https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HhuMd3y6RE 

An 'excess' of 10 people killed in Nova Scotia: RCMP

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David Amos

Interesting statement at 3 minutes 22 seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3L7aPtIFm4

RCMP say at least 10 people dead after N.S. gunman rampage

CBC News

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David Amos

Hmmm

'It's devastating': Municipal councillor on Portapique, N.S., shooting

CBC News

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MCC Day 56 – Chief Superintendent Chris Leather

Adam Rodgers

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David Amos

Methinks the Fat Lady ain't sung yet N'esy Pas? 

 

Remarks from Criminal Operations Officer, Chief Superintendent Chris Leather - June 4, 2020  

 

"Thank you Supt. Campbell 

 

I will provide you with an update on some of the other overarching areas that we have been looking at in addition to the H-Strong criminal investigation. 

 

Our overall response to the incidents on April 18 and 19 are subject to a number of reviews or independent investigations." 

 

Update on Operation H-Strong by Supt. Darren Campbell - June 4, 2020 

 

 "The investigation, known as Operation H-Strong, is being led by the Nova Scotia RCMP Major Crimes Unit. Hundreds of RCMP employees have been and continue to be engaged and the investigation has been supported by specialized RCMP resources from across the country. 

 

To date, investigators have interviewed more than 650 individuals from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the United States. A number of exhibits have been forensically examined by highly skilled RCMP Forensic Identification specialists, RCMP Forensic Scientists from our forensic laboratories and by specialists within the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner's office. It is important to highlight the complex, difficult and highly professional work that they continue to provide during this investigation. 

 

Aside from determining the gunman's actions and movements before and during April 18th and 19th, the investigative objectives remain the same and includes determining if anyone had any knowledge of the gunman's plans and if anyone provided assistance to him in any way. 

 

Though the gunman cannot be brought before the courts, the investigation must meet the same standard as if we were in a position to do so. All of our investigative inquiries, actions and standards are centred on working towards gathering sufficient evidence to determine what role any individual may have played in these horrific crimes. Every piece of information we receive is analyzed, fact checked and corroborated in order to assess the weight, validity and value of the information. There is no room for speculation. To get it right takes time. This is what is expected and that is what we intend to deliver. 

 

It is through the work of RCMP investigators and of our partners dedicated to this investigation that I am in a position to provide you with an update on the investigation and clarify or correct some of the information that has been circulating from a variety of sources."

Controversy grows over alleged political pressure on N.S. shooting investigation

CBC News

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David Amos

Methinks folks should ask Pierre-Yves Bourduas why he laughed at my concerns about the RCMP and their cohorts years ago then ignored my emails N'esy Pas???

Thank you Supt. Campbell

I will provide you with an update on some of the other overarching areas that we have been looking at in addition to the H-Strong criminal investigation.

Our overall response to the incidents on April 18 and 19 are subject to a number of reviews or independent investigations.

The Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) is investigating the fatal police-involved shooting of the gunman, as well as the discharge of firearms on April 19 at the Onslow Belmont Fire Brigade Hall.

Both of those investigations are being led by SiRT and are ongoing.

There is something I will add about Onslow because what took place on April 19 as the incident was unfolding, was traumatic for those who were there.

I, along with local RCMP commanders from the area, met with the Chief and Deputy of the Onslow Fire Brigade, to hear firsthand what people experienced.

We had a very respectful and honest conversation, and as partners, we made a commitment to continue to work shoulder to shoulder in our shared responsibility of public safety.

We are moving forward together and are compensating for the damage to the property at the firehall.

There is also an Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) investigation that is underway and again, independent from the RCMP.

ESDC investigates any workplace occupational injury or death at federally regulated workplaces.

The investigators will take an in depth look at the overall response including training, equipment, communications, and tactics of the RCMP.

We are participating fully with the investigation.

Another investigation taking place is the internal Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Team (HOIT) that has been created to investigate the incident from a Canada Labour Code perspective.

The Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Team will also identify any occupational causal factors and corrective measures that can be implemented.

In addition, to those that I have mentioned, there are discussions underway to determine the best approach regarding a formal comprehensive review.

We welcome the opportunity to provide our information and what we know.

We will continue to fully participate in the multiple investigations, processes or reviews that are underway.

While we need to respect these processes and will limit our comments accordingly, we will continue to find that balance, and release or share the information that can be shared where possible.

