Drug Overdose in Maple Ridge Prison

Well we all know there are drugs in prison and we know there are drugs in the Maple Ridge Prison. Peter Adiwal was caught selling drugs there and received no extra time on his sentence. Now the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge claims a recent drug over dose in prison is the result of over crowding.

I agree over crowding in BC prisons is a problem ever since Gordon Campbell stopped funding prisons to pay for his two huge raises and his gold plated pension but how on earth is that the cause of drugs in prison? England has a problem with drugs in prison. It's because of corruption.

Corruption is how drugs can get into prison and are used in prison. A bad judicial system that gives no extra time for someone caught selling drugs in prison doesn't help either. The problem is prison guards. 2%, 10% 30% whatever the percentage is, that is the problem.

There is no reason we can't use drug sniffing dogs in our prisons here. Overcrowding is a legitimate problems as well but that is a separate problem. Gordo's prison tents are an embarrassment. How low can he go?

BC Rail Scandal shut down

One thing the Commander wing nut case has taught us is that corruption can enter anywhere. It can enter the military, the police, the judicial system, politics and even the CIA. Especially the CIA. With politics it's a given. Regardless of the party. Now we have an abrupt end to the BC Rail scandal with two MLAs pleading guilty which in turn shuts down any investigation into Gordon Campbell.

Everyone knows Gordon Campbell is a liar. He has the lowest approval rating of any premier in Canada rivaling Brian Mulroney before he left office. Gordon Campbell was recorded on tape campaigning against the MLA's gold plated pension, yet he brought it in along with two huge pay raises once he was elected.

Politics is the only place where dishonesty is not only tolerated, it's expected. There is not a snowball's chance in Hell Gordon Campbell didn't know what his caucus was doing with the sale of BC Rail. His party used stall tactics to delay the trial as long as possible.

Now Campbell has the outrageous audacity to blame his two MLAs and pass the buck by saying "They" waisted millions of taxpayers dollars by maintaining their innocence. They maintained their innocence and cut a deal to cut the proceedings short to save him not themselves.

When he said "These people are criminals," that would include him. There is no doubt he is the biggest criminal of them all. And the most dishonest. Do we really want to put him in in charge of his own provincial police force? I don't.

Colonel Thong

I realize this has nothing to do with gangs or organized crime but this case is so bizarre something needs to be said. Colonel Russell Williams former high ranking military official plead guilty to 88 charges including the rape and murder of one of his personnel. I realize he made a suicide attempt while in custody but it's hard for me to have sympathy for the guy.

Although he is obviously a very sick man, the rape and murder of one of your own military personnel is treason. Back in the day that kind of betrayal was punishable by firing squad.

The absolutely bizarre part is how he broke into a huge number of homes and stole women's underwear. He had them all categorized in his garage. Where and when he stole what from whom. He even took photos of himself wearing the woman's underwear.



Dude that is just plain nasty. It's not like he was gay. He had a wife and he committed rape on a women. He was just freaking weird. Like totally. How on earth did this guy rise so high in military command? It is difficult to comprehend.

Claude Berger

On a more positive note, this is one someone from Quebec sent me. It's about a Hells Angel with talent. Well, former Hells Angel named Claude Berger.

My French needs help but it would appear that in 2002 he was arrested for threatening a judge. As a result he was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

He was a former trumpet player with the Quebec Symphony and a former professor of music at Sherbrooke College. He claims that since 2002 he has no longer been with the Hells Agnels. Now he's a street musician and sells his own CD's. He does a great Louis Armstrong.



He is very talented. I respect that. Someone asked me if there was such a thing as a former Hells Angel. Implying that if you leave the group they will kill you. I don't know the answer to that question. I hope so. If the Hells Angels want to improve their image they have to start letting people go. Salut Claude. Tout le meilleur.

Kelowna Weasel

Here's another strange one. Here's a guy in Kelowna named Sylvain Laroche (Buk) who claims to be a member of the Hells Angels. He's from Quebec but claims to be from the Scarborough chapter and has a plaque from them.

He was convicted of impaired driving when he crashed his Harley in September of 2006. That wasn't his first conviction of impaired driving. Well get this, take a look at the logo on the shirt he's wearing. It's Weasels USA. I'm told he claims that's a puppet club for the Hells Angels International yet I find that hard to believe.



They claim to be a drinking club with a motorcycle problem. Take a look at the Weasels' motto called Hymn 69. Bragging about that is really bizarre. Sylvain is from Quebec. The French are known for being passionate lovers not rude pigs. What happened?

