upbeat about sales, hiring despite global uncertainty: BoC Many unaware of new mortgage rules in effect today: Poll QLT biotech firm to slash workforce by two-thirds Contractors fear impact of new regulatory body Money What the new IRS rules mean for U.S. citizens... Half of Canadians expect to be debt-free... Canada pension plans pummeled in May More in Business •Sports
In Sports HomeHockeySenators ExtraFootballBaseballBasketballGolfAuto RacingHigh School SportsTennisSoccerTop Stories Chelsea captain John Terry in court, accused of racially abusing... The racism trial of John Terry began Monday with prosecutors claiming the Chelsea captain acknowledges using offensive language as a "sarcastic exclamation." Wimbledon Tears flow as Federer takes seventh career title at Wimbledon Road to the London Olympics: Fencer Schalm medals in being a mother Jays hit 4 homers to snap Chicago win streak at 5 Anderson Silva retains title at UFC 148, beats rival Chael Sonnen Fury men control own destiny with stellar weekend Britain's Wiggins retains Tour de France lead Canadian Filip Peliwo climbs to No. 1 junior overall at Wimbledon Larry Robinson named associate coach of Sharks Sports Blogs Sports » SenatorsExtra Scouring the Sidelines The Beautiful Game Par for the Course More in Sports •Arts
In Arts HomeMoviesTelevisionEvent ListingsTV ListingsMusicBooksCelebrityCapital CappiesThe PlaylistTop Stories The wonderful witches of Oz She’s green, mean and powerful. But Elphaba didn’t just appear one day as the Wicked Witch of the West. That metamorphoses was nurtured. Photos Bluesfest Photos: Seal, Norah Jones, The Wooden Sky and more on July 8, 2012 For tabloids, Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes split a celebrity divorce like the good ol' times Photos: Anne Hathaway looks sleek and slim with super short hair Kourtney Kardashian gives birth to baby girl; reality TV star names second child Penelope Usher's stepson declared brain dead after boating accident Oscar-winning film star Ernest Borgnine dies at 95 Arts Blogs The Big BeatClassical OttawaJazzblog.caSax and the City More in Arts •Life
In Life HomeReal DealHealthFashion & BeautyFood & WineParentingRelationshipsCitizenCycleFaith & EthicsWorld of BirdsLife StoryDiversions - Comics & GamesTop Stories When life hands you lemons: the new science of positive thinking... Canadian social psychologist Jamie Gruman is proposing a new way of achieving nirvana: Do nothing. People who are obese face higher rates of pain: study Cheer up, and that heart attack may never happen Canada fifth in global happiness ranking David Lynch on transcendental meditation and his foundation Fitness Laughing yoga cultivates merry mindfulness Dave Brown: Canoe camping with the kids People who are obese face higher rates of pain: study Ottawa runner spreads word about women and heart disease Hotdog versus hamburger The Week Ahead Diabetes drug triggers neuron growth, potential to regenerate brain cells: study Life Blogs Adventures of a Working MomOmnivore's OttawaReal Deal More in Life •Technology
In Technology HomePersonal TechGamingTech-BizInternetEnvironmentSpaceScienceFuture TechBest of YouTubeTop Stories Yahoo and Facebook announce they have settled patent dispute... SAN FRANCISCO - Facebook and Yahoo have agreed to settle a patent dispute, averting a potentially lengthy battle over the technology running two of the Internet's most popular destinations. Science Ancient Fossils Newfoundland fossil discovery unearths ancient animal... New airport virtual assistant holograms guide passengers... Alberta researchers help find earliest evidence of... Canadian scientists use stem cells to reverse diabetes... More in Technology •Travel
In Travel HomeTrip IdeasTools & TipsDestination GuidesTravel ShotsTop 5Top Stories British Airways Googles VIP fliers so crew recognizes them British Airways really wants to get to know its customers. So much so that the airline has dispatched crew members with about 2,000 iPads to look up the Google images of a select group of VIP customers... Share your best travel photos with us on the canada.com Travel Flickr pool. Airlines up chase for corporate traveller with new come-ons Teddies to trinkets, airlines eye sales in the sky The next airline fee: Paying more to get off a plane faster? Delta adding more restrictions on pet travel Travel The next airline fee: Paying more to get off a plane faster? Belgian tourism officials blame the weatherman Route 66 still holds allure for travellers, industry Quebec City hotel partners with clinic to offer 'medical tourism package' Photo Galleries Travel Photo of the Day Photo Gallery: Spain's Pamplona bull-run fiesta kicks... Photo Gallery: Relaxing at Thailand's resorts Photo Gallery: Hindu pilgrims climb to Amarnath Cave... More in Travel •Health
