Chief Superintendent Wants Allegations Investigated
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 @ 4:00 AM
Prince George, B.C.- Chief Superintendent Rod Booth of North District of the RCMP says allegations that aboriginal women in northern B.C. have been victims of abuse at the hands of RCMP officers must be investigated.
The allegations are contained in a report by Human Rights Watch that was initially released last week. Yesterday, members of the Human RIghts Watch, joined members of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council in Prince George to reiterate their call for a national inquiry and an independent investigation.
“We take these allegations very seriously” says Chief Superintendent Booth, “These allegations, if they are born out to be true, need to be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. With that said, justice can only be done and it has to be heard before it can be done.” Chief Superintendent Booth says he would support “ any means of getting to the bottom of these allegations in terms of an investigation y whatever independent body the folks trust and are capable of doing a proper investigation.”
He says he believes the victims in these cases “don’t feel comfortable to come forth to the RCMP” to launch the investigations. “We will work with whatever means are presented to us, to get to the bottom of these stories.”
The 89 page report released by the Human Rights Watch followed 5 weeks of investigation last summer and presented a number of cases, alleging abuse, torture and sexual assault.
The Independent Investigations Office doesn’t have the mandate to investigate these types of claims, but Booth says the cases need to be examined “Again, anything that would get us to the bottom of these allegations so they can either be refuted or confirmed so justice can be done is something I would support.”
Booth says the members are devastated by the allegations, “This is despite the great work they are doing day to day, especially in the small communities.”
Yesterday, the Carrier Sekani made a second call in a week for an independent investigation into the allegations, and a national inquiry into murdered and missing women across Canada.
Comments
Yes, there is great work done every day. No dispute to that at all. That is not what THIS is about.
The problem is the failure to understand and comprehend the validity of the fear of retribution. There is no current mechanism in place to protect against future reprisal. Therein lies the power of innuendo and suggested penalties.
Exactly the same thing happens on the dark side of the street. When you squeal on the “club” you can be very sure of a shortened life span … or worse.
There is a solution, but it is oddly complicated in its very simplicity.
V.
” The independant investigations office doesn’t have the mandate to investigate these claims” Well there is another wad of taxpayers dollars pissed up against the wall. The RCMP are still investigating the RCMP. Personally I don’t trust them. Once they become legally held accountable for any alleged wrong doing and subjected to a civilan investigative body I will relinquish my trust to them.
It is good timing to raise it before the election in BC and ask the candidates what they have done or will do about it. A possible next NDP government in BC should initiate such an inquiry and put in place a civilian oversight (including first nation members) with the mandate to investigate RCMP abuse cases. I wont trust RCMP to investigate itself considering that the new BC RCMP chief also worked in Prince George (Northern BC) and he or his colleagues could be implicated.
But the current Liberal government in BC with its incompetent Justice Minister Shirley Bond cannot be trusted to “get us to the bottom” of this mess in Northern BC. These abuses have put BC under international negative spotlight after the UN condemnation of Canada for human rights violations.
univ
Can you back up your attack on Shirley Bonds incompetence or are you just blaiming her for everything wrong with the system.
That’s a pretty big stone to be throwing at possibly the most honest, hard working and most qualified minister in our province.
Rod Booth of North District of the RCMP just does not get it, there is no trust in the RCMP anymore. If the RCMP is involved there will never be any trust.
The Ian Bush murder and so called investigation comes to mind for one.
I would think that Shirley Bond and the provincial government would get the point that we can’t have the RCMP investigating itself. They decided, quite correctly, that the process for investigating and disciplining teachers was broken due to a lack of independence on the part of the BC College of Teachers and changed the system. The situation with the RCMP is parallel but if anything worse since the RCMP is more hierarchical and more concerned with esprit de corps than the BCTF.
seemutt see Posted by: univ on September 5 2012 4:41 PM
“The Vancouver Police successfully managed to control much bigger crowds in previous bigger events in Vancouver (remember winter Olympics?), but it could not control a much smaller crowd later. They did not import new crowd from Alberta, or did they? the incompetent Minister Bond failed to allocate enough resources to control the crowd.”
“The same incompetence when she was minister of adv education (remember UNBC?), when she was minister of health (remember later strike in PG hospital?), when she was minister of transportation (remember the mayors mess and skytrain?).”
Others here have also mentioned her failed record in PG school system.
This abuse case under international spotlight is a proper appendix to her failed record in public service. As an MLA, as a deputy premier, as a woman she was supposed to protect these aboriginal women in North BC.
It is not healthy to have power in the hands of one person or one party for 3 terms, it becomes the breeding ground for corruption. In other democracies a president even cannot have more than 2 terms, but not in Canada.
