Terry Blythe and Robert Pickton

Terry Blythe, the former Vancouver Police chief during the Pickton investigation took the hot seat at the Pickton Inquiry. Blythe was Vancouver's police chief from 1999 to 2002 - when serial killer Robert Pickton stepped up his pace of killing Down-town Eastside women - denied he knew anything about Pickton until just before his arrest.

Yet former chief const. Terry Blythe also insisted at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry that he was a "hands-on" chief who was kept "fully informed" on a daily and weekly basis about the status of the investigation.

His high profile lawyer demanded that Cameron Ward, lawyer for the families of 25 murdered women, "put up or shut up" by proving or withdrawing allegations of a "cover-up" or "whitewash" by police, the inquiry or by Blythe himself.

"If the issue is that my client was involved in a cover-up or a whitewash or sanitizing documents received, or creating disorganized files, then [Ward] must present evidence," said Greenspan, "Or I propose to demand an apology.

Let's see... they are editing and withholding documents. That would make his request somewhat problematic indeed. One thing I do know is that when the other lawyer gets angry and starts yelling, that means you are onto something and he wants to shut you up because is afraid.

It is obvious the police are whitewashing and covering up their legal liability in the delay of arresting Pickton just like they did at the Airport Taser fiasco. The real question is not their delay because they didn't take the murder of sex trade workers seriously. The real question is the promise that the inquiry will hear evidence that off duty police officers attended parties at Piggy's palace. That would indeed open Pandora's box as to one possible motive the police dragged their heels in Pickton's arrest.

Another Pension Lie

The passionate assault on Canadian Pensions is as disturbing as the outrageous propaganda used to drive it. The latest absurdity the Harper government is using to rationalize the deregulation of pensions and raising the age of retirement is to protect the youth from having to support an aging generation. That is absurd.

One day, all the young people will retire. When you raise the age of retirement you are telling them everyone else was allowed to retire at age 65 but you're not. We've all been paying into the pension all our working life. Now Harper wants to take that away and give it to the banks. Well he already gave it to the banks. Now he wants to use our pensions to pay for that dasterdly deed. Young people will pay the price of not having a pension any more thanks to the Harper Government.

B.C. rave rape charges stayed

Crown prosecutors have dropped charges against the only man accused of sexual assault at a notorious Pitt Meadows, B.C., rave, the man’s lawyer says. Colton McMorris, 19, was accused of assaulting a girl, 16, at a party in September 2010, while a young offender was charged with posting pictures of the incident — described at the time as a gang rape — on the Internet.

Another man, Dennis John Allen Warrington, 19, was charged with distributing child pornography. Lawyer Tony Serka said the Crown admitted in Port Coquitlam provincial court Tuesday that it did not have a strong enough case against McMorris to proceed with a trial.

This is deranged. They stood there and watched a girl under the influence be raped by multiple men. They filmed it. Police said during their initial investigation that as many as half a dozen men may have been involved in the assault and that the victim had been drugged. Yet the accused's lawyer now claims McMorris did nothing wrong and accompanied the complainant and her friends to McDonald's after the party, Serka said.

Let's see, date rape drug, takes away your memory right? Date rape. The girl is afraid of repercussions. This is another example of how our system is failing.

Victim speaks out.

Dartmouth shooting connected to Hells Angels

A man found dead on a Halifax-area road Sunday night had a Hells Angels connection and was shot in the back of the head, thechronicleherald.ca has learned. Halifax RCMP identified James Alexander (Sandy) Lyle, 55, as the victim and have declared his death a homicide. It’s Halifax's second homicide this year.

Lyle had a long history of drug dealing and was arrested in a major operation against the now-defunct Halifax chapter of the Hells Angels. In March 1991, Lyle received a five-year sentence – his only federal stint - for running a cocaine operation from his Maple Street home with his younger brother Martin Ellsworth Lyle. Lyle was also found guilty of possessing a loaded .45 calibre handgun. Martin Lyle was given three years.

VPD endorses dishonest bill

Well this is rather shocking. Right after Toews publicly claimed he was surprised by the content of the controversial bill C-30, the VPD publicly endorse it dancing around the inherit concern which has become obvious.

CBC radio pointed out that the bill provides for "exceptional circumstances" where police can request information from the ISPs even when they are not conducting "a specific criminal investigation. Toews claim that he was surprised by that section of the bill show that he is either lying or an idiot. The purpose of the bill is warrantless Internet surveillance. If the police has a suspicion of criminal activity they could get a warrant. The purpose of this bill is to do away with the need to get a warrant in order to obtain personal information about someone.

Vancouver Province Back Chat:

Many readers weren't thrilled to learn that police support Bill C-30, the controversial legislation that gives government agents easier access to the private information of Internet users. Fear of a police state continues to build.