Health HomeWomenMenFamily & ChildSeniorsSexual HealthDiet & FitnessEditor's Picks Stampede bastion of deep-fried everything faces invasion by healthy alternatives The tempting culinary hodgepodge of deep-fried everything has brought us such concoctions as the 1,550-calorie doughnut cheeseburger with bacon, the macaroni and cheese pizza, deep-fried Coke, deep-fried... Photos: How to avoid summer diet pitfalls Gallery: How to avoid common breakfast mistakes Gallery: How to eat smart after dark Gallery: Keep the doc away with fighter foods Happiness When life hands you lemons: the new science of positive thinking Laughing yoga cultivates merry mindfulness •Jobs
In Jobs HomeSearch JobsResourcesPost JobsJobseekersEmployer LoginTop EmployersTop Stories As demand grows for skills training, certificates grow popular... The number of people earning college certificates has dramatically increased as students seek the quickest connection to a job. Find a job! Teens 'struggling to survive' tough job market Global experience viewed as an asset Generation independence Canadian startups struggle to attract talent: survey How to find a job that suits you Internships How interns, employers can benefit from internships Working anytime, anywhere creates overtime problems Features Loud Co-worker Control reaction to noisy co-worker For new spot at workplace, take action Many midlevel jobs go missing as employment market... Reflect on your career as you recharge during holidays... More in Jobs •Cars
In Cars HomeNewUsedWeekly SpecialsSellResearch & CompareNews & EventsVideosFeaturesTop Stories BMW to invest $388 million on Mini in Britain German carmaker BMW will invest $388 million U.S. (250 million pounds) over the next three years to increase capacity at the British manufacturing plants where it makes the Mini. Gallery: 2012 Mini Roadster Gallery: 2012 Mini Coupe Gallery: 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman Road test: 2012 Mini Coupe First drive: 2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster First Drive: 2012 Mini Cooper JCW Comparison: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth vs. 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupe Kia Robots run flexible Kia plant Wheels when you want them Peugeot Citroen posts sales slump, shares drop Jerry Seinfeld launches "Comedians in Cars" series Blog: Fiat targets Mini with 500X SUV Fisker Karma pushes the envelope of technology CAW, CEP draft merger Mercedes sales growth drops to slowest YTD pace Features 2012 New Cars 2012 New Model Preview Going Green Auto Shows Special site: Sensational supercars Special: Driver Education More in Cars •Homes
In Homes HomeFor Sale/RentReal Estate AdviceRenovatingDecoratingGardeningVacation HomesMike HolmesTop Stories The Soho brand The morality police better be on high alert: There is a new party place in town. It's 17 floors up on the terrace of Soho Parkway, a slick condo on Parkdale Avenue with a hot cool factor and filled with... Video: SOHO brand in Ottawa Homes What’s in a name? From a quick fix to a total gut A new Group of Seven Marketplace: One nightstands Does your cottage look like a sauna? Propped up on a cliff Bringing the shine back to brass hardware What they got in Stonebridge Green thumb app tells users when plants need watering Calendar Ottawa Condos Homes The Soho brand What’s in a name? One-stop shopping for condos 23-storey tower proposed near Bayview station Condo scene: Getting the scoop on pets More in Homes •Classifieds