I am also mindful that questions have been raised around the level of information or intelligence sharing that has, or currently takes place in Nova Scotia.

Following April 18 and 19, a member from another police service within Nova Scotia brought forward a historical police bulletin that dates back to May 2011. It was authored by another police service and distributed by the Criminal Intelligence Service of Nova Scotia (CISNS) in 2011.

While a bulletin existed from 2011, it likely would not have changed the response of April 18 and 19.

It was not searchable or available to our responding officers.

The more we learn about the events that took place on April 18th and 19th, and as Supt. Campbell says, "with the benefit of hindsight",

People are now in a better position to re-assess the provincial Alert Ready System.

Here in Nova Scotia the Alert was used for the first weeks prior to this incident and it was in relation to COVID-19.

To the best of our knowledge the Alert Ready has never been used for an Active Shooter situation by police in Canada.

On April 24, I made the decision to activate Alert Ready, in a separate incident, where credible information came in of shots fired with automatic gunfire moving towards a densely populated area within HRM.

As a result of activating the Alert for a dynamic police incident, we learned the unintended consequences.

Following the Alert there were a large number of people who called 911 to ask non emergency related questions such as should I go pick up my kids, where should I hide, what do I do.

In addition, the Alert was activated well beyond the affected geographic area and what I mean by that is people who live in Prince Edward Island and Yarmouth received the Alert.

This resulted in delays to calls being answered at provincial 911 centres and many calls were not answered at all because of the volume. This had a negative impact on public safety what I mean is people who had true emergencies may not have gotten through.

We are aware it is an available tool and discussions at all levels need to continue around its use.

When activated it impacts all citizens and police services in Nova Scotia.

RCMP is working on national policy to ensure this is addressed. As well we are working with our partners in the province to ensure that when used the system effectively helps to protect public safety.

We commit to sharing those decisions publicly once finalized.

Thank you

Before I begin to provide you with information related to the investigation into the incidents of April 18 and 19, it is again important to acknowledge the tremendous loss and trauma experienced by the victims and their families. I am very mindful that when information is released publically, it may cause distress for families and others closely associated to those who lost their lives or were injured. Through the assigned RCMP family liaison officers, families have been advised in advance of when and what information we are providing publicly regarding the investigation. We remain committed to providing them with meaningful, factual updates as the investigation unfolds.

The investigation, known as Operation H-Strong, is being led by the Nova Scotia RCMP Major Crimes Unit. Hundreds of RCMP employees have been and continue to be engaged and the investigation has been supported by specialized RCMP resources from across the country.

To date, investigators have interviewed more than 650 individuals from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the United States. A number of exhibits have been forensically examined by highly skilled RCMP Forensic Identification specialists, RCMP Forensic Scientists from our forensic laboratories and by specialists within the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner's office. It is important to highlight the complex, difficult and highly professional work that they continue to provide during this investigation.

Aside from determining the gunman's actions and movements before and during April 18th and 19th, the investigative objectives remain the same and includes determining if anyone had any knowledge of the gunman's plans and if anyone provided assistance to him in any way.

Though the gunman cannot be brought before the courts, the investigation must meet the same standard as if we were in a position to do so. All of our investigative inquiries, actions and standards are centred on working towards gathering sufficient evidence to determine what role any individual may have played in these horrific crimes. Every piece of information we receive is analyzed, fact checked and corroborated in order to assess the weight, validity and value of the information. There is no room for speculation. To get it right takes time. This is what is expected and that is what we intend to deliver.

It is through the work of RCMP investigators and of our partners dedicated to this investigation that I am in a position to provide you with an update on the investigation and clarify or correct some of the information that has been circulating from a variety of sources.

I am not going to reiterate some of the information that has been provided in previous press conferences. Most are aware of the devastating actions of the gunman starting in the community of Portapique on April 18. I would first like to provide some information that has been learned as it relates to the analysis of the initial RCMP response that night.

The initial response

The initial RCMP first responders arrived within minutes of each other. As previously described, the search area was spread out, contained several acreage properties, much of which are covered in wooded areas and several residences and outbuildings, some of which were already on fire. Aside from the fires, the search area was very dark.

