Edmonton Police Service under fire

[I Miss Trudeau]

EPS scandal

Another one in the long history of scandals in the EPS. Does the province need to step in to straighten out the force?

[Shakeyhands]

I'll tell you, when I read the report on that this morning I was pretty disgusted. It sounds like something that is probably more common than we want to think as well.

The Chief going out on a sick leave is disgusting as well, if he ordered it he should be charged under the Police Services Act as well a criminally and suspended without pay until it is resolved.

[kimmy]

This is just infuriating.

There's an obvious appearance that they were attempting to use police resources to silence their critics. I can't think of anything more damning that you could say about a police force than that.

What should be done about it? A public investigation by an independent authority would be my first choice.

"Medical leave" my ass. And if Rayner suggests an internal investigation, he should be fired on the spot. This is so far beyond that. The public faith in the police has to be restored, and I think that requires an open, public investication by someone independent.

-kimmy

[I Miss Trudeau]

With all of the complaints coming out of the EPS about media bias, I wonder if Rayner is up to something with his sick leave. I'm kind of wondering if the chief does have some sort of illness that will be made public after the media has blasted him over his decision to go on leave, giving some sort of credibility that the EPS is the victim of the media, rather than the other way around?

Anyway, just something that crossed my mind.

Edit: I should make clear that I have no evidence that this is the case, it is just a thought I had. I don't intend to make any allegations here.

Edited February 8, 2005 by I Miss Trudeau

[I Miss Trudeau]

Apparently the commission has now terminated Rayner. We'll have to see if this is the end of it. I hope not. :/

[I Miss Trudeau]

It seems that the EPS has decided to paint itself as the victim and launch a full scale PR campaign against the commission itself. Sadly, it seems to be working.

[fellowtraveller]

Working in what way?

Rayner is terminated, which looks appropriate. His lack of action against the rank and file shows a disproprtinate sense of loyalty to officerswho clearly operated outside the rules. He got caught and so did they. His actions were a gross misjudgement, and he deserved to be fired for that.

A search for a new chief has begun.

Life goes on.

[I Miss Trudeau]

What about dealing with the officers who stepped out of line? That seems to have fallen out of the public eye.

[fellowtraveller]

What about dealing with the officers who stepped out of line? That seems to have fallen out of the public eye.

Not really. The three senior officers are still subject to the inquiry as directed by Rayner, that has not changed.

The new chief may also order further inquiry into the conduct of the seven junior officers. I would guess that the new chief will be ordered to re-open that investigation as a topo priority by the Police Commission. Bet on it.

[I Miss Trudeau]

I would guess that the new chief will be ordered to re-open that investigation as a topo priority by the Police Commission. Bet on it.

The question is whether or not the findings of that investigation will be made public, or shrouded in secrecy as seems to be standard EPS operating procedure.

[fellowtraveller]

It can hardly be 'shrouded in secrecy' given what has occurred lately.

[I Miss Trudeau]

It can hardly be 'shrouded in secrecy' given what has occurred lately.

The furor has all but died down. If they wait another month or two, the media will levae it alone.

[fellowtraveller]

. The furor has all but died down. If they wait another month or two, the media will levae it alone.

Perhaps you're not familiar with the incident if you believe this. It was not the Police Commissioner that was the #1 target of the rogue operation by the cops, it was a reporter for the Edmonton Sun newspaper.

There is absolutely no way this will disappear because of the Sun connection, which is why the new Police Chief will have this as Job 1 on his first day at work, unless a formal inquiry is undertaken by the Solicitor-General.

Soon after the new chief is appointed, expect to see a new Commissioner too.

[I Miss Trudeau]

Perhaps you're not familiar with the incident if you believe this.  It was not the Police Commissioner that was the #1 target of the rogue operation by the cops, it was a reporter for the Edmonton Sun newspaper.

There is absolutely no way this will disappear because of the Sun connection, which is why the new Police Chief will have this as Job 1 on his first day at work, unless a formal inquiry is undertaken by the Solicitor-General.

