| HR Policy, Planning and Management News
Sun 26 Nov 2006, San Bernardino Sun The San Bernardino police department is concerned about future leadership and a dearth of qualified administrators with fifty-eight of its seasoned police officers expected to retire in the next three to five years. The concern stems from the high number of young officers within the department, about one-third of its sworn personnel, and the apparent lack of succession planning to prime such officers to step into leadership positions. To facilitate recruitmet and retention: any city employee who can successfully bring a new officer to the department will receive a $1,000 bonus, officers transferring to San Bernardino from other departments will get a $5,000 incentive, receiving $2,500 upon being sworn in and another $2,500 upon completion of their one-year probation, a $2,000 relocation-assistance program for recruits who live more than 90 minutes away, a Deferred Retirement Option Program, which allows experienced officers who have retired to continue part-time employment for up to five years. Their monthly retirement benefits are deferred to a special account that accumulates interest. Two Ottawa companies have been named as family‑friendly employers in a nationwide survey by Today's Parent. The RCMP and the Royal Canadian Mint scored in the Top 10 when it comes to on‑site daycare, paid family leave days, adoption benefits, scholarship programs for employees' children and compassionate leave to take care of family members. In her six years working for the Royal Canadian Mint, Julie Pilon has had two children and experienced first‑hand the family‑oriented services and atmosphere offered by her employer. The senior manager in business development at the Mint praised the "extraordinary" maternity leave, health benefits and sick leave package offered by her employer saying it enables her to maintain a healthy balance between home and work. Today's Parent editor‑in‑chief Caroline Connell says it's great to see "parents and employers working together to hammer out creative solutions to the work‑family crunch." Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has vowed to protect the jobs of two RCMP whistleblowers who have information about an alleged coverup that could implicate the top Mountie. Conservative MP Peter Goldring says the officers have information the RCMP did not adequately investigate alleged sexual abuse by a former Mountie at the Kingslear school in New Brunswick. RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardeli headed the criminal division in New Brunswick at the time of the alleged abuse in the 1990s. In a letter obtained by Sun Media, Day tells Goldring, who has been pressing for answers on the case, there will be no retaliation against the whistleblowers. In the Sun Media report from Ottawa, Goldring says Day's assurances could help crack open a case that has hit roadblocks because officers feared for their jobs. The RCMP's civilian oversight agency has been conducting an inquiry into the Mountie investigation. The Metropolitan Police in London England has been forced to plead for £150mn more funding from the government. Police chief Sir Ian Blair says he urgently needs more money due to the heavy demands on his force caused by fighting international terrorism. A review by the Metropolitan Police Authority has revealed that the Met is spending a record £452mn a year on "national, international and capital city" (NIC) police services, which benefit the nation. The cost has soared in the space of a year from £387mn. But the Home Office is only providing £217mn from central government towards the expenditure - leaving a shortfall of £235mn which has to be made up by raising council taxes for Londoners or cutting the money for fighting crime in the capital. A preliminary federal report raises serious concerns about millions of dollars handed to the Kanesatake band council for security on the aboriginal territory between 2003 and 2005. According to the report obtained by Radio-Canada, former grand chief James Gabriel didn't properly spend $34-million provided by the Quebec and federal governments to fight organized crime on the territory west of Montreal. It found that several police officers hired by Mr. Gabriel had billed their wages and expenses twice in the same day. And it found that the native police force purchased unsanctioned weapons, including silencers, some of which are missing. Mr. Gabriel defends the expenditures, saying they were approved by the federal department. Federal lawyers are reviewing the final report to determine if charges should be laid. Alberta Premier Ralph Klein says he'll be interested to see if Ted Morton's plan for a provincial police force will fly if Morton succeeds him as premier. Klein said he doesn't get a "lot of cards and letters" from ordinary Albertans about the issue, and he doesn't personally think there's a need. "I'm trying not to comment on what the leadership candidates have to say, (but) it will be interesting, if he becomes premier, to see what happens." Klein said his attitude is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. "It's not a great concern so I suspect that things are satisfactory." Morton, one of nine Tory leadership candidates vying for Klein's throne, has proposed creating a provincial police force which he says would be more effective and accountable than the RCMP. But Klein said the province gets a good bang for its buck out of the Mounties. "We studied it and it was rejected because, thus far, we're getting a pretty good deal with the RCMP," Klein said. The province is currently negotiating with the Mounties on a new policing contract. Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko has repeatedly said the province is not considering creating its own force and is focused on reaching a new deal with the horsemen. According to Ted Morton, a backbench MLA who wants to be the next Tory leader and premier of Alberta, the province of Alberta needs its own provincial police force. Although respectful of the work of the RCMP, he suggests it is time for decisions about policing priorities to be made in the province. His concern centers around drug crimes, that parents are worried the RCMP may be leaving local dealers on the street as they attempt to arrest sources higher up the supply chain. It later emerged the force had rejected two-thirds of the white male applicants as part of an “advance diversity” drive. Yesterday it was found by an employment tribunal to have unlawfully discriminated against Mr Powell on the grounds of race and sex. Lawyers last night warned his landmark victory could open the floodgates for other public sector hopefuls rejected through “positive” discrimination. Hundreds of police officers from around the world will be in Saskatoon next week to take part in the 44th annual international female police conference at TCU Place. "(Saskatoon) is going to be the safest place. There'll be more police coming," said Sgt. Susan Grant, co‑director of the conference. Grant and a group of city police officers have been working to prepare for the conference, which begins Sunday, since successfully bidding for the conference in 2001. About 600 delegates will attend from such countries as Australia, Cambodia, England and Trinidad and Tobago. Workshops examining the world of prison gangs, the workings of a psychopath's mind and a victim's perspective on child prostitution are highlights of the event. conference may be geared toward women, but men are welcome, said Grant. About 150 of the 600 delegates are men. Grant said conferences like this one are very important for policing. Canada has come a long way, but in other countries, marginalization in law enforcement is still a real issue, she said. An RCMP drill team demonstration and "All Nations" parade will kick off the conference Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the Delta Bessborough Park. The city has moved to consolidate management, boost efficiency and cut costs by appointing the city's police chief to head the fire department, as well. Cam Hershaw, appointed police chief in February 2005, took over as interim "public safety director" on Sept. 1. He'll head both the police and fire departments at least through Dec. 31, said City Administrator Nabiel Shawa. "He's a great asset to the city and a very competent manager," said Sellers. "He is very intelligent, and I'm certain he is going to do an excellent job as public safety director. This is a trial for the city and for Cam and for both departments." Hershaw's previous monthly salary of $7,324 has been increased to $8,423. Fire Capt. Larry Saari is serving as acting fire chief. His salary remains the same at $5,500 a month. "We wanted to see if one manager could handle the day-to-day management and leave the fire operations to the captains," said Hershaw. "We couldn't have done this if we didn't have such excellent, experienced firefighters." Since their introduction four years ago, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) have been working hard to help make you feel safer in your community. They were brought in as part of a nationwide drive towards Neighbourhood Policing, which aims to tackle crime and the fear of crime and bring the police closer to local communities. The Government has pledged to put an extra 16,000 PCSOs out into communities across England and Wales by April 2007 and is looking for recruits to perform what is one of the most rewarding, interesting and varied roles in the modern police service. PCSOs perform an essential role, which extends the range of activities the police are able to provide to our communities. It is the job of a PCSO to provide a highly visible, reassuring presence on the streets and to help tackle anti-social behaviour and minor crimes that concern people, freeing up frontline police officers to focus on solving more serious crimes. Dedicating at least 80 per cent of their time to public facing duties, PCSOs provide fresh eyes and ears for the police force in the community. Six northern Alberta aboriginal bands are now under RCMP watch until the province and the communities decide how to replace a scrapped police force. The Alberta government announced earlier this year that it was not renewing the contract of the Lesser Slave Lake Police Service after a review of the operation. The cancellation took effect Sept. 7. The Solicitor General's Department cited failure to investigate major crimes such as sexual assault, aggravated assault and one attempted murder in its decision to cancel its contract. Former chief Jon Netelenbos said he pleaded for more officers from the province but never got them. Department spokesman Andy Weiler says the province wants a new service in place by April 1, 2007. ''This gives them a lot of time to talk about (options),'' said Weiler. ''Nobody wants to race into things.'' Options include re‑establishing an all‑aboriginal force, or creating an integrated service between RCMP and aboriginal officers. The force was established in 1995 to patrol Horse Lake, Sucker Creek, Kapawe'no, Driftpile, Swan River and Sawridge First Nations in northwestern Alberta. Police plan to take on Home Office over merger fiasco South Wales Police Authority is preparing to fight the Home Office over the £400,000 cost of the shelved police mergers. The authority joined other forces in demanding that the cost of preparing for the aborted merger proposal that would have brought in an all-Wales force, is repaid. A spokeswoman said the £434,656.36 bill included staff time, management and meeting costs, travelling expenses including train travel to London, translation, consultation, postage and legal costs. But the Home Office said it was only prepared to make a 'contribution' to the costs. A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'We are in contact with all police forces to make it clear that we are prepared to make a contribution to the additional costs which they may have incurred in preparing for police force mergers. 