As the incident was being treated as an active shooter incident, the initial RCMP first responders quickly formed an Immediate Action Rapid Deployment Team, otherwise known as an IARD team. The IARD Team immediately entered the community in search of the threat. As dictated by their training, their objective was to locate and stop the threat. This is exactly what those RCMP first responders were working toward.

Within minutes of receiving the initial call, the on duty RCMP Risk Manager, who is stationed within the RCMP Operational Communications Centre, notified North East Nova District on call management who immediately initiated the call out of a full Critical Incident Package. The Critical Incident Package consisted of: the Critical Incident Commander, the Crisis Negotiation Team, critical incident scribes, radio technicians, the Emergency Response Team (ERT), Emergency Medical Response Team (EMERT), ERT IT Support, ERT Radio Operator, the Tactical Armoured Vehicle (TAV) & Operator, Police Dog Services (PDS) and the Explosive Disposal Team (EDU). In additional to the first responders who were already on scene and continuing to arrive, the Critical Incident Package added more than 30 additional highly specialized resources to the response.

Questions have been raised with respect to survivors who stayed on the line with 911 operators for a significant period of time during the initial response. It is true that survivors remained on the line with 911 operators. While they remained on the line and in contact with RCMP dispatchers, they were instructed to shelter in place and to hide while the IARD team members continued their search for the threat. IARD members set up containment around the survivor's residence while other first responders set up containment around the community of Portapique.

As the Emergency Response Team members arrived the gunman was still believed to be in the area, and if alive, was lying in wait, meaning that he would be hiding, ready to shoot or kill anyone. This contributed to a decision to instruct area residents to shelter in place as opposed to evacuate. The Emergency Response Team continued to carry out extensive tactical searches for the gunman while responding to numerous possible sightings in the area and affecting the rescue and eventual evacuation of a number of survivors and witnesses partly with the use of the Tactical Armoured Vehicle.

I just summed up these aspects of the response in a few sentences, but it's important to understand that this was covered over a period of hours.

As previously reported, we now know the gunman escaped from the area shortly after the first officers arrived. He fled to the Debert area where he hid and remained for several hours before beginning to move again in the early morning hours.

Communications and request for assistance by other police agencies

Media reports have raised questions regarding the level of communications between the RCMP and other Nova Scotia police agencies, as well as an apparent lack of requests from the RCMP to the other NS police agencies for assistance on April 18 and 19. There is detailed information that refutes these claims. I can confirm that the RCMP was in contact with other NS police agencies several times throughout the incident and that information was communicated to all NS police agencies as it became known. These updates and communications originated from the Risk Manager in the RCMP Operational Communication Centre, the Critical Incident Commander, RCMP management as well as through members involved in the incident. Other NS police agencies also contacted the RCMP directly for information and information was provided to those agencies in those cases as well.

With respect to requests for assistance, other NS police agencies were asked to assist the RCMP in a variety of ways. This included agreements by other NS police agencies to cover calls for service in RCMP jurisdictions while our officers were occupied in the response, providing investigative assistance with priority witness interviews while the situation was unfolding, evacuating potential victims from residences known to the gunman as well as providing lockdown security to an area hospital where some of the injured victims were being treated.

Gunman did not pull over vehicles

I will now get into a few items related to the gunman's movements on April 19. I can confirm through the investigation and witness accounts that the gunman did not use the replica RCMP vehicle to pull over any of the victims who were in their vehicles.

Interaction between Cst. Stevenson and the gunman

Much speculation and many assumptions have been made publicly related to the reporting of the contact and interaction between Cst. Heidi Stevenson and the gunman. As I had previously pointed out, thorough and complete investigations take time and they rightfully include the involvement of several specialized resources in order to piece together the facts.

We have not fully completed this component of the overall investigation, however, what I can provide are a few details based on the evidence: While Cst. Stevenson's and the gunman's vehicles collided, we do not believe that Cst. Stevenson rammed the gunman's vehicle. We can also tell you that the gunman's vehicle sustained more damage than Cst. Stevenson's police vehicle, that she bravely engaged the gunman, and that there was an exchange of gunfire between Cst. Stevenson and the gunman. As a final point here, Cst. Stevenson and Cst. Morrison, who had been shot earlier in the morning by the gunman, were both wearing soft and hard body armour.

