POLICE CULTURE ON TRIAL

Today's Kitchener-Waterloo Record carrys a story by Terri Theodore titled "Missing persons officer weeps during Pickton inquiry". This of course is in regards to the ongoing inquiry in British Columbia dealing with the aftermath of Police incompetence and inability to stop a serial killer. Yesterday while on the stand Detective Lori Shenher added to the damning evidence coming out against both the local Police force as well as the R.C.M.P.. She testifed that "...her superiors discounted her growing suspicion a serial killer was responsible and ignored her suggestions it might be Pickton.". She added after Robert Pickton was caught that "If it had been someone really tricky or skilled, I could have handled that, but...it was this person that was so in my sights the whole time.". Furthermore she testified "... reports either weren't taken or misplaced.". Victims families have testifed that a civilian clerk at the force rebuffed their attempts to file missing persons complaints. Detective Shenher "left the missing person's review team burned out and disillusioned with police work." The detective's final comments are that Inquiry Commissioner Wally Oppal "may want to look at the police culture and why it's very hard to be an "out of the box thinker" inside the department. Officers either assimilate or leave the culture, she said."

WOW ! Does anyone seriously think that these Police problems are not systemic? Does anyone seriously think that these investigative failures are confined only to murder investigations? These failures at the Police level have occurred across Canada and they will continue as long as our Provincial and Federal politicians aren't directly affected. When was the last time a wealthy and influential person or politician was wrongly convicted? Everyday citizens are literally dying and being wrongly imprisoned in this country and until there is a political will to root out this rot within, it will continue.