'We are now in discussion with police forces and police authorities to consider what might be the best way to bring about improvements in protective services.' Fri 8 Sept 2006, The Herald (UK) Graeme Pearson, head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), has called for a national police service, and academics and officers agree. They suggest that instead of the SCDEA existing alongside such a force, the SCDEA be integrated, with an assistant commissioner in charge and answerable to a commissioner. This would solve many of the problems in relation to control and accountability of multi-level policing he suggests. Comment - Albertans hoping this province will soon shed its redneck image can give up on that dream right now. That's because our provincial government has just introduced a brand of law enforcement that appears to be straight out of Smokey and the Bandit or the Dukes of Hazzard. A non‑union association of provincial RCMP officers has criticized the government for launching the new troop of sheriffs, who will largely but not completely be occupied with traffic matters. Staff Sgt. Bob Meredith, speaking on behalf of the RCMP's Staff Relations Representatives, said the special constables will compound RCMP officers' work, adding that police work should be left to professionals. Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko insists the creation of the new traffic force is all about safety and not money, but it's very telling that money from tickets will go straight to general revenues, rather than being earmarked for initiatives that will save lives. The sheriffs themselves may save a few lives by getting motorists to slow down, but the RCMP were already doing that and are trained to handle a wider variety of crimes. RCMP officers who believe law enforcement should be left to well‑trained professionals are entirely correct. Otherwise, why not outfit some rent‑a‑cops in silly hats to tackle all sorts of crime? We could probably save a lot of money doing that and arguably get along with fewer Mounties. But that would be silly. A survey by the company found that salaries in Calgary are growing at an all-time-high pace of 5.3 per cent this year and are projected to climb 5.2 per cent in 2007. Those figures are well above the national average of 3.6 per cent this year and 3.7 per cent in 2007. The findings are notable because they show a much wider margin between national wage figures and those for Alberta. "There aren't many employers that can even begin to compete with the salary increases being offered in Calgary," said Keri Humber, senior compensation consultant at Hewitt. The challenge for those companies, he said, will be finding alternative means of compensating their workers. Two months ago, Peter Van Muyen was escorting shackled criminals to the prisoner's box at a downtown courthouse. Today, he will be behind the wheel of a patrol car, gun on hip, looking for speeding, drunk and dangerous motorists, and making arrests. The Red Deer‑based peace officer is one of 21 sheriffs now patrolling some of Alberta's most treacherous highways, part of a program that begins this long weekend in an attempt to lower the province's high road toll. The sheriffs will have powers of arrest under the Criminal Code, complementing both Mounties and city police on the roads. Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko said the introduction of sheriffs onto Alberta's highways will not replace the work of police, but will free up officers to focus on criminal investigations. "We don't need these skilled front‑line police officers sitting on the side of the roadway doing traffic enforcement, when they could be . . . . investigating criminal activity," said Cenaiko. Cenaiko said the sheriff program is not a sign his government is moving toward a provincial police force to replace the RCMP. "We will never replace RCMP officers," he said. RCMP deputy commissioner Bill Sweeney said Mounties would work closely with the new sheriffs. "Anybody who wears a uniform is acutely aware of the carnage on our highways," he said. Twenty‑one traffic sheriffs on the solicitor general's payroll will be on Alberta's most dangerous highways in time for the September long weekend. "Your impending presence on our highways comes not a moment too soon," Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko told the new sheriffs during graduation ceremonies. "We can change reckless attitudes and bad habits." The sheriffs have firearms training and will be armed. The sheriffs have the power to enforce any provincial laws, including the Traffic Safety Act and liquor and gaming regulations. They can apprehend individuals with outstanding warrants and assist RCMP with collision investigations. The solicitor general wants to increase the number of sheriffs from the 42 that