Acquisition of RCMP/ police uniforms

Our investigation has uncovered a familial association between the gunman and two retired members of the RCMP. Both of these retired members were estranged from the gunman and both have fully cooperated with the investigation. It is not believed that either of these retired RCMP members provided operational duty uniforms to the gunman such as the items that were in the possession of the gunman and discarded at one of the murder scenes. In addition, the investigation has determined that the gunman had been associated to a police officer from another Nova Scotia police agency. This officer has also cooperated with the investigation and we also believe that the officer was not responsible for providing any uniform items to the gunman. The investigation into how the gunman acquired the RCMP uniform pieces is ongoing.

Relationship between the gunman and the RCMP

As another point of specific interest, the gunman was never associated to the RCMP as a volunteer or Auxiliary police officer, nor did the RCMP ever have any special relationship with the gunman of any kind.

Acquisition of police vehicles and emergency equipment

With respect to the retired police vehicles which were purchased by and in possession of the gunman, the investigation has confirmed that the gunman had purchased four Ford Taurus, former police vehicles through local auctions. Emergency equipment installed on the vehicles was purchased by the gunman through a variety of on-line auctions. The installation of some of this equipment was carried out by the gunman and by some of his associates, including Portapique area neighbours and residents. As previously detailed, the decals installed on the gunman's replica RCMP vehicle were not actual RCMP police vehicle decals, however, were realistic reproductions printed by a local printer/manufacturer. Management of the local printer/manufacturer was not aware that this had taken place and they continue to cooperate with the investigation.

Firearms acquired by the gunman

With respect to the firearms in the gunman's possession, this component of the investigation remains active and involves other domestic and international law enforcement partner agencies. Limited details can be provided at this time.

What can be confirmed is that the gunman had acquired all of his firearms illegally. Of the five firearms found in the gunman's possession on April 19th, three were obtained illegally from the United States, one was obtained illegally in Canada through the estate of a deceased associate. These are the four firearms that we have previously indicated the gunman had on April 18. The fifth firearm was Cst. Stevenson's.

Previous Interactions with the gunman and historical complaints

As part of the investigation, we continue to look into the gunman's previous behaviours and interactions, including those with police. A number of individuals interviewed have indicated that they had observed the gunman in possession of weapons, and police uniform items and the fully marked, replica RCMP vehicle. None of these witnesses have indicated that they notified RCMP of their observations. Other witnesses have since come forward and expressed that they notified the RCMP regarding intimate partner violence claims and firearms complaints against the gunman. This component of the investigation remains active.

Information of an officer safety bulletin prepared in 2011 by the Truro Police Service and the Criminal Intelligence Service of Nova Scotia recently became publically available. In that officer safety bulletin there was information that the gunman was a denturist who lived and worked in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, that he had a cottage in the Portapique area, was experiencing a mental health crisis, was in possession of a handgun and rifles, that he disliked police and wanted to kill a police officer. With regard to the firearms referenced in the bulletin, I can confirm that all but one of the firearms found in the gunman's possession were acquired after 2011 and thus are not those described in the officer safety bulletin.

This bulletin was not available to critical incident commanders or responding police officers as the events were unfolding on April 18 and 19. The bulletin was brought forward days after the incident and existed in the archives of another Nova Scotia Police Agency. Generally, officer safety bulletins are purged from searchable police databases after two years.

Attempts to understand the motivations of the gunman

In an effort to better understand the gunman, why he committed these horrible crimes and to determine if there were any predictable factors which may assist in preventing future similar tragedies, RCMP profilers and a RCMP forensic psychologist from the RCMP National Headquarters Behavioural Analysis Unit have provided valuable assistance to the ongoing investigation. This assistance includes a psychological autopsy of the gunman, which is ongoing. The aim of the psychological autopsy is to gain a better understanding of the contributing factors to better comprehend, if possible, the Why?, the Why Now?, and Why in this manner?

Behavioural analysts have shared some of their preliminary findings with the investigative team. In those findings, the gunman was described as an "Injustice Collector", one who held on to conflict or differences with others, turning them inward until they boiled over in rage. Some recipients of his wrath of violence were targeted for perceived injustices of the past, others were reactive targets of his rage and others were random targets.

We may never uncover all of the details or fully understand why the gunman did what he did. The investigation is committed to providing answers to the victims, the surviving family members, the public and to hold anyone who played a role accountable in these horrible crimes. This is our work, which continues.

Thank you.