Get this. Kai Raecke wrote their bylaws in 1996. Kai Raecke is on the advisory Council for the Las Vegas 2010 BikeFest. He's listed as the Associate Editor for Easyriders Magazine. Easyriders? That's huge.



Nevertheless, it appears pretty clear that the Weasels aren't an MC they're just a drinking club. Apparently they've even been given a hard time from other MCs. It's kind of bizarre how a group of guys aren't allowed to make a t-shirt and form a club without having to approve everything through the Hells Angels or some other OMG.

I am told the Weasels formed a club in response to the group of rich motorcyclists who call themselves the Hamsters. Peace.

More Hells Angels speeding recklessly

Speeding is one thing, reckless driving is another. When I saw this new video I thought they were just replaying the last one and we just didn't hear that one of the bikes crashed. Not so. It appears that this is yet another video of two Hells Angels speeding excessively and driving recklessly a couple weeks after the last video was made public.

This is really bizarre. Motorcycle awareness is all about driving responsibly. It's not about driving like a crazed teenager on drugs. This kind of behavior gives all motorcyclists a bad rep not just Hells Angels. Running stop lights, driving on the wrong side of the road against traffic. It's no wonder one of the guys ended up crashing his bike.

It's like the idiot who died in Nanaimo. A young driver was changing lanes and didn't see a biker in his blind spot. When he did see the bike he stopped his lane change and returned to his lane. The biker pulled up beside him and started scowling at the young driver, missed a turn in the road and killed not only himself but his passenger as well. Absolutely senseless.

It is unwise for a car or a motorcycle to cruise in someone's blind spot. Now we have Hells Angels driving like maniacs still playing the victim and cry about the media picking on them. CBC, the Vancouver Province and the Burnaby Now failed to mention the fact that the second video was of Hells Angels. That's bizarre. And of course it's obvious I have mental problems because I do mention the fact that they are Hells Angels. Whatever.

Another motorcyclist was caught on camera driving recklessly and crashing in Abbotsford. Driving recklessly is irresponsible. Oh and here's another one:

Three grown men on motorcycles terrorize a female paralympian in Nanaimo. No charges were laid. These dirt bags are out of control. The woman was not in the wrong. She was behind one motorcycle and she was distracted by two other motorcycles that came roaring up behind her. She realized she was a bit too close to the motorcycle in front of her so she put on her brakes. Putting on your brakes is not reckless driving. Doing what these idiots did is. They should be charged with uttering threats and reckless driving. Not to do so is shameful.

East Vancouver Harm Reduction

A blog reader posted a few links in the comment section and I wanted to discuss and link to them directly. It's another look at harm reduction. It's a look inside ourselves that forces us to ask ourselves what are we and what do we endorse?

Vancouver's Drug Nightmare

HARM REDUCTION GONE BAD

the Harsh Reality of Drug Addiction

East Vancouver Darkness - Lisa

methadone heroin interviews

Looking at the videos is a glimpse inside the Downtown East side. I say glimpse because most there don't like cameras or to be photographed. Yet all one needs to do is to walk downtown with a camera on welfare night stepping over all the bodies on the ground to realize something isn't working. This knowledge begs for social justice.

Each addict has a story. Many have experienced horrible events and use drugs to escape those haunting memories for temporary relief which in turns compounds the problems and the misery. Looking at the situation, one is filled with compassion for the addict. Beat cops are essential yet the hunter looking for prey attitude isn't the right one unless it's directed at the drug dealers not the addicts.

The dealers are the ones profiting from the misery. They are the ones pushing women out of windows for drug debts. If a beat cop is a hunter looking for prey surely the hunt isn't a long one. Install cameras outside Carnage centre and arrest all the drug dealers. Don't beat the addicts. They have been beaten enough.

I remember the memorial of a Canadian solder from Edmonton who died serving in Afghanistan. His name was William Turner. They said he was the kind of guy who would say "Hi my name is Bill. I'm here to help." That is the kind of soldier we need walking the beat in East Van. One who doesn't kick the cat and arrests dealers.

Captain Trevor Greene was wounded in Afghanistan and has a moving recovery story. Some criticize him of being naive for removing his helmet and speaking with the elders. I say not. I just think he should of had one of his fellow soldiers watching his back while he spoke with the elders. He was attacked from behind with an axe.