fit the budget this year. Sgt. Mike Duffy, who retired from the RCMP in 2004 after 28 years, is one of the first batch of sheriffs. He thinks they will be a big help to Alberta's Mounties. "There's a need out there for traffic enforcement to assist the RCMP in the rural areas, as well as other police services. I'm happy to be part of it," he said, clad in his uniform and black Stetson. All 147 officers in the Hillsboro Police Department are required to take at least 32 hours of mediation training. When the last batch finishes training in October, Hillsboro will have the only police department in the US with 100 percent of its officers trained in mediation, said Patti Williams, the police management assistant who heads the program. Problem-solving often means recognizing people's emotions -- the rage inside the man who must drag himself to work each day after another sleepless night because of his neighbor's barking dog. "Cops don't pay attention to those feelings. They just say, 'If you don't stop (threatening your neighbor) you'll have to go to jail.' " Mediation takes more time, which can be difficult for a busy officer. "It takes several hours to really mediate an issue," Goerling said. "We don't have that kind of time out in the field. We kind of do mini-mediations." In 2005-06, Hillsboro officers mediated 69 cases on site, Williams said, and referred more complicated cases to the mediation program. Hundreds of New Zealanders with specialist security skills, including police officers and former Defence Force staff have pursued lucrative contracts in Iraq. Estimates are that about 2000 New Zealanders are working there. Security firms want people with military and specialist police experience but officers are going in defiance of police policy. The officers have specialist experience, such as in the armed offenders squad, and are typically lured by the money. The Guardian Angels are in Ottawa hoping to start a chapter but the police department is not welcoming them. Deputy Police Chief Sue O'Sullivan said there was no way her department will condone the Guardian Angels and their lack of community knowledge is unimpressive and speaks to the need for the police to do community policing. The police have not been approached by any community or business groups about bringing in the Guardian Angels. Commissioner Gwen Boniface will take on a new role in a newly established Inspectorate providing oversight of Ireland’s National Police Force. She will stay on as Commissioner of the OPP until early October to ensure a smooth transition. An extensive, Canada-wide search will begin shortly to find a replacement for the role. “Commissioner Boniface has distinguished herself as an exceptional police officer, role model and leader,” said Premier Dalton McGuinty. She also holds the position of Co Chair of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Police Sector Council. Private police services have become a fact of life in Canada, but they're not regulated nearly well enough for the powers they've been given. The Law Commission of Canada, a government think‑tank that seeks to modernize federal legislation, says there are about 80,000 law enforcers in Canada who aren't strictly "public police." They include everyone from airport bag‑checkers to security guards at malls, and a lot of them fall into a grey legal area. They enjoy (by legislation) some of the powers accorded to regular police and also (by common‑law tradition) some of the powers accorded to property owners ‑ but they are held to lower standards of accountability. At least nine organizations have some kind of policing authority at Toronto's Pearson airport, including the RCMP, local police, four private security firms working for different employers, and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. In Ottawa, private security guards hired by business groups have certain powers to enforce city bylaws. Statistics Canada has just release Crime Statistics in Canada 2005, a report that outlines trends and analyzes the figures for crime by province. There were more homicides -- notably in Edmonton -- more robberies and more armed assaults, but overall crime was down 5 per cent in 2005. That's the distinctly mixed picture visible in the newest annual snapshot of Canadian lawbreaking. That's the argument of three consultants -- Ken Dychtwald, Tamara Erickson and Robert Morison -- who say that a shift in the age distribution of the general population means we'll soon run out of sufficient workers. From 2000 to 2020, the normal working age population of 20- to 64-year-olds in Canada will grow by only 16 per cent, less than 1 per cent a year, and, in the following 30 years, the expectation is that it will stay essentially stable. Although companies are exporting some jobs through outsourcing, we can expect to have too few work force entrants to replace the labour, skills and talent of the baby boomers set to retire in coming years. The number of workers nearing retirement is staggering: Employers should be planning for a doubling of the proportion of workers 55 and older in coming years, and their imminent retirement unless prevailing practices change. RCMP officers in remote northern Manitoba communities are putting their lives on the line because their detachments are chronically understaffed, says an inquest report released yesterday. Judge Brent Stewart's report says RCMP officers risk their "personal safety and ultimately life" because they are overburdened and sometimes required to act alone in dangerous situations. Stewart headed the inquest into the January 2005 death of Dennis St. Paul, a