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Related links

• Update on Operation H-Strong by Supt. Darren Campbell - June 4, 2020
• Remarks from Criminal Operations Officer, Chief Superintendent Chris Leather - June 4, 2020

Images

Thank you.

To begin, I must first acknowledge that today is June 4, a day many will never forget as it was six years ago that we tragically lost three RCMP officers in Moncton. Those incidents continue to affect all of us – the families of our fallen, the force and the community.

As Cpl. Clarke noted, Superintendent Campbell will provide an update on our investigation into the incidents on April 18 and 19. Before he does that though, I would like this opportunity to address the families of the victims, Nova Scotians and our RCMP Nova Scotia employees.

To the families of the victims so deeply impacted by the incidents here on April 18 and 19th.

Your lives have changed in ways that most will never understand.

This was a horrific incident directed at innocent people and no one has felt this more than you.

Please know that your family members and you will remain at the forefront of every decision we make in relation to Operation H-Strong.

We know you are looking for answers with broken hearts.

I can assure you that since day one we are investigating to uncover the why and how this happened, and we will continue to go where the facts lead us.

We have leaned heavily on our officers who are serving as liaisons to the families of the victims.' Our RCMP and the Provincial Victim Services have also provided remarkable assistance. Keeping the families supported and informed are critically important pieces and we are fully committed to ensuring an ongoing open dialogue with you.

To Nova Scotians.

To say these have been trying times is an understatement. I have accepted there will never be words to describe the impact of these days because the effects of the gunman's actions are deep, far reaching and for many, life changing.

It has become very clear that for Nova Scotians there will always be a "before" April 18 and an "after".

We have endured a terrible attack on our province, which was unprecedented and unlike anything we have seen before.

In the past six weeks, Nova Scotians have experienced every emotion and have rallied together united in grief, in outrage, and in resolve to honour the innocent victims and preserve and defend the true culture of Nova Scotia– one of kindness, hospitality and compassion.

Amid this cloud of tragedy, we have felt your outpouring of condolences and support. We will continue to be there for Cst. Heidi Stevenson's family and for Cst. Chad Morrison who is recovering from his injuries. We share in the collective inability to gather and celebrate those tragically lost in April, but what you have done for us is truly appreciated and I thank you.

Many of us in the RCMP have found comfort in your notes, public displays, and personal expressions of thanks – we have felt your embrace.

To all Nova Scotia RCMP employees, who I've never been more proud of.

Well over 100 employees were part of the response on April 18 and 19 and hundreds more are involved in Operation H-Strong, on the investigation and behind the scenes, but we're all one family.

What those who responded on April 18 and 19 faced is unlike anything most have been faced with before and your experiences and first-hand accounts of what unfolded are heart breaking on many levels.

They also demonstrate the type of people you are; selfless, brave, trained, skilled and heroic. We all feel privileged to work with you and I have never in my career been more proud to be a member of the RCMP.

As Superintendent Campbell will reference in more detail, the Operation H-Strong investigation is well underway.

The investigative team has not stopped; they are committed to conducting a solid investigation to provide answers to the families of the victims as well as others.

Like everyone involved, this entire team is stepping up to get the job done and putting their heart and soul into this file.

H-Strong is the operational name that represents teams of people who are invested, selfless, smart, dedicated and proud.

From British Columbia to Newfoundland, your sisters and brothers in the RCMP family have reached in and shown up to provide relief and assistance.

Hundreds of RCMP personnel have come to Nova Scotia from across Canada - to work on the front lines, to support the Operation H-Strong investigation and provide unit-to-unit assistance.

We are truly a national police force – a Canadian family who steps up to help, to reinforce, to ensure we are there for one other so we can protect the communities we serve.

Thank you.

Statement by RCMP Criminal Operations Officer, Chief Superintendent Chris Leather

As we try and piece together the many details of the incidents that unfolded over the weekend, here is some of the information we know to date.

Throughout the evening Saturday and into the early morning hours Sunday, the RCMP established and maintained a significant presence in the Portapique area in response to an active threat. Our response centred on protecting people, which included providing up-to-minute information on Twitter.

RCMP members were in the community of Portapique at 10:26 p.m. responding to a possible shooting. When they responded, members determined this to be a homicide. As part of the investigation, officers began notifying residents in the immediate area and searching for suspect(s). The RCMP issued a public instruction on Twitter that we were aware of a firearms complaint in the Portapique area and advised them to stay inside.