Except for the fact that the EPS PR campaign seems to have worked, as more and more members of the community are now seeing the EPS as a victim assailed on all sides. It may not be expedient for the SUN to continue reporting on it if public opinion continues to shift. Being the populist tabloid that it is, I wouldn't be surprised if they "forgave" a transgression against one of their own if they thought they could appeal to more going that route.

Soon after the new chief is appointed, expect to see a new Commissioner too.

Should the commission have moved so quickly to replace Rayner? Probably not. Did they do anything wrong in terminating Rayner? Absolutely not.

On what grounds should the commisioner be replaced?

The strained relations between the EPS and EPC? The fact that the EPS does not want to have to deal with a Commisioner or commision that won't give them carte blance to act in any matter they wish is no reason to terminate the Commisioner.

The fact that the EPS members came out in full support of a man who clearly did not do his job, and in support of other officers who clearly violated any reasonable code of conduct, makes me extremely distrustful of the organization as a whole.

Replacing Ignasiuk would satisfy the calls for his head to roll, but would do absolutely nothing to make the EPS more accountable. And I'm not sure that anyone could claim all is well within the EPS.

[fellowtraveller]

Note that the Commissioner has now resigned, citing 'conflict of interest' at the law firm he works for.

So, as predicted, wewill now see a new Commissioner and a new Chief soon.

Both are positive developments.

[I Miss Trudeau]

I don't see how this is a positive development, unless of course the new commisioner is as critical of the EPS, and less of a convenient target of PR campaigns to silence critics.

[fellowtraveller]

The old commissioner was finally at war with the Police Service, and with much of City Council, including the Council appointees to the Commission. His effectiveness in dealing with both was now reduced to near zero. Time to go, and this move allowed him to save face at no cost to anybody.

He screwed up bigtime not when he dumped Rayner- which was appropriate and unchallenged- but when he announced his replacement immediately - bypassing his own commission and City Council. Fatal blunder, and the real reason he is gone.

I have no doubt at all that the new commish will be in the same reform spirit as Ignasiuk, without the baggage.

[I Miss Trudeau]

The old commissioner was finally at war with the Police Service, and with much of City Council, including the Council appointees to the Commission.

This is a bad thing? The EPS are out of control, and have been for some time.

He screwed up bigtime not when he dumped Rayner- which was appropriate and unchallenged- but when he announced his replacement immediately - bypassing his own commission and City Council.

Except that the commission voted on the replacement, and forwarded it to council, who turned it down.

I have no doubt at all that the new commish will be in the same reform spirit as Ignasiuk, without the baggage.

Except that a reform minded commish will quickly acquire the baggage and be at war with the Police Service (through little or no fault of their own), and then need to be replaced again. See how it works?

[fellowtraveller]

This is a bad thing? The EPS are out of control, and have been for some time.

No they aren't. And no,they haven't.

Except that the commission voted on the replacement, and forwarded it to council, who turned it down.

So, the system worked. Your point is.....

And Ignasiuk did announce the new Chief before Council knew much.

Except that a reform minded commish will quickly acquire the baggage and be at war with the Police Service (through little or no fault of their own), and then need to be replaced again.

That is a big assumption, why would you presume that??

[I Miss Trudeau]

No they aren't.  And no,they haven't.

The police association voted unanimously to condemn the removal of a chief that did nothing about the Overtime sting. That much is clear.

There really appears to be a belief shared among EPS members that they should be beyond all criticism. That somehow, everything works out fine if they are allowed to look after their own business.

So, the system worked.  Your point is.....

My point was that he could not, and did not, "bypass his own commission and city council." Lets stay in context.

And Ignasiuk did announce the new Chief before Council knew much.

He announced the nominee, not "the new chief". Thats how it works. The commission voted on the nominee, and forwarded it to city council to vote on. Council turned it down.

That is a big assumption, why would you presume that??

Partly because the EPS defended Rayners (in)action unanimously. Partly because two Edmonton newspapers are being investigated for publishing evidence of the police being out of line. From the time this story broke, it has been nothing but "how dare they make us look bad." The EPS went so far as to refuse to speak with the Edmonton Sun in the future.

I have not seen anything out of the EPS that leads me to believe that they will play ball with anyone that even thinks that there are problems within the EPS.