man from Norway House, who was shot by RCMP Const. Darcy Muth during a scuffle. The inquest was told Muth tried to arrest St. Paul on an outstanding parole warrant, and did not handcuff him. The officer was working alone that day because another constable was transporting a prisoner to Thompson. The report also points out the Norway House detachment had about half the 19 officers it needed at the time ‑ a situation Stewart suggested exists in many other remote northern communities. "This inquest recommends that the RCMP ... meet with the Province of Manitoba and, thereafter, the Government of Canada, to immediately fund an increase in resources," he writes. Stewart's report also recommends officers handcuff any suspect who is potentially violent and not try to arrest them without backup. Manitoba Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh said he is ready to fund more Mounties under an existing 70‑30 split with the federal government, but called on Ottawa to boost training. "What we need is a different approach, a strong approach from Ottawa to ensure that Canadians are getting the RCMP cadets out of training to fill those positions." The [Norway House] reserve's new chief, Marcel Balfour, called the report well‑considered but added "there is always going to be some distrust with respect to the RCMP." Richmond is considering replacing the RCMP with its own municipal police force. "It's not a negative comment on the policing services we're getting," Mayor Malcolm Brodie said yesterday. "But it's a matter of looking out a number of years to make sure what we envision for the future is the model that we have." Council has voted to spend $185,000 to review the pros and cons of dismantling the Richmond RCMP and to explore alternatives like building an independent police department or contracting services from a neighbouring municipality. The cost includes retaining a public‑relations firm for $15,000 to $20,000 to send out "positive messaging." "Due to the nature of the review, it would be wise to retain a media‑relations firm to develop a strategy for proactive, timely and positive messaging to the media," said a staff report. It also said: "The question must be asked ‑‑ is there a point when a city 'outgrows' having an RCMP detachment? Do city priorities begin to conflict with RCMP HQ priorities? Why have other urban centres chosen a different policing model?" Most large urban centres in Canada have their own municipal police force rather than use the RCMP. Manitoba is giving municipalities the power to employ special constables that can enforce certain provincial laws such as speeding. Judicial and municipal officials said the step, possibly a first in Canada, is meant to improve safety and enforcement in rural communities where police agencies are shorthanded. Winnipeg Beach became the first to sign on now that the legal framework is in place for municipalities to hire the bylaw enforcement officers and for them to enforce such laws. "We need the service as soon as possible," said Winnipeg Beach Mayor Don Pepe. "We've put six names forward for consideration." Mounties patrol his town, but their resources are stretched because they police a large zone. Special constables will be allowed to enforce sections of the Highway Traffic Act, Liquor Control Act and other statutes. Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh said RCMP will screen candidates. Municipalities or candidates will pay for training and other expenses. Officials were not able to provide cost estimates. Los Angeles Police Department, the smallest big-city department in the US, struggles to find recruits. Competition is increasing for a limited pool of suitable candidates interested in becoming cops – they are looking for 1,000 officers this year. They have beefed up their recruitment department, from 2 to 12, increased their advertising budget for police recruitment from $1.5 million to $3.5 million, and are offering $1,000 cash to any employee who brings in a successful recruit. They are even considering expanding the cash reward to non-profit organizations who bring in successful recruits. The environment is competitive, as LAPD makes changes so do others: New York City is struggling to hire 3,300 officers this year, Chicago is scrambling and California as a whole is facing a collective 8,500 vacancies (Bob Stesak of the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training). Academies can’t meet the demand – 5 years ago California police academies turned out 4,500 new officers annually; this year less than 3,000. Departments are changing requirements - raising the maximum age for recruits, forgiving some drug use if it was a one-time incident far in the past. Departments are stealing from one another, offering transfer bonuses up to $5,000, and having to increase salary and benefits to compete. Police forces are actively advertising in other cities with tv ads, fliers, recruitment drives that draw comparisons on lifestyle, housing prices, and salary and benefits. Peacekeeping missions are using police units to keep the peace and save money. Historically, the need for soldiers during military operations is usually brief and the biggest component of peacekeeping activities is that of maintaining order. The UN has 27 FPUs (Formed Police Units) which contain 3,105 peacekeeping police. Each unit includes 125 police led by a UN police Commissioner and costs about $4.2 million a year to operate. Operations allow 80% of police personnel to be on the street. By comparison an equal number of UN peacekeeping troops cost $5 million dollars a year and allow only about half