Within a short period of time, police discovered additional victims and several structure fires in Portapique. A complete search of the area was underway throughout the evening and into the morning hours and the suspect was not located.

Based on the evidence available at the time, the RCMP established a perimeter in the Portapique area as part of their ongoing investigation.

Early Sunday morning, the RCMP began providing real-time information on its Nova Scotia RCMP Twitter account. While doing so, confirmation was obtained about who the suspect was and at 9:35 a.m. police received a call about a possible female victim on Hwy 4 in Wentworth. Throughout this time the RCMP were able to broadcast photos of the suspect, suspect vehicle, locations and sightings. Twitter allowed our information to be shared, followed and broadcast by local, provincial and national news outlets.

At 10:15 a.m. Nova Scotia Provincial Emergency Management officials contacted the RCMP to offer the use of the public emergency alerting system.

The RCMP was in the process of preparing an alert when the gunman was shot and killed by the RCMP.

This incident was dynamic and fluid. The RCMP have highly trained and capable Critical Incident Command staff who were on site in Portapique. Operational Communications Centre operators assisting the response and police presence was significant. The members who responded used their training and made tough decisions while encountering the unimaginable. Collectively, RCMP employees had one objective and that was to protect Nova Scotians and each other by stopping the threat. At 11:26 the gunman was killed by the RCMP.

We are working towards providing a full timeline, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.

–30–

 

 https://www.blueline.ca/rcmp-bid-to-be-more-transparent-a-work-in-progress-media-experts-say/

 

RCMP bid to be more transparent a work in progress, media experts say

May 1, 2020  By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — The fervent and sometimes frustrating quest for details of a Nova Scotia gunman’s deadly rampage has rekindled concerns about the RCMP’s traditional reticence concerning major criminal probes.

More than a decade after the national police force embarked on a modernization drive, media advocates and journalism professors say the RCMP has not yet evolved into the forthcoming and transparent institution Canadians need and deserve.

The police initially said the Nova Scotia suspect had been taken into custody, and only later did a senior unnamed source confirm he had been dead for several hours, and that citizens and an RCMP officer had been killed.

Information on the calibre and types of guns the RCMP seized was kept under wraps for days, and questions about their origins remain unanswered.

The Mounties’ approach to media relations stems from an outlook that has been ingrained over many decades, said journalist and author Stephen Kimber, who teaches at the University of King’s College at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

“There’s a military mindset that the RCMP operate under, which is very much top-down and need-to-know,” he said. “And if they decide you don’t need to know, you don’t need to know.”

Following a particularly difficult period marked by controversy and scandal, a government-commissioned report by Toronto lawyer David Brown concluded in 2007 the RCMP suffered from a “horribly broken” culture and management structure.

A council on reform implementation urged force managers to see communication as a positive opportunity to reach out to those they serve, rather than as a challenge or threat.

“The RCMP must improve its ability to anticipate communication opportunities and requirements and to react quickly and effectively where unforeseen events occur,” the council said. “We understand the difficulties of doing this, but fast action or reaction is one of the fundamental requirements of successful communications, and we think more can still be done.”

Media advocates and educators see little tangible progress.

The Canadian Association of Journalists awarded the RCMP its 2017 Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy in the category of law enforcement agencies.

More recently, the association pressed the RCMP over continued access to an exclusion zone in Wet’suwet’en nation territory so media could report fairly on tensions over the Coastal GasLink project in northern British Columbia.

The Mounties are “very inconsistent” in their dealings with the media, said association president Karyn Pugliese.

“I wouldn’t say that they’re always terrible, but we have so many examples of when they have been terrible that this becomes a problem.”

Members of the public don’t have a chance to ask RCMP officers for crucial information, she said. “They rely on us to do that for them.”

Pugliese cited a lack of information about internal disciplinary measures against Mounties who step out of bounds. Nor has the force been very forthcoming about how it is addressing sexism and racism within its ranks, she said.

“We don’t know how they’re solving these problems, and that’s an important matter of public interest.”

The Mounties display “a very high-handed manner” in their approach to determining what is public information and seem to treat this as “some kind of battle or brinkmanship with the news media,” said Lisa Taylor, a former lawyer and CBC reporter who teaches journalism law and ethics at Ryerson University.

