(Copyright Edmonton Journal 2004)