the troops to be on the street at any one time. When military operations require peacekeeping, policing units are most effective. There are also larger, and more expensive, police units, formed by the UN, NATO and the EU. The NATO MSUs (Multinational Specialized Units) have from 250 to 600 personnel each, and are more heavily armed than FPUs. They, like their UN equivalents, are SPUs (stability police units). The European Union has its IPUs (Integrated Police Units). These more heavily armed, and better paid, organizations are actually paramilitary, and are used to bridge the gap between the arrival of peacekeeping troops, and the deployment of FPUs for keeping things quiet until local police forces can be rebuilt. While the concept of peacekeeper police has been a successful one, it still depends on adequate training and leadership. As with poorly trained and led peacekeeping troops, ill-prepared cops can suffer from corruption and abuse of power problems. That, however, is a constant problem that does not take away from the superiority of the peacekeeping police concept. Mayor Thomas M. Menino, amid an outcry from Boston city councilors and community leaders, said yesterday that he will accept an offer from Governor Mitt Romney to loan state troopers to Boston for special operations this summer. Romney had offered the use of State Police as Boston's understaffed police force battles a wave of crime and heads into a summer that some fear will be the bloodiest in years. On Thursday, Menino said he had decided to refuse the help, largely because Boston's powerful police unions would oppose it. But the mayor came under a firestorm of criticism yesterday, with city councilors and residents of some of the city's hardest-hit areas accusing him of letting politics interfere with the well-being of the neighborhoods. Early yesterday, Menino had continued to defend his decision, saying during an interview with WBZ radio that, while he wanted to see more State Police on the highways, troopers should not be alongside Boston police officers in the city's neighborhoods. ``Working in the streets of Boston is much more difficult than working the highways," Menino said in the interview. ``So I want to use that offer of his to let them patrol those [highways] on a full-time basis, so we can concentrate the Boston police in the neighborhoods." But by late afternoon, he was considering other options. He said he was discussing a plan to integrate state troopers with special operations forces. The federal government is preparing to roll out a series of multibillion-dollar military spending announcements, including money for planes, ships, trucks and the helicopters the military said this week would save lives in Afghanistan. The Conservatives will unveil a massive $15-billion procurement package at four separate announcements in four Canadian cities next week, sources told The Globe and Mail. The money represents one of the largest defence equipment purchases in Canadian history, and is bigger than most analysts had predicted. The new equipment will replace old vehicles and vessels, many of which need inordinate amounts of repair and others that are about to reach the date where they must be taken out of service. Back Up The province's plan to hire 42 new traffic sheriffs has been derided by a non‑union association of provincial RCMP officers, who say police work should be left to the professionals. A spokesman for Solicitor General Harvey Cenaiko on Friday announced the new sheriffs ‑ who will be stationed on Alberta's most treacherous stretches of highway ‑ one month before the completion of a provincial traffic safety pilot project. "This is all a hiring process that we're going through right now," said Solicitor General's office spokesman Andy Weiler. "We'll probably have an official rollout sometime this fall." Provincial traffic enforcement officers have been using RCMP detachments for office space, but Weiler said that is also slated to change. But Staff Sgt. Bob Meredith, elected to speak on behalf of the RCMP's Staff Relations Representatives, said the special constables will compound detachments' work. "Our position on it is that traffic safety work is police work and it should be done by police officers," he said. "These people will go out encountering criminal activity on our highways. ... "Our concern is for public safety, for police safety." "RCMP can focus on more serious crimes," Weiler said. "This isn't about replacing the RCMP; this is about complementing them." Back Up Governments and employers made a mistake in the 1990s when they introduced early retirement schemes to push out older employees, according to new research by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. It was thought at the time was that buyouts and early retirement would reduce the persistently high unemployment rates for younger workers in industrialized countries. But here's the wrinkle: “Many older workers were induced to leave by very generous early retirement schemes, but relatively few young people were subsequently hired in their places,” John Martin, the OECD's director of employment, labour and social affairs, said at a forum in Toronto Thursday. The early retirement trend has gained in popularity as life expectancies have increased — with women now living an average of 23 years after retirement and men living an average of 18 years. Governments are now considering ways to slow the expected exodus of baby boomers into retirement. Diane Finley, Canada's Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, said Thursday her government will conduct a review to “ensure that