“They appear to have lost sight that the journalists asking questions are mere surrogates for the public and this is a matter of public accountability.”

Linda Duxbury, a professor of management at Carleton University’s business school, excuses any lapses immediately after the Nova Scotia murders as the miscues of a shell-shocked force.

“Sometimes they are not forthcoming, but in this case, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt because the situation was so horrendous,” said Duxbury, who has done consulting work for the RCMP and currently assists other police forces.

Duxbury says it is too early to tell whether the Mounties have made sufficient strides towards transparency.

For its part, the RCMP says decisions on whether or not to release specific information is made by the lead investigators and assessed on a case-by-case basis.

“With certain investigations, especially those that impact so heavily on communities, investigators make every effort to provide regular updates and make themselves available to the media to answers what questions they can at the time,” said Catherine Fortin, a spokeswoman for the force.

“There are many reasons why information could be withheld at various stages of an investigation.”

For instance, the force might decline to discuss details at the request of a victim’s family or shield information that could compromise the investigation if disclosed, she said.

“It could relate to investigative tools and techniques which we don’t generally make public outside of court. Investigations are a process, where information and different pieces of the puzzle come in throughout various phases and are not usually known all at once.”

There may be valid investigative reasons for the RCMP to choose not to disclose a fact, Taylor said.

“But it could just as likely be because the facts are not going to be favourable to the RCMP, or because they think journalists are asking the wrong questions,” she said.

“Rumours and conspiracy theories will absolutely flourish in the absence of reliable information.”

Kimber sees a need for the RCMP to practise openness by default, sharing everything with the public that the force possibly can and withholding information only when truly justifiable.

“But I think at a larger level we really need to have some way of stepping back and saying, ‘Is this the police force that we want today? And what do we need to change it, to make it into that force?”

– Jim Bronskill

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2020.

News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2020

 

RCMP announces major bust with links to organized crime in Canada and U.S.

TORONTO — Nine people from southern Ontario with alleged ties to organized crime in the United States have been arrested in a major weapons and drug bust, the RCMP announced Thursday.

November 10, 2017  By The Canadian Press

Authorities seized six kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, one kilogram of heroin, more than 20 kilograms of cocaine, more than 250,000 tablets of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, about three million cigarettes and several gaming machines, the force said.

RCMP Supt. Chris Leather said the four-year investigation — dubbed Project Otremens — involved the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, the Canada Border Services Agency, the FBI, and the municipal police forces of Toronto and Peel and York regions.

The nine people were arrested in raids conducted in the Toronto area, Leather said, and five others are being sought on Canada-wide warrants.

The RCMP said dealing with the trafficking of fentanyl and carfentanil is a top priority.

Fentanyl, an opioid that is 100 times more potent than herion, has been blamed for the growing overdose crisis across the country and the U.S.

“Even more powerful substitutes are beginning to appear,” Leather said. “Shipments of carefentanil and W18, which are both 100 times stronger than fentanyl, have recently been seized by police in Canada.”

Leather said the accused are linked to crime families operating in New York, and several people were arrested there by the FBI for related offences.

The FBI has been conducting a parallel but separate investigation, the RCMP said, focusing on members of the Bonanno and Gambino families.

The RCMP said the investigation demonstrated the ability of those in organized crime to corrupt people in positions of public trust.

Wojciech Grzesiowki of Innisfil, Ont., who is one of the men police say is at large and a “well-known” organized crime member, allegedly convinced a Toronto police civilian employee to make “queries” of police databases for him and his organization.

Erin Maranan, the subject of a 2016 Toronto police investigation into police corruption, now faces 20 counts of breach of trust for database queries, RCMP said in a statement.

Leather said the people arrested appeared in a Milton, Ont., court Thursday for bail hearings. They face a combined total of 75 charges, including participating in a criminal organization, conspiracy to import a controlled substance and trafficking firearms.

– Daniela Germano

News from © Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2017

Contact information

Chief Superintendent Chris Leather, Criminal Operations Officer

 

Staff Sgt. Giles Blinn retires from RCMP in Fredericton

Staff Sgt. Giles Blinn is retiring from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Fredericton, N.B., after 31 years.

May 1, 2018  By Renée Francoeur

He worked in general duty, highway patrol and as a criminal interdiction officer, labour representative and violent crimes analyst.

