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#1. WEST VAN POLICE CHIEF KASH HEED: WE MUST THINK OUTSIDE OF TRADITIONAL APPROACHES
The new West Vancouver police chief, Chief Constable Kash Heed, is calling for a long-term, holistic approach towards dealing with chronic offenders and jail terms.
Heed, who was a guest on CKNW Radio's Bill Good show recently, in response to a question said that it was necessary to work collectively on issues facing society. He added: "We need to have leadership in order for that to happen, people that can think outside of traditional approaches to our problems."
At present, in his opinion, everybody, including police, is operating in their own "silos."
Asked what he would do regarding this if he were the solicitor-general and attorney-general for a day, Heed said he'd bring key people together and start drafting a plan to deal with it. He would include police, the community, government agencies and academics. He said: "We can learn by what has happened in the past, we can learn by research, putting them altogether and coming up with a plan and then ensuring that we have the money to implement that plan and continuing monitoring it."
He added: " We need to have that internal accountability system in place. We're accountable to the community … We talk about community policing; you know what, we need community government, too … we need to come back to who we're actually accountable to, who we are servicing right now and we need to listen to them. We need to be more open to them. We need to be more transparent."
Heed, whose public swearing-in ceremony as police chief takes place on Wednesday (September 12), told CKNW listeners that property crime is a significant issue in West Vancouver and that there's some gang activity, too, on the North Shore.
He said: "There are gangs on the North Shore that are significantly involved in activities throughout the Lower Mainland, not necessarily in West Vancouver. However, they do live over there, they are the focus of a lot of policing efforts and we are going to ensure that we have a regional approach to dealing with them."
Heed said he is reshaping the West Vancouver Police which will have three departments - operations, administration and support. He noted: "I am bringing it up to more a contemporary structure in order to serve the community a lot more efficiently."
There is going to be a very strong focus on developing contemporary policies and procedures to guide members on how they police the community. They are developing a professional standards' approach to issues, ethics training, accountability and leadership.
Heed said West Vancouver police was still a reactive police agency like many other police forces. He added: "My job is to turn it into a pro-active police agency so we are actually serving the needs of the community. Policing is not all about convicting and incarcerating. Policing is about … protecting and serving the community … But there's other things we need to do beyond just incarceration for periods of time. We need to be out there. We need to be educating our communities. We need to be working more with the communities and realizing that we are not the only ones responsible for dealing with crimes in communities. There are so many other components that need to come together in order for us to be effective and to deal with the problems we are facing right now."
Heed went on to elaborate: "In my strategic plan that we are about to come out with in the next little while, I talk about engaging the stakeholders, engaging the judiciary, government, social agencies, the community and even the media to make sure that we are including them in what we have to do … we are going to be as transparent as we can with the media. We are going to work with the media, realizing that it's a give and take relationship with the media. We are going to depend on you to get our message out and we are going to be as open as we can with you."
West Vancouver Police has 79 officers and six others who have been seconded to regional agencies.
In answer to a question from a listener on gang-related issues and treatment of women in the Indo-Canadian community, Heed said the Indo-Canadian community had been "tarnished with a poor brush" in the last little while because of the issues that had taken place in the community.
Regarding gang-related issues, Heed said: "I've been involved - (Attorney General) Wally Oppal and myself - for quite some time to deal with the issues around violence, especially with our youth in the community. We'll continue pushing for that. However, more people need to get involved. We need the mentors from the community to come out, to guide our youth a lot more than we have in the past. Now the government's gotten on board, but really when we look at this problem, we need more of a comprehensive, coordinated, assertive suppression strategy in order to deal with it. And that's what's missing.
"We've got these people all over the place, operating in their own little silos. It has to be coordinated, it has to be comprehensive, it has to be assertive and it has to be region-wide because, in one particular region, if you put pressure on it, then such as what we did in Vancouver, we just push the problem out and we knew that."
Heed also noted that domestic violence has been taking place in our community for quite some time. He said: "I am not saying it's more significant in our community. I think it's just come to light because people are coming forward with certain things and certain things have happened in the community. But what we need to do is to ensure that the services that are available to the mainstream community also become available to the Indo-Canadian community in order for people to be safer and in order for us to deal with this problem once and for all."
#2. GURMANT GREWAL CASE: INVESTIGATION STILL ONGOING
The VOICE has been keeping readers updated about the investigation into former Conservative M.P. Gurmant Grewal's political donations. It will soon be two years since the RCMP launched its inquiry into the case.
This week, E Division RCMP Constable Annie Linteau told The VOICE: "The matter is (still) under investigation. It has been previously submitted (to Crown Counsel to decide on laying of charges) but we need to follow up on a few things still."
So from that I gather it is a pretty serious case - and Grewal should be looking at some excellent lawyers to defend him.
Last year, in April, a local mainstream paper had reported about the ongoing investigation in great detail. RCMP sources told me at the time that they expected to finish the investigation within two months. However, the investigation took longer than expected.
Actually, a year ago this very month, a top RCMP source involved in the RCMP investigation told me that police had wrapped up their long probe and were busy writing their final report for Crown counsel and would submit that by the end of the month.
But then in December, Crown Counsel spokesperson Stan Lowe told me that there were still some ongoing discussions between the RCMP and Crown counsel on the case.
Some of the allegations that the RCMP were probing in the Grewal case:
Sodhi Singh Sodhi, a millworker, donated $1,000 and a copy of the cheque shows that the amount was deposited to Grewal's account. Sodhi didn't get a receipt.