pensions don't serve as a disincentive to older workers remaining in the work force.” Police are spending millions on interpreters instead of badly needed beat officers. Foreign murderers, a surge in migrant workers and large numbers of asylum seekers have been blamed by one of the highest spending forces, Cambridgeshire, for its rocketing translation bill. The force spent £715,000 on interpreting for foreign criminals in the last financial year – up 69 per cent on the previous 12 months. This is equivalent to 65 new recruits, who are paid £20,397 a year after basic training. Other rural forces including Essex, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Surrey have each had to shell out hundreds of thousands of pounds on interpreters instead of putting more officers on the beat. Cambridgeshire Police said last night that they had to deal with an increasingly international population. While major cities have become used to relying on interpreters, small county forces have seen their budgets decimated by the new demands. Daily Express columnist and former Home Office minister Ann Widdecombe said: “If the Government could get control of the abuse of the asylum and immigration systems there would be less need for such services.” Back Up Citizen patrols and private security are reducing property crime on Vancouver’s west side. The Dunbar Residents Association launched citizen patrols in March 2005 to combat property crime and vandalism. Association president Linda MacAdam was fed up after two garage and three car break-ins. Some residents blamed the rise in crime on the closure of their Community Policing Centre — one of 10 shut in 2003. MacAdam tried to fill the void by creating a citizen watch to patrol from 16th Avenue on the north to Southlands along the Fraser River and from Balaclava Street to Pacific Spirit Park. From June 2005 to June 2006, about 200 incidents were called in, 73 forwarded to 911. Most were break-ins, disorderly behaviour, a few car accidents and a grow-op report. The program has cost $200,000 to date and the company plans to spend $1 million by 2010. The company is also offering community patrollers free training and walkie-talkies. The efforts have coincided with a decline in property crime that police say is no accident. Acting Insp. Fiona Weller said civilian programs contribute to lowering crime. “They’re really good ideas,” she said. “The time has come to look at it realistically. Policing needs all the help it can get. “As a Liberal member of the Senate, I should concede from the start that Canada’s current security and intelligence weaknesses cannot be blamed on Stephen Harper’s government. Far from it. The holes in Canada’s ability to defend its citizens from man-made and natural disasters go a long way back, certainly to the budgetary cuts made under my own Liberal government in the 1990s, and back beyond that. Security has always been the easiest portfolio for federal governments to underfund, since Canadians have by and large felt safe in the myth of their peaceable kingdom. Having conceded that this government has inherited many of our security problems, however, let me be blunt: Whoever is responsible for the current mess, it is this government’s job to repair it. The Senate Committee on National Security and Defence, which I chair, is bipartisan. We see our job as producing fair, honest reports about the things that are wrong (and right) with security in this country. So far, our committee has witnessed a combination of the good, the bad and the ugly from the new government.” Senator Colin Kenny is chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence. kennyco@sen.parl.gc.ca Fifteen years after the Christopher Commission recommended sweeping reform of the Los Angeles Police Department, many improvements have been made, but the work is not finished, commission members said Tuesday. Civic leaders who served on the panel held an informal reunion recently at which Police Chief William J. Bratton assured them that he will complete the job they started. Ordin added that Christopher panelists were impressed with strides made in improving the department’s diversity, particularly within the upper ranks. Panel recommendations that have been enacted include limits on the terms of the police chief and Police Commission president, an overhaul of the citizens complaint system, a shift toward community-based policing and creation of an inspector general position to assist the Police Commission in providing civilian oversight of the department. Back Up The Guardian Angels are coming to Saskatoon and Regina this summer to gauge interest in having them patrol the streets. Critics accuse the group of doling out vigilante justice, and some even suggest that their hands-on approach — seizing drugs and paraphernalia — infringes on rights. Others welcome the added presence of anyone focused on reducing crime. Founder Sliwa cited home invasions and knifings in Saskatoon, homicides in Regina and a growing gang and drug problem in Saskatchewan’s biggest cities as concerns brought to his attention. The public has asked us to come. The Saskatoon Police Service is open to meeting with the GuardianAngels. Violent crime, gang activity and drug use have been on the rise in Saskatoon, prompting city councillors to ponder a youth curfew, a bylaw banning knives in public and a prohibition on gang colours being worn in civic facilities. Chapters are planned for Toronto (launching in July), Calgary (August), Vancouver (August) and possibly Edmonton. Now, the Angels are flying into Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Mounties