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Retired Mountie backs ex-colleague's analysis in Assoun wrongful conviction case

'I looked at what he did because I could see his worksheets and I thought it was pretty sound'

 

Blair Rhodes· CBC News · Posted: Jul 21, 2019 6:00 AM AT

 

 

Glen Assoun speaks to reporters in Halifax earlier this month. (Brett Ruskin/CBC)

At least two RCMP analysts concluded that Glen Assoun didn't kill Brenda Way.

Since documents relating to Assoun's wrongful murder conviction were released on July 12, the role of retired RCMP Const. Dave Moore has been widely reported.

It was Moore, using the RCMP's Violent Crimes Analysis Linkage System, or ViCLAS, who first identified serial killer Michael McGray as a more likely suspect.

Moore's information was not passed on to Assoun's defence team. When he returned from a two-week vacation, Moore had been transferred out of the ViCLAS unit and his files were destroyed.

Fellow retired Mountie Giles Blinn, who supported some of Moore's conclusions, finds that extremely unusual.

"Only people with certain rights can delete worksheets," Blinn said Thursday. "It could only be a supervisor or someone else working on the file."

• Judge approves bid to unseal files in Glen Assoun's case

• RCMP deleted documents in wrongful conviction case, federal report finds

Following the release of the Assoun files, the RCMP acknowledged that information had been deleted. 

"The deletions were contrary to policy and shouldn't have happened," an RCMP statement issued on July 12 read.

"They were not done, however, with malicious intent," the statement added.

RCMP says policy has been changed

In response to an inquiry from CBC, the RCMP issued a further statement on July 15, which said a policy change means one ViCLAS user can no longer delete another user's files.

"It falls somewhat short of explaining what actually happened," Blinn said from his home in New Brunswick.

He retired last year with the rank of staff sergeant after 31 years in the RCMP.

In the early 2000s, Blinn was a ViCLAS analyst in New Brunswick. He reviewed Moore's work.

"I looked at what he did because I could see his worksheets and I thought it was pretty sound," Blinn said. "It was good."

• Who is serial killer Michael Wayne McGray?

• Assoun case highlights the fallibility of justice system, say critics

Blinn did his own analysis of McGray's cases and found a possible link to the Way murder. But Blinn didn't pursue it further.

He said ViCLAS analysts didn't always hear what police forces did with the information they provided.

ViCLAS was created in the aftermath of the case of Paul Bernardo, the notorious murderer and serial rapist who preyed on women in southern Ontario. He was eventually declared a dangerous offender and is locked up indefinitely.

Moore praised for going beyond the basics

But police at the time recognized that they didn't always see similarities or connections in cases. ViCLAS was meant to fill that gap with analysts in every part of the country.

Blinn said Moore was very good at his job and would go beyond the basic work of an analyst. Blinn said he would do that as well, but he said there was one critical difference. "I had the support of my superiors."

It is no secret that Moore clashed with others in the RCMP.

Dave Moore's information was not passed on to Assoun's defence team. (Dave Moore/Twitter)

In February 1989, while he was stationed in Prince Edward Island, Moore was charged with forcible confinement for his treatment of an accused man.

He hired famed defence attorney Edward Greenspan to represent him. Greenspan described the charge as "BS" and "a joke" and said he had the sense that if Moore had offered to resign, the charge would have been withdrawn.

Moore also faced internal disciplinary charges but was found not guilty. The criminal charge against him was eventually stayed.

By then, he had transferred to Nova Scotia, where he initially received glowing performance assessments for his work. But, in 1998, Moore clashed with a superior officer, accusing him of failing to assist in an arrest and even concealing evidence.

Blinn backs ex-colleague's work

Moore said by the time he was examining the Assoun file, he believed others in the RCMP were out to get him.

• Evidence erased by RCMP would have freed Glen Assoun: defence lawyer

• Why the justice minister won't weigh in on the Glen Assoun case just yet

Blinn acknowledged that his friend and former colleague was outspoken, but he said his work in this case was correct.

Moore's research on the Assoun case was done in 2004. It never made it to Assoun's lawyer, who in 2006 was unsuccessful in appealing the murder conviction.

It wasn't until 2014 that Assoun was released on strict bail conditions while an investigator from the federal Justice Department reviewed his case. He was only exonerated in March of this year.

 

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