He wrote a book about the missing women in East Van before he went to Afghanistan called Bad Date, The Lost Girls of Vancouver's Low Track. Harm reduction needs to change. Inspector John McKay is a good man. Follow him.

Through a Blue Lens

Tears for April

Stolen Lives

Laura Szendrei's Father

I was going to write about the Laura Szendrei murder even though it had nothing to do with organized crime because it was so outrageous. A pretty young girl beaten to death in broad daylight for no reason. No enemies. No sexual assault. No sense.

Then we heard that Hells Angels showed up at the funeral in coulours and were caught on video racing through traffic in colours at high speeds. Whenever the Hells Angels do anything with colours on it raises red flags. No different than if the UN, Red Scorpions or Independent Soldiers were to attend a funeral in their gang colours.

Then we hear that not only does the father happen to have a few friends who are Hells Angels, he was photographed posing in East Van support gear. We all know that when people pose with Hells Angels or Hells Angels support gear on facebook, it has real meaning in the world of organized crime.

Now this picture is innocent enough. He's posing with his daughter for a photo with a few of her friends and happens to be wearing support gear. However, someone sent the Vancouver Province a photo which they posted in their printed edition, not on the web site which was very different.

In that photo he was standing above his daughter and some of her friends who were sitting at a table. He was clearly posing and showing off his support gear as he was scowling at the camera trying to look mean. It was somewhat bizarre. Why on earth would a grown man idolize an organized crime group and brag about it to a group of young girls. Strange indeed.

I can understand some of the outrage the vocal pr reps for the Hells Angels have expressed over speculation over their involvement in the murder. However, they have to accept responsibility for what the group they support does and the knee jerk reaction that group creates within the public whenever they parade around in colours trying to intimidate people.

If you want to go to a funeral to support a friend's loss then feel free. But don't wear gang colours at the funeral. That is disrespectful. Gangs do that as a sign of support implying that their gang will retaliate which in turn implies that the motive for the funeral was gang related.

Now I will admit, notwithstanding the Hells Angels presence at the funeral and the father posing in support gear, I think it is unlikely the Hells Angels were responsible for her murder. I think it's more likely they were trying to send a message to her murderer. Although I say unlikely, it's still very strange.

Did Hells Angels show up at Juel Stanton's funeral? I know they showed up at a UN funeral where they were accused of hiring someone to commit the murder. The Hells Angels are such compulsive liars it's hard to know what the truth is even on the rare occasion they may be telling it.

The bottom line is that this murder is yet another local tragedy. Losing a child to murder is horrible. Someone knows something. If you know anything about Laura Szendrei’s murder, Geoff Meisner’s murder or Lindsay Buziak’s murder, please contact the police or call Crimestoppers at 1 800 222-8477.

Suspect arrested in Laura Szendrei's murder

Newspaperman assaulted by police trial

Well we've heard the story. Three drunk off duty police officers attacked a newspaper deliveryman in Vancouver and assaulted him. Now the case is coming to trial.

I was initially concerned the Delta cop wasn't charged at all when all along the claim was all three police officers beat him. The cab driver confirmed the two cops he gave a ride to jumped out of his cab and helped the other off duty cop on scene beat down the man who pleaded for them to stop.

This is the kind of thing that tarnishes the police and weakens public trust.

100 Kg of Cocaine seized in Kelowna

Well police announced at the press conference they seized 100 kg of cocaine in Kelowna. Indeed that's more than the 9 kg seized from David Giles and his associates and the 52 kg in Glen Hehn's storage locker but not as much as the 275 kg recently seized in Vancouver or the 2 1/2 tons from a boat bound for the Hells Angels. The 100 kg seizure is the largest in Kelowna. Just goes to show how large that 2 1/2 ton shipment was.

Two locals from West Kelowna were arrested and of course someone from Surrey had to be involved. I am a bit confused about the Mexican cartel connection though. On the news it said the cocaine came from Argentina and flew to Miami then to Vancouver. It would appear that it bypassed Mexico completely.

Although a Mexican was among those arrested, people from Argentina don't like to be called Mexicans. In fact no one in Latin America does. MS 13 were from El Salvador. Mexico think Argentina are snobs and Argentina think Mexican are second class citizens of Latin America. It's a shame really.

No word on what gang was bringing in the cocaine. Again. I find that odd. Drug busts in Victoria today too. Maybe CSIS is throwing the dog a few bones so Richard Barszczewski's contacts keep their job during contract negotiations.