are looking for recruits, but aren't getting their men, apparently. Or their women. As a consequence, a provincial document released to the Vancouver Sun in response to a freedom of information request says, there haven't been enough RCMP officers in B.C. to investigate some of the most serious crimes in the province in the past decade, including homicides, grow operations, home invasions, sexual predation and high‑level organized crime. This is despite an announcement by Premier Gordon Campbell in May that funds were being provided to add 215 officers in B.C. communities. The funding is there, but the bodies are not, which makes one wonder what the money is being used for. Getting the Mounties to do the policing in communities with 5,000 or fewer residents, at provincial expense, or to work on contract for larger municipal forces such as in Surrey or Langley is a pretty good deal. The RCMP takes raw recruits and trains them at their depot in Regina to do real police work ‑ not just to stand around as ornaments in red serge on Parliament Hill. Back Up British Columbia’s Solicitor-General, John Les, denied that there is a shortage of RCMP officers in the province. He played down a confidential 2005 government briefing note that reported that B.C. does not have enough RCMP officers, and said the situation has since changed. Mr. Les stressed that the government has managed to balance the budget and find extra resources to invest in policing, noting that 400 more officers are working today and there is funding to recruit another 215. Back Up The FBI has reported the biggest rise in the violent crime rate since 2001 for the USA. Now there are more murders, robberies and aggravated assaults than last year. Dallas is the most dangerous city, with Detroit a close second while New York is again considered the safest of the US big cities. Canada’s crime statistics will be released next month by Statistics Canada. So how does Canada compare? “The U.S. is higher in gun crime, but Canada has higher burglary rates, it has higher theft rates, it has equivalent assault rates: it is a high-crime society,” said Marcus Felson, professor at the School of Criminal Justice of Rutgers University Jersey. In Canada in 2004 there were 622 murders, representing two for every 100,000 people. Some experts claim Canada’s universal health care system does a better job at saving lives than does the US system. “The difference between a homicide and a serious assault is often just how quickly you can get a person to a hospital,” said Ronald Melchers, criminology professor at the University of Ottawa. The Guardian Angels plan to recruit 24 people for a unit in Vancouver, starting in August. But the former Toronto policeman who heads the group in Canada said they aren’t interested in being vigilantes, and plan only to be “eyes and ears” on the street who phone police if they spot a crime. The group, known for its red berets and military- style fatigues, plans to patrol the streets of downtown, the West End and Vancouver’s Eastside. The Angels usually operate in groups of six to 10. B.C. has not had enough RCMP officers to investigate some of the province's most serious crimes for at least a decade, according to a confidential 2005 provincial government document. "There are insufficient resources to address the many serious crime investigations, including homicides, abductions, armed robberies, [marijuana] grow operations, home invasions, sexual predators, child pornography, exploitation of children on the Internet, white‑collar crime and high‑level organized crime," says the briefing note, prepared by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor‑General, and obtained by The Vancouver Sun through freedom of information legislation. The briefing note, dated May 11, 2005, was prepared more than three months after Premier Gordon Campbell announced the province would add 215 RCMP officers in B.C. communities as part of a crime‑fighting strategy that is investing $122 million in policing, corrections and courts over the next three years. The federal Conservative government also pledged in its recent budget to spend $37 million to expand the RCMP training depot in Regina, and $161 million for more police officers and federal prosecutors. But the RCMP now faces the problem of finding enough recruits to fill the new positions. That has created a growing backlog of unfilled, but funded positions, and vacancies created by attrition, including early retirement. Vancouver RCMP Cpl. Tom Seaman said the force has already received the new provincial government funding to hire more officers to fill what has been called the "capacity gap" to deal with unfilled vacancies and increasing demand to shift investigators to such specialized units as the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). Asked if the RCMP is concerned about the increased shortfall between funded positions and actual RCMP members, Seaman said: "It's a short‑term problem that is in the process of being addressed by aggressive recruiting." Back Up Wednesday May 17 2006, North Shore News
Tuesday May 16 2006, The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton)
Friday May 12 2006, Philadelphia Daily News
Thursday May 11 2006, Woodstock Sentinel-Review
Monday May 08 2006, The Observer (Sarnia)
Monday May 08 2006, Daily Telegraph (England)
Friday May 05 2006, The Standard (St. Catharines
- Niagara)
Thursday May 04 2006, Winnipeg Free Press
Thursday May 04 2006, The Calgary Herald
Wednesday May 03 2006, The Ottawa Citizen
Monday April 24 2006, Winnipeg Free Press
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