RCMP Dispatch Didn't Deserve the Hassle

By Ben Meisner

It is important to bring to light two items that took place in the city over the past week, one dealt with a 911 call to the police station the other dealt with a comment that said RCMP complaints were "soaring".

In the first instance, it should be pointed out that we  have a dispatch at the RCMP second none in Canada. If you have ever had the opportunity to listen to these people work or have had the opportunity to hear them handling calls during a crisis, you will agree, these people are top notch.

The story last week suggested that the Dispatch personnel had been disrespectful of a caller. Had the reporter in question taken time to listen to the tape, or at least seek the facts, they would have quickly discovered that basic reporting would show that was, in no way, the case. The reporter chose to take one side of the story and was wrong, dead wrong.

In the second instance, the RCMP came under fire for increased complaints. Problem with the story was that, the report  used to back up the headline dealt with municipal forces in the province. The RCMP comes under the RCMP Complaints Commission. No connection other than the word police. 

I for one still hold to the belief that the investigations into the St Araund, and Ian Bush deaths at the hands of the RCMP were botched, badly botched. I do however believe that right is right and in the two cases last week, the RCMP were being maligned by stories that were not correct in any fashion.

Hammer on them all you want in your opinion, stating something that is fact that is wrong is an entirely different matter and the RCMP did not have their day in public opinion on this one.

Had the two stories been opinion, they would have been at least more palatable. They weren’t .

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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