Rich Coleman's head is on he chopping block. His past misconduct is finally catching up with him. Laila Yuile has cited Sandy Garossino as well as the Peter German report linking Rich Colman to disbanding the Police Task force that investigated organized crime in Casinos after it came out with a damning report about the Hells Angels laundering money in BC Casinos. However, this is nothing new. We told you so. Now other media outlets are picking up on the story.
That's not all Rich Coleman did to help gangs flourish. Rich Coleman disbanded OCABC in 2004. OCABC was the regional organized crime task force that targeted the Hells Angels criminal activity in Operation Phoenix. Prior to Operation Phoenix, which the RCMP deliberately sabotaged, Allen Dalstrom said "when it came to organized-crime investigations, the RCMP had done “f--- all here for 25 years”. So the province set up a task force to finally investigate organized crime in BC and Rich Coleman promptly shut it down. Again.
That's still not all. Prior to the Kelowna Summer Jam, Pat Fogarty said the Hells Angels aren't the problem in Kelowna, it's the other guys we have to worry about. When the OMGU proved him wrong, Rich Coleman and the Christy Clark government disbanded the OMGU. Ever since then gang enforcement in BC has been compromised and the gang task force stopped targeting the Hells Angels criminal activity. They just focused on seizing the proceeds of crime without lifting a finger to disrupt street level drug trafficking. They just wanted to collect a fee for letting it prosper.
Then the compromised BC Gang task force's spin doctor claimed "Lack of criminal designation for Hells Angels in B.C. allows biker gang to flourish." That was simply untrue. The lack of criminal organization status didn't prevent the OMGU from successfully convicting David Giles and Johnny Newcome in Kelowna. Seizing the proceeds of crime is a smoke and mirrors distraction. Gangs in BC are flourishing because the OMGU was disbanded and the compromised gang task force stopped targeting the Hells Angels drug traficking.
To fix the problem we need to bring organized crime back into provincial jurisdiction because the federal RCMP don't want to touch it. We can keep the Surrey RCMP as long as they are willing to enforce the law and stop street level drug trafficking. That is the New York model. I was there.
Rich Coleman should be in jail along with Wally Oppal.
Must disagree with you on the Surrey RCMP. They do have to GO. They do not have any loyalty to Surrey, their careers are managed by Ottawa. their pay cheques come from Ottawa. Surrey is just a place they pass through on the way to some thing better. Communities which have more than 25 to 50K citizens need their own police forces which report to the police board of the community. As it now stands all recruits come from Regina and the are still using the same training methods as they did 20 years ago. Then they're shipped to Surrey. The RCMP was formed to police rural areas and their training is still based on that. Surrey is no longer a rural community and hasn't been since the 1970s. its time to stop trying to save nickels and dimes and get their own police force. cops who transfer out on a continual basis never attach to the community and never get to know it. Oh I know it costs more to have your own police force, but what is going on in surrey is costing a whole lot more in terms of money and people's lives.
ReplyDeleteFair enough. All I'm saying is that getting rid of the RCMP won't necessarily change anything. During the missing women Inquiry the VPD were accused of extorting sex trade workers into having sex with them.
DeleteFor someone who lives on Vancouver Island, you certainly have strong opinions about what we need in Surrey. Dwane McDonald is a good man. We can work with him. Bill Fordy was not. Right now the Surrey RCMP are doing exactly what they should be doing on the Surrey strip because they are afraid of being replaced. That alone shows why this conversation is worth having.
I live on Vancouver Island, but lived in Vancouver/Richmond for over 50 years and still spend 2 or 3 months a year in Richmond/Vancouver and my friends, family all live in the area, including Surrey. I consider I have a vested interest in what happens in all of B.C. but especially greater Vancouver because that is where the children I love are growing up.
ReplyDeleteof course the VPD isn't perfect and I certainly was aware of the point you make. The VPD ignored the problem for years as did Vancouver politicians. Women's groups knew after 9 there was a serial killer out there but the good and wealthy citizens of Vancouver weren't interested and the police weren't going to do work they didn't have to. However, given the Surrey RCMP and the VPD and the chain of command in the situations, I'd still want a community police force. McDonald may be a good man and I'd certainly take your word for it. However, should he receive a promotion, he'll be gone and Surrey could have another version of Bill Fordy. that is the problem with the RCMP. One commander is great, the next one is a piece of shit. Have seen it on Vancouver island.
Robert Pickton was not a serial killer he was a clean up crew. He was convicted on the fact that he did not act alone and was not the only participant in the murders. He was even convicted on the fact that he was not the primary person involved, he was simply an active participant.
DeleteThe police ignored him because off duty police offivers attended parties at Piggies palace. The Dianne Rock story claims she was gang raped on the Pickton farm by bikers and cops. That is why the police ignored Robert Pickton. They were covering up for their own people.
Another leader could replace Dwane McDonald who is bad like Bill Fordy just as easily as a municipal force could be bad. One is not a magical solution to the other. All police need to be accountable to the public who pay their wages municipal or federal.