Vic Toews, Stephen Harper, RCMP and local police just don't want to play by the rules. That is what the Constitution grants us all. If the police need to get information on a suspected child predator, they can obtain a court order. Otherwise, stay out of our private affairs. They already have enough power.

DIFFERENT BEAT

Cops are civil servants, not policy-makers. If the job is too dangerous, quit. There are lots of jobs available as dog walkers. Timmy's is hiring.

ORWELL SAW IT

1984 : '(

CYBER COPS?

Does anyone really think for one nanosecond that the police wouldn't love this surveillance bill? Of course they would. Could it be any other way. Given their druthers, the police would like to implant a locator in every Canadian's head and tattoo an ID number on their arms.

SURFER FORCE

People need to calm down. The cops need this so that they can determine which of their officers are surfing porn sites.

TOO INVASIVE

These guys have gone too far with this Internet surveillance bill.

POLICE STATE

The police state will be upon us soon if these kind of laws are not stopped.

It has nothing to do with crime and everything to do with freedom.

Our fathers fought for freedom and your government is trying to steal it from you with laws that make Soviet Russia look free.

COMPROMISE

To protect the most vulnerable, we should be willing to compromise - no rights are lost unless you're the bad guy. Not true. When we give up our liberty and throw away the Charter of rights we are all diminished.

7 year old in hospital after accidental GHB overdose

A seven-year-old girl from Langley is expected to make a full recovery after ingesting what police believe was the date-rape drug. On Saturday night, the child was found unconscious, possibly from a drug overdose, at her home in Langley and was rushed to Surrey Memorial Hospital.

RCMP Cpl. Holly Marks said police believe the girl may have ingested GHB by accident. "It is possible that it was contained in a water bottle, that she would have drank it innocently," Marks told ctvbc.ca. "I don't know why or what purpose it served in the residence."

Police have interviewed the girl's mother and a man who is currently staying at their home. The Serious Crime Unit will continue the investigation to determine whether criminal charges will be recommended.

“The thought that this drug would have been laying around a residence where a seven-year-old girl could pick it up is obviously disturbing,” said Marks. Indeed, what was that drug doing in the home at all? This drug is much to available in BC.

Vikileaks

Another bizarre twist to a sad saga of deception and theft. Vic Toews was the scoundrel that came out supporting Harpers' warrantless Internet surveillance bill. The had the audacity to claim it had anything to do with catching criminals when it clearly did not. Then he came out with the ultimate offensive lie and said that anyone who doesn't support warrantless Internet surveillance stands in support of child pornographers. This is what I mean about and evil government. Making outrageous lies that are absolutely inflammatory to steal our liberty and rob our pensions.

After he made that outrageously offensive lie, someone opened up a Twitter account called Vikileaks and started quoting things from his divorce affidavits. The fact is while the Vic Toews was billed the "minister of family values" he was embroiled in a messy divorce after fathering a child with a much younger woman.

It is shameful that the outrage has been the violation of his privacy. Justine Trudeau even came out with a bizarre support for Toews after the twitter account was opened. This is what's wrong with North America. A guy like Newt Gingrich can get so far in politics when he is a known adulterer. Vic Toews another Neocon pushing the neo con lies was supposed to be a good family man, then turns out having an affair and farthing a child with a much younger woman. That is relevant. What about the violation of OUR privacy when the Harper government throws away the charter of Rights passes a bill that authorises warrantless Internet Surveillance?

Surprised by content of online surveillance bill

Now Toews says he's surprised by content of online surveillance bill. What, are younow claiming you didn't read it?

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says he is surprised to learn that a section of the government's online surveillance bill provides for "exceptional circumstances" under which "any police officer" can request customer information from a telecommunications service provider.

In an interview airing Saturday on CBC Radio's The House, Toews said his understanding of the bill is that police can only request information from the ISPs where they are conducting "a specific criminal investigation."

But Section 17 of the 'Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act' outlines "exceptional circumstances" under which "any police officer" can ask an ISP to turn over personal client information.

"I'd certainly like to see an explanation of that," Toews told host Evan Solomon after a week of public backlash against Bill C-30, which would require Internet service providers to turn over client information without a warrant.

"This is the first time that I'm hearing this somehow extends ordinary police emergency powers [to telecommunications]. In my opinion, it doesn't. And it shouldn't."

He's right it shouldn't but I say it's bullshit he didn't know it did. That is the intent of the bill. If the police were conducting a specific criminal investigation, they could get a warrant. The purpose of this bill is WARRANTLESS online surveillance. Just like when Harper's' gestapo kicked out a University student from one of his rallies because she posted a picture of herself with another candidate on facebook.

Remembering Whitney Houston

There is no doubt Whitney Houston will be remembered as the talented shining light that she was. Glimpses of her funeral showed the love that she had for others and the love they share with her. That's likely the best measurement of success.

