P.G. Detachment Launches Internal Investigation into Licence Suspension

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:31 AM

Prince George, B.C.- Prince George RCMP detachment has launched an internal investigation into the events surrounding the 4 month suspension of drivers licences for three of its RCMP officers.

The three officers were off duty and on their motorcycles in May on highway 16 west when they were stopped for a variety of infractions. Although the police have yet to be specific on the tickets the officers were given, a four month suspension can be issued for things such as, excessive speeding. The tickets were issued by an officer who falls under the command of North District, all of the charges fall under the Motor Vehicle Act.

The three officers have been reassigned duties which include walking the downtown beat, or taking on the duties of call manager. “We have a variety of duties which do not require officers to drive” says Inspector Chris Bomford.

The names of the three have not been released at this point as it is possible they may challenge the tickets in court Opinion 250 has learned all three are constables.

In late May , the Prince George Provincial Traffic Services Unit issued a call for information from the public on this incident:

"The Prince George Provincial Traffic Services Unit is requesting the public's assistance with an incident which occurred at approximately 5:40 pm, on Friday May 15th, 2009 on Highway #16, west of Prince George.

Three motorcycles were travelling together, eastbound on Highway #16, between Vanderhoof and Prince George. The motorcycles were reported to have been speeding. A police officer attempted to stop the motorcycles, however did not engage in a pursuit. The three motorcycles were stopped by the police at the intersection of Highway #16 and McBride Timber Road, west of Prince George. Witnesses have come forward and indicated that the motorcycles were driving erratically and compromised other motorists travelling the highway.

Police are seeking further assistance from anyone in the province, who might have been travelling on Highway #16, between Vanderhoof and Prince George, at approximately 5:30 pm last Friday May 15th and might have witnessed the erratic driving of the group of three motorcycles or was affected by the erratic driving of the three motorcycles, to call the Prince George Integrated Provincial Traffic Unit at Tel# (250) 649-4004 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477."

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Posted on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 10:31 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Loki on July 22 2009 10:47 AM

along with a driving suspnesion, they should also have a unpaid work suspension.

My reasoning is that they are responsible for handing out traffic tickets in the normal course of their duties. With that in mind, they cannot execute their duties because they have commited the same infractions.

As representatives of the enforcement arm of the judiciary, they need to be squeaky clean.

Posted by: thereasonableman on July 22 2009 11:48 AM

They are subject to the same treatment as you or me. No more, no less.
The 4 month suspension was an appropriate response. That is already a strong punishment for traffic offences. It is usually reserved only for the most serious violators.

The officer involved either issued the suspensions due to serious violations or the fact that they were police officers, maybe both.

In any event, it is common practice to cut each other some slack and the fact that they did not get any says a lot.

On another note, I feel a transfer coming.

Posted by: He spoke on July 22 2009 11:56 AM

The reasonable man is correct. A four months suspension is more than what the average Joe/Jane would have recieved. Evading an attempt to stop them, probably warrants two months, and another two months for being a officer is reasonable.

Unless, there are no other items, One would think that this is a reasonable price to pay. Thus why file a challenge, especially when the recent image of a RCMP officer is as tainted as it is now.

Posted by: thereasonableman on July 22 2009 12:15 PM

They have the right to dispute it, same as you and me. Due process.

Additionally, this will be a big black mark on all 3 officers personnel file. That's a penalty that you or I would not suffer at our jobs, if we were off duty.

Make no mistake about it, this was a serious kick in the pants for all three. I fully expect the charging officer to be transferred somewhere else to avoid local hostilities in the ranks. Even at that rate, the staff at the new posting will know full well why the officer was transferred there.

This officer did their job properly and appropriately. The other members will not have an easy time swallowing it though.

Posted by: Maverick on July 22 2009 12:21 PM

2 months for evading an attempt to stop them??? Are you nuts? Next time a cop has his lights on behind you try to evade him. Speed away as fast as you can and cut other people on the road off to get away. Then stop and wait for him to catch you. Guarantee you will loose your licence for more than 2 months, AND you would probably be charged and maybe even spend a night in jail.