In Classifieds HomePersonalsObituariesAnnouncementsVehiclesReal EstateRentalsJobsPetsFor SaleShoppingPlace an AdFlyerCityTop Stories BMW to invest $388 million on Mini in Britain German carmaker BMW will invest $388 million U.S. (250 million pounds) over the next three years to increase capacity at the British manufacturing plants where it makes the Mini. Gallery: 2012 Mini Roadster Gallery: 2012 Mini Coupe Gallery: 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman Road test: 2012 Mini Coupe First drive: 2012 Mini Cooper S Roadster First Drive: 2012 Mini Cooper JCW Comparison: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth vs. 2012 MINI Cooper S Coupe Kia Robots run flexible Kia plant Wheels when you want them Peugeot Citroen posts sales slump, shares drop Jerry Seinfeld launches "Comedians in Cars" series Blog: Fiat targets Mini with 500X SUV Fisker Karma pushes the envelope of technology CAW, CEP draft merger Features 3 Acre Commercial Property on Bank Street (Oodle) $... Own Your Own Smoothie Bar (Oodle) $115,000 2003 St Joseph Blvd (Househunting.ca) $75,000 601 St Isidore (Househunting.ca) $239,900 More in Classifieds Don't miss: Digital Lounge OttawaGolfing.ca Sens Extra Style Online Weather Watch FlyerCity Shopping Reader galleries » RCMP corporal under investigation for sexually explicit photos won't be asked to quit
But Bond disappointed by officer’s actions
By Lori Culbert, Vancouver Sun July 6, 2012 •Story•Photos ( 4 )
Cpl. Jim BrownPhotograph by: Handout , Special to the SunJustice Minister Shirley Bond is disappointed and unhappy about the actions of a Coquitlam police officer who posted online sexual images of himself domineering women, but stopped short of demanding the corporal resign.
“I am clearly unhappy about the kind of message this incident sends to the public. It’s important that British Columbians have confidence in the men and women who serve in our communities every day as police officers,” Bond said in a statement Thursday.
“We expect more from our police and I am disappointed in this particular situation.”
The Vancouver Sun first reported Wednesday the Coquitlam RCMP launched a code of conduct investigation into Cpl. Jim Brown, after sexually explicit photos of the Mountie — who at times was clad only in his RCMP-issued boots — were posted on a slave-and-master website.
Bond noted Brown has been placed on administrative duties and said she could not comment further until a review of the RCMP’s handling of the case is completed by an outside police agency.
Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart did not return several messages Thursday asking for comment on whether he has any concerns about Brown working in his city.
Hilla Kerner, who works at Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, said she and her colleagues were outraged by the thought of a police officer engaging in sexualized images that portray women in a demeaning way.
“It is absurd to think that his personal, private behaviour has nothing to do with his professional role as a police officer,” she said.
Kerner added it is stories like this one that have made some women hesitate to report sexual assaults to police.
“We do not trust this man, and the agency he is part of, to protect women from male violence,” she said.
But University of Victoria philosophy professor Eike-Henner Kluge, whose area of expertise includes police ethics, said as long as activities in a person’s private life are not illegal or unethical or cross over into his professional life, the public should not cast aspersions.
“While it may be emotionally questionable to onlookers, in fact, ethically speaking, there is nothing wrong here. We have a tendency to equate people with their professional standing and that is unfair,” Kluge said.
“One should never confuse an emotional reaction with what is ethically appropriate.”
University of B.C. psychology professor Del Paulhus, whose research includes psychopathy and narcissism, said there is no evidence to suggest that slave-and-master sexual activity at home will necessarily reflect how an individual behaves in the office.
“It is possible to have an interest in S&M photos, for example, and not necessarily have an aversive [unpleasant] personality in your personal life or any other aspect of your life,” Paulhus said. “In particular, the S&M community seems to be a group of people who are normal in every respect, except for their interest in sadistic and/or masochistic activities.”
Paulhus allowed such research might be surprising to some, but said the results shouldn’t be applied any differently to Brown because he is a police officer. “Other than for public relations purposes — it is going to look pretty bad because of the association of any kind of unusual sexual behaviour.”