Barj Dhahan, who owns several Tim Hortons, said Grewal insisted that he make a $600 cheque out in his name.
A cheque of $1,000 by Hardy Bains of Highwood Enterprises Ltd. was later made payable to a banquet hall because the payee line was left blank. Bains did not get a receipt.
Well-known businessman Asa Johal said he didn't think he got a receipt for the $15,000 he donated to Grewal.
There were other cases, too, and Grewal didn't seem to be very clear about thousands of dollars raised at fundraising dinners, even telling a local newspaper that one of them was a "Gurmant Grewal appreciation dinner."
#3. CORONERS SERVICE REQUESTS HELP TO ID WOMAN
The BC Coroners Service and the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team are requesting the public's assistance to identify a woman whose remains were found in Richmond on June 5, 2006.
She is believed to be either an East Asian or Indo-Canadian female, about 4'11"-5'3" (150cm-160cm), between 27 and 35 years of age. She was wearing a hooded sweatshirt (XS) with a "Baby Phat" cat logo sewn on the back, a "Zara" turtle neck long-sleeved shirt (S) and blue "No Baby No" denim jeans.
The circumstances of this case are considered suspicious, and if you have any information regarding the identity of this individual, contact the B.C. Coroners Service at 604-202-5937 or the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) Tip Line at 1-877-543-9217.
The mandate of the Coroners Service is to ensure that a thorough and independent inquiry is made into all sudden and unexplained deaths in the community.
#4. RACISM: SENSELESS VIOLENCE AGAINST 56-YEAR-OLD ASIAN WOMAN
The Burnaby RCMP are asking help from anyone who may have witnessed an assault against a 56-year-old East Asian woman of Burnaby on the evening of August 31 (Friday).
Burnaby RCMP said that the victim was waiting at a bus stop near 11th Avenue and 6th Street in Burnaby when she was approached by four Caucasian male youths. She told police the youths appeared intoxicated. For no apparent reason, one of the youths approached her and pushed her to the ground. The woman fell and broke both of her wrists, which required surgery.
Police said no further description of the suspects were available. If you any information about this incident you are asked to contact the Burnaby RCMP Detachment at 604-294-7922. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Quite obviously being a visible minority, the white youths looked at the woman as an easy target and they are sure to indulge in more racist attacks unless they are caught and punished.
#5. B'NAI BRITH CANADA: SWASTIKA DUBBINGS ARE HATE CRIME
And talking about racism in Canada, the B'nai Brith Canada has called on the Durham Regional Police (Ontario) to label as a hate crime and further investigate the horrific vandalism of a Bowmanville property owned by the Schwartz family, survivors of the Holocaust.
The B'nai Brith said in a statement that the rental property was completely trashed, its front door spray painted with a large swastika, while inside scattered graffiti employed derogatory terms for Jews, along with white supremacist and neo-Nazi symbolism, including the Nazi SS insignia.
"This act of hatred cannot be explained away by police as 'mischief' as early reports have indicated," said Frank Dimant, B'nai Brith Canada's Executive Vice President. "This despicable act targeting a family of Holocaust survivors is an affront to every Canadian and must be investigated from the onset as a hate crime.
"We have raised our concerns directly with Durham police and have asked that they properly take into account the clear hate motivation behind this incident. Law enforcement officials have an essential role to play in signaling to the community that such acts of hate will not be tolerated, especially when neo-Nazi and hate activity are on the rise.
"As the Jewish community prepares for its High Holidays which begin next week, its members inevitably look to police to assist with the security of its communal buildings and places of worship. A strong message from police is crucial at this time to signal that acts of hate will meet the full force of the law.
"We have offered our support and expertise to the family, following their call to B'nai Brith's community Anti-Hate Hotline: 1-800-892-2624. We will continue to work with police in this matter and call on the force to use its full power to bring the perpetrators to justice."
#6. SGT. MULLICK RETIRES AFTER A GOOD STINT
Sgt. A.H. Mullick, Recruiter and South Asian Coordinator at the Canadian Forces Recruiting Office in Surrey, in an email announced that his retirement from the regular force (full-time) military will be in effect on September 17. He said: " I will no longer be a recruiter for the Canadian Forces but will be in contact (periodically) with CFRC Vancouver. I will be taking on a part-time position in the B.C. Regiment. This will allow me to focus on the completion of my M.A. in Professional Communication."
Last year, he told The VOICE that there were over 100 different types of jobs in the military for both males and females and one could get part time or full time employment. As a part time employee, there is no obligation to leave Vancouver or go overseas. You can then decide if you want to join the military full time or use that experience to get another job - police officer, firefighter, doctor and so on.
He added: "Carry on the traditions. We as Canadian Forces embody a lot of the same values as in Sikhism: fighting against oppression, defending order and integrity."
Also, last year at a Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre Vancouver dinner as a token of appreciation for Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society's ongoing efforts in assisting them with recruiting Canadians from visible minority communities, Charan Gill, PICS Executive Director, noted: "We are delighted to help our Forces, as a community-based society, by building bridges with ethno-cultural communities. We are pleased to have Sergeant Huff Mullick working with us as he has become a member of our staff. He's cooperative, dedicated and a well-intentioned individual who is very passionate about his service in the Forces. He has set an example and has been very successful in recruiting over 40 candidates from the Surrey area."
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