On Thursday, September 21st - the City of Williams Lake issued the following statement on the CTV News story on the 3 unfortunate videos released from the WL RCMP Detachment:
The City of Williams Lake has been requested to respond to a September 29th CTV News report regarding the treatment of prisoners at the Williams Lake RCMP Detachment. The City is not in a position to comment on the specific incidents contained in the report as the matter is currently under investigation by the RCMP.
The City of Williams Lake has a very positive working relationship with the Williams Lake RCMP Detachment and the City works collaboratively with the Detachment Commander to identify policing needs and objectives in the community. The Williams Lake RCMP has made significant progress in the past two years in reversing the escalating crime activity in our community with significant reductions in many crime categories, some as much as 85%.
According to Mayor Kerry Cook, “City Council and I have the utmost respect and confidence in St. Sgt. Warren Brown’s leadership of the Williams Lake RCMP Detachment. St. Sgt. Brown has demonstrated a high degree of cooperation and understanding in addressing not only the criminal activity but also the complex social issues facing our community.”
The City has worked very closely with the RCMP in a variety of proactive programs to reduce crime and improve public safety including a highly effective Community Policing Program, the Prolific Offender Management Program, more strategic utilization of RCMP officers within the detachment and a consultative approach to establishing the detachment’s policing priorities. The use of Restorative Justice and Healing Circles has also been strongly supported by the Williams Lake RCMP as an effective and appropriate alternative to the traditional criminal justice system.
“St. Sgt. Warren Brown is a well respected member of the City’s management team and has demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and integrity in fulfilling his role as the Williams Lake RCMP detachment commander,” states Brian Carruthers, Chief Administrative Officer
Now - in the 1st paragraph, they state that they are not in a position to comment on the specifics on the CTV News report as it is under RCMP investigation (2 investigations are under way - 1 "Code of Conduct" investigation)
But then Mayor Cook and the 6 City Councillors' rushes head first and strongly endorses the leadership of Staff-Sgt Warren Brown, presently Detachment Commander of the WL RCMP, which will probably land her and the 6 City Councillors' in hot water with local First Nations' including Stewart Phillip (Grand Chief - BC Union of Indian Chiefs) who is on public record (interviewed by CTV) saying that a problem exists here that needs repairing.
I feel that Council perhaps too quickly rushed to judgement in defending Warren Brown and perhaps they should have encouraged everyone, themselves included, to wait for all the facts to come out before making any kind of informed judgement. I suspect that once this press release is published in the Williams Lake Tribune and Cariboo Observer - Mayor Cook and the 6 City Councillors will have some explaining to do to local First Nations bands, the same bands they have promised to have a fruitful working relationship with. With the next civic election just over a year away - this is the kind of action that Mayor/Council can least afford to be doing and if I were Council, I would issue another press release stating that all should wait for the facts to come out before casting judgement on Warren Brown and I suspect all of the facts will come out sooner or later
1 comment:
This was a better job at being critical but not sensational, keep this style of writing and stay away from the tabloid style you have done previously and more people will respect your remarks.
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