I had a friend loose his licence for a year for going straight through a police road check, and he only sped after he was through the check point to get away from the cars that came after him for not stopping.

Posted by: He spoke on July 22 2009 12:29 PM

The reasonable man got a point, the arresting officer will likely pay the bigger price. that is what is wrong with the RCMP, they operate in the 21st century, with 19th century idealology.

Posted by: kitkat on July 22 2009 12:56 PM

Kudos to the RCMP members that handed out these tickets. It's nice to see some integrity and accountability coming from our local detachment.
I hope that the members who were 'resisting arrest' take their punishment like men and don't dispute the tickets.

Posted by: Palopu on July 22 2009 1:25 PM

Kitkat. The Officer who handed out the tickets works for the North District (Regional District) who are responsible for Policing outside the City Limits of Prince George. They report to Victoria, and are paid by the Province, and some from the Feds. They operate out of their offices on 5th and Ospika, and they cover a big territory. North to Mackenzie, West to ????? South to??????

The would not be considered to be **Our Local Detachment** I suspect if the incident happened within the City limits you may have had a different outcome.

Posted by: Poppa on July 22 2009 1:44 PM

Could have been worse. We have enough crosses on the sides of the highway out here!!!

Posted by: Loki on July 22 2009 2:16 PM

so some enforcement officials not only exceeded the legal speed limit, but were going fast enough that the first officer radioed ahead to have more officers setup a road block. Kind of hard to bury that one!
They did not just break the law, they flaunted it and attempted to avoid being stopped because their crotch rockets could easily out pace a highway cruiser.
In the end they are merely being charged with a driving prohibition. I was hopeful; the the local superintendent would look down upon her officers behaving badly.

And you say that they should not be held to a higher standard? The RCMP have a moral obligation to hold these officers of the judiciary to a higher standard as they enforce the law.
If not, then I can excessively speed and attempt to elude a traffic stop. The worst that could happen to me would be a suspension, right.

Posted by: DPJ on July 22 2009 2:59 PM

The part of where the three are possibly reassigned should not have been publisized since alot of people will suspect why the downtown walking police are in that position. They have alot to deal with this guilt and making the downtown a safe place for all of us. The poloce do an awesome job downtown as a whole and know how to manage the street people very well. I have seen this with my own eyes and deserve kudos for it.

Posted by: BCRacer on July 22 2009 4:40 PM

Yep the cop haters and the press are milking this one dry

Posted by: NMG on July 22 2009 5:17 PM

I have to agree completely with Loki on this one.

I've got no problem with these folks going through the due process that every person is entitled to, however, if they are found guilty of the things they are being charged with, I say make an example out of them.

I think anyone that holds a position of public "office" should be held to a higher standard than the general public when it comes to actions that pertain to the particular area that they are representing. It goes straight to the integrity of the institution that they work for and if the public is to have any confidence in that organization, this type of behaviour simply cannot be tolerated.

Every government organization that I'm aware of (I'm sure the RCMP is no different) puts their people through ethics and conflict of interest type stuff before they even start working, so there is no excuse. Want to stop this type of behaviour? Make the consequences so severe that people won't take the risk. Simple. You'll eventually weed out the people who don't care about the values of the organization that they are supposed to be represeting.

Posted by: caranmacil on July 22 2009 5:53 PM

I am with maverick here. I bet if i spedd off so fast the cops had to radio ahead I would have been slapped with more than a suspension. Lets see..dangerous driving, flight to avoid arrest, a huge ticket and enough points to interest ICBC in my licence for a start. I am no cop hater but i think they need to set an example here.

Posted by: thereasonableman on July 22 2009 7:14 PM

Their behaviour gives every impression that they intended to evade the officer, not knowing a second car was in the area.

It sounds to me like the situation was handled appropriately. They could have sent these jokers on their merry way and you or I would not have known the difference.

They are already being made an example of.

Posted by: interceptor on July 22 2009 9:46 PM

Dear opinion 250 - can you please send me the contact info so that I can get the same detailed stories that Loki does. Apparantly my server blocks such information that Loki seems to always garner from the articles that I cant find printed anywhere. Heck, Loki usually even claims to know what people are/were thinking in any given news article...