That is of little comfort to Lilliane Beaudoin, whose sister Dianne Rock was one of the 26 women Coquitlam pig farmer Robert (Willy) Pickton was accused of killing. Beaudoin accused Brown, who played a small role in the Pickton investigation, of discriminating against women in the photos.
“To me, he broke the oath he took when he became a police officer. I think it is disgusting and he should be reprimanded and should lose his job,” Beaudoin said.
A now-retired Vancouver police officer, Dave Dickson, said his recollection is that the B.C. Police Act states improper off-duty conduct that could sully a police agency’s reputation should be considered discreditable conduct.
Dickson also took umbrage with Brown’s comment to The Sun that there were no victims in his photos.
“As [a] former police officer still working with the women in the Downtown Eastside, I found it extremely offensive that the officer would suggest there was no victim,” Dickson said in an email to The Sun.
Maureen McGrath, a nurse who hosts CKNW’s Sunday Night Sex Show, said many people are into consensual bondage and submissive/masochistic sex acts. “Photographing these scenes is [however], unnecessary and disgusting, and to post them even worse,” she said.
McGrath added it is disturbing behaviour by a police officer: “the very person one would look to to help us in this kind of crisis.”
lculbert@vancouversun.com
With files from Ian Mulgrew
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Mulgrew+Officer+racy+photos+spark+inquiry/6885247/story.html#ixzz209IXcdQ7
Time for RCMP to cleanse itself
Time for RCMP to cleanse itself
Time for RCMP to cleanse itself
Times Colonist July 7, 2012 he red-serge uniform of the RCMP used to represent the highest of standards in law enforcement. Now it might more be the blush of acute embarrassment.
T Worse, police force is becoming increasingly tarnished, severely the reputation of Canada's national shaking Canadians' confidence in those sworn to uphold law and order on our behalf. We don't need more inquiries, more reports, more vague promises about gradually changing the culture the RCMP needs to do a sharp about-face in ensuring its members adhere to the force's code of conduct, and to solid standards of ethical, moral behaviour.
It's disturbing enough that a Coquitlam RCMP corporal in regulation Mountie boots and a kilt would pose for photographs for posting on an Internet pornography site that features sexual degradation and violence toward women. It's more disturbing that the officer is still on the job.
When Cpl. Jim Brown's participation in pornography became public knowledge, Supt. Claude Wilcott, his commanding officer, said he consulted the force's legal services to see if Brown's actions violated the RCMP code of conduct.
He needs a lawyer to figure that out? Sadly, the legal opinion he received was that "it did not appear - to meet the threshold for a code-of-conduct violation." To Wilcott's credit, an investigation was launched, but this is a case where the officer should have been shown the door as soon as it was determined he was indeed the person in the photos.
Yes, a lawsuit might have followed, but the RCMP leadership should have shown some backbone and taken that risk. The vast majority of Canadians would have approved.
The RCMP Act includes a perfectly workable and reasonable set of standards for its members, in which it states, among other things, that it is incumbent on every member:
? to ensure that any improper or unlawful conduct of any member is not concealed or permitted to continue;
? to act at all times in a courteous, respectful and honourable manner; and
? to maintain the honour of the force and its principles and purposes.
That doesn't mean tossing an officer out the door for the slightest indiscretion police work is difficult, stressful and exacts a heavy toll. Compassion and understanding are needed when mistakes are made.
But this isn't one of those "oops" moments, a momentary lapse in judgment quickly regretted. Putting photos of oneself on a porn site that glorifies violence and bondage isn't an option for those sworn to uphold the law and protect citizens from violent criminals and perverts.