I’d like to see a change of BC government to NDP, conservative, Green, any other party or any coalition of them.
bonneville
Yea right univ, the ndp are so well known for honesty and truth. By the name univ, I assume you are a student, possibly to young to remember the last time the ndp reigned. Do a bit of research for yourself. You will discover a long list of dishonest/criminal behaviour your ndp has indulged in
How about adding Liberal
You will discover a long list of dishonest/criminal behaviour your Liberals has indulged in
Have a nice day
My liberals(has?) indulged in? Gimme a break…the RCMP have not raided any premier other than an ndp one. And his govt offices. I still remember the Dix affair etc. I don’t want to see this province get dragged down again by the ndp again. It’s true all political parties have their skeletons but the ndp have a cemetery full of them.
bonneville
But that is only your opinion!!!
We will see, what the next election will show us.
So just relax and wait and see
I am totally relaxed, no sweat, no fear. Just don’t wish to see this amazing province have to go through more dark days and you are right, just my opinion!
Hold on now..it’s not my opinion the RCMP raided home and office…that is what you call FACT! Everything else may be “just my opinion”, but that is fact. So just relax, the inmates might soon be running the instatution but the sun will still rise.
Generally if you show any kind of respect for the RCMP it is recipricated. The opposite may also be true.
Bonneville you are blind. Why do people call Liberals, fiberals?
Because they can’t spell?
I don’t like the fiberals either (small letter intended). Our Priemier has driven this province so far into debt only the NDP could dig it out. Just remembering the NDP had a surplus after last election. Remember as well that we still don’t know the true cost of the olympics. Our Prem also had a very active role to play in the Illegal sale of BC Rail. the list goes on and on. She has got to b e the worst priemier this province has ever had the misfortune to suffer thruogh.
“Our Priemier has driven this province so far into debt only the NDP could dig it out.”….Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…Stop you’re killing me…Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha
detox
Does the reality kill you?
Wow, that gives me a good laugh!
.Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Old thieves, new thieves. Hope I can tell the difference in a year after they’re elected.
I don’t like the fiberals either. I call em LIE berals though. That’s because gordon LIED outright to the taxpayers of this province before the last election. Specifically about the HST. gordon told taxpayers this would not happen. He outright lied to us. Thankfully taxpayers had the referendum to EXTINGUISH THE HST. And taxpayers are fed up with the lies and the scandals and the arrogance of these campbell lackies. And fed up with HST on every single thing we do in life. It is time to get these right wing bullies out of office. Every single LIE beral needs to be defeated in all 85 ridings. Just like we did in the referendum. I think it is possible. Howz bout you bonneville? Do you think the LIE berals can win again this time? Matty is gonna be here every day telling taxpayers about the LIE berals and the HST.
My only complaint to you today bonneville is you forgot to tell us all about the fast ferries. Gee what happened? Everyone needs to hear that one again. Please inform us all again about that story. Your other arguements simply do not hold water with the majority here on this forum. Why not just give it up huh? Your LIE berals are toast may 14. In all 85 ridings. I’d bet money on that one.
Soon the HST will be EXTINGUISHED. 39 days to go bonneville. LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
mattyc, in all 85 ridings? Really? You’ll bet money on that one? I’ll take that bet!! How much shall we wager??
We did it in the referendum. All the elites said it could not be done. All the expensive stickmen. They were all proven wrong. It sure would be nice to see it happen again. We don’t have long to wait and maybe it will happen. Either way even if I am wrong about all 85 ridings I don’t think I will be off by much. Only the rich and HST lovers will vote for LIE berals. Taxpayers here can’t be that stupid. Or are they?
mattyc, you said that you would bet money that the Liberals would lose in all 85 ridings. I offered to take you up on that bet! Now you seem to be backtracking. Are you not going to take my bet? What’s up with that Mattyc? Please don’t tell me that you were lying! OMG you are as bad as the LIE berals that you hate so much, haha! What’s the matter Mattyc, all talk and no action??
Hey it is just not aboriginal woman in the north. It is coming from all woman of the north, and the pages of their stories have not been heard…lets shed some light on that shall we…
Was just a matter of saying. If there were some way for people to actually meet then maybe that could be accomadated. But as you know this forum does not allow for that so we will just have to keep it as it is. You know as well as everyone including the LIE berals that they are toast. Even pat knows. I personally do not believe his story about his health. It’s too bad he could not have stuck it out and took the defeat like a man. But what do you expect from this group of losers? Taxpayers will NOT forget gordons lie last election and will not be that stupid again.
someone like matty questions some one else’s integrity I have to laugh. You question his medical situation and think him not man enough to take a defeat? Really? How about you? Aren’t you a self confessed tax cheat ? I recall your crazy post asking people to commit vandalism against parking meters. You wont even support local business, yet you question his honesty and integrity ? You are the lowest of the low and I doubt your manhood, compared to Pat
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