There has been talk about her struggle with drugs and checking herself into rehab despite the song that jokes about avoiding rehab. Yet no doubt that was such a small part of her life, her memory and her legacy will be filled with talent, love and light.

Glancing at some tabloids there has been some bizarre headlines from the typical trashloids. Don't buy those. Don't support the trash. I remember seeing someone I knew buy one of those tabloids and said buying that is supporting the people who killed Dianna. Indeed it is. Supply and demand declares that if people weren't consumed in the gossip, the paparazzi wouldn't be so ruthlessly invasive and shamefully negative.

Her passing brings two things to mind. First is the love and the loss that a premature death brings. I think of Jammie Kehoe who was senselessly murdered at such a young age when he had his whole life before him. No doubt his parents had bigger plans for him. The second is many good people have fallen because of drug addiction.

Somehow we need to rise above glorifying addiction without being judgemental realizing it could happen to any of us or to any of our children. There is nothing noble about profiting from exploitation. Coveting materialism does not make greed or exploitation good. The violence we have seen locally because of the gang war has made that clear.

Unfortunately, Amy Winehouse is more likely to be remembered for her addictions as well as her talent because her drug addiction had such a dramatic physical effect on her appearance. One of the saddest things I ever saw was the release of a video one of Amy Winehouse's "friends" took of her smoking crack looking at her wedding picture. The betrayal of her friend was one thing but the whole using crack to escape the pain of a loss in a relationship was sad. She was human and those kinds of drugs are very addictive and very damaging. Before the drugs, Amy Winehouse was also a wonderfully talented singer. Not many rock stars haven't had a problem with drugs.

BC Prisons – Letting the system work

We’ve talked a lot about the problems within the BC Judicial system. We’ve talked a lot about how Harper's new over reaching crime bills make the situation worse without fixing the inherit problems within the system.

Let’s look at over crowding. BC prisons are currently operating at 157% of capacity rate. Some say it's closer to 200%. Clearly the first problem is funding. Recently we did away with the two for one pretrial credit. That was a good step. Yet that is going to cost more money. The next thing that has to go is mandatory statutory release after two thirds of the sentence. Time off for good behavior is one thing but mandatory statutory release after two thirds of the sentence is served is wrong. This too will cost more money.

The question is how much money do we want to spend and what do we want to spend it on. Obviously everyone would rather spend money on schools and hospitals than on prisons. Yet prisons are essential. Privatizing prisons is wrong. Making prisons for profit is an abomination. No one should profit off of incarceration.

The problem is violent crime. We ask for mandatory minimum sentences for violent crime and they come back with mandatory minimum sentences for growing pot. Someone isn’t listening. Someone has an agenda and it is not in the public interest.

The problem is funding. The hated Campbell government has consistently slashed funding for prisons while they lined their own pockets with huge pay raises and gold plated pensions. The very pension Campbell originally campaigned against. That was a breach of contract. Now Harper wants to take away our pensions to pay for a bank pay off. This isn’t a hidden conspiracy. It is an evil agenda.

So yes, to fix our broken judicial system we’re going to need some more money. We’re going to need to build some more prisons. But we don’t need to fill them with nonviolent criminals. Our prisons are at 157% capacity as it is. We need to fix this. Over crowding in prisons is not in the public’s best interest.

We’re going to need to address violent crime. Murder and sexual assault are serious crimes that need a significant consequence. Likewise investment fraud where white collar criminals embezzle millions and steal pensions from seniors is like mugging a little old lady times a hundred. Bre-X, all the fake companies on the stock market that rip people off, steal pensions and destabilize the market, these need to be addressed and are a lot more important than nonviolent crime. Clearly Stephen Harper does not have his priorities right - morally or financially.

You don’t have to privatize a prison to offer inmates employment. We should have working prisons where inmates can work if they so chose. I’m not talking about forced slave labour. I’m saying if you want statutory release, then you have to work and help pay for your incarceration. You can earn a token amount of spending money but most of the wage goes to paying for your room and board with the promise of getting early release if you chose to work while in prison. That is a system based on incentive. Learn a trade in prison? Why not? That would be in the public’s best interest. There is nothing worse than getting a life sentence to do nothing. We all need to be doing something.

Oshawa man arrested over Pickering dungeon

Remember that abandoned house in Ontario that had a dungeon in it? Well Robert Edwin White, from Oshawa was arrested Monday in connection with a mysterious dungeon discovered in an abandoned Pickering farmhouse late last year. I am told that the Hells Angels still have a large presence in Oshawa even after their clubhouse was seized.

I am told that after the police shut down their Toronto clubhouse they moved in to Pickering and went low key. I am told Durham county is crawling with Hells Angels. Pickering and Oshawa would both be part of Durham county in Ontario.