There is much myth in the image of a red-coated Mountie, a Hollywoodized image that history does not always support. Spots on the force's reputation include strikebreaking in the 1930s, illegal activities in Quebec in the 1970s, the misuse of pension funds, the RCMP's role in the imprisonment and torture of Maher Arar in Syria; the shooting of Darren Varley in the Pincher Creek, Alta., RCMP holding cells in 1999; the shooting of Ian Bush in the Houston, B.C., detachment in 2005; the fatal Tasering of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver's airport in 2007; widespread allegations of sexual harassment. Disturbing is the recent transfer of Sgt. Don Ray to B.C. after a pattern of sexual misconduct in Alberta, indicating that the RCMP protects its own, rather than ensuring the public good is served.
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson hopes to change the culture within the force, and is hoping new legislation will give him more power to fire the bad apples. Let's hope he succeeds.
For the sake of Canadians who want to believe in their national police force, and for the majority of officers who are dedicated and professional, the RCMP needs to cleanse itself.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Time+RCMP+cleanse+itself/6899302/story.html#ixzz209HWmVue
Time for RCMP to cleanse itself
Times Colonist July 7, 2012 he red-serge uniform of the RCMP used to represent the highest of standards in law enforcement. Now it might more be the blush of acute embarrassment.
T Worse, police force is becoming increasingly tarnished, severely the reputation of Canada's national shaking Canadians' confidence in those sworn to uphold law and order on our behalf. We don't need more inquiries, more reports, more vague promises about gradually changing the culture the RCMP needs to do a sharp about-face in ensuring its members adhere to the force's code of conduct, and to solid standards of ethical, moral behaviour.
It's disturbing enough that a Coquitlam RCMP corporal in regulation Mountie boots and a kilt would pose for photographs for posting on an Internet pornography site that features sexual degradation and violence toward women. It's more disturbing that the officer is still on the job.
When Cpl. Jim Brown's participation in pornography became public knowledge, Supt. Claude Wilcott, his commanding officer, said he consulted the force's legal services to see if Brown's actions violated the RCMP code of conduct.
He needs a lawyer to figure that out? Sadly, the legal opinion he received was that "it did not appear - to meet the threshold for a code-of-conduct violation." To Wilcott's credit, an investigation was launched, but this is a case where the officer should have been shown the door as soon as it was determined he was indeed the person in the photos.
Yes, a lawsuit might have followed, but the RCMP leadership should have shown some backbone and taken that risk. The vast majority of Canadians would have approved.
The RCMP Act includes a perfectly workable and reasonable set of standards for its members, in which it states, among other things, that it is incumbent on every member:
? to ensure that any improper or unlawful conduct of any member is not concealed or permitted to continue;
? to act at all times in a courteous, respectful and honourable manner; and
? to maintain the honour of the force and its principles and purposes.
That doesn't mean tossing an officer out the door for the slightest indiscretion police work is difficult, stressful and exacts a heavy toll. Compassion and understanding are needed when mistakes are made.
But this isn't one of those "oops" moments, a momentary lapse in judgment quickly regretted. Putting photos of oneself on a porn site that glorifies violence and bondage isn't an option for those sworn to uphold the law and protect citizens from violent criminals and perverts.
There is much myth in the image of a red-coated Mountie, a Hollywoodized image that history does not always support. Spots on the force's reputation include strikebreaking in the 1930s, illegal activities in Quebec in the 1970s, the misuse of pension funds, the RCMP's role in the imprisonment and torture of Maher Arar in Syria; the shooting of Darren Varley in the Pincher Creek, Alta., RCMP holding cells in 1999; the shooting of Ian Bush in the Houston, B.C., detachment in 2005; the fatal Tasering of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver's airport in 2007; widespread allegations of sexual harassment. Disturbing is the recent transfer of Sgt. Don Ray to B.C. after a pattern of sexual misconduct in Alberta, indicating that the RCMP protects its own, rather than ensuring the public good is served.
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson hopes to change the culture within the force, and is hoping new legislation will give him more power to fire the bad apples. Let's hope he succeeds.
For the sake of Canadians who want to believe in their national police force, and for the majority of officers who are dedicated and professional, the RCMP needs to cleanse itself.
Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Time+RCMP+cleanse+itself/6899302/story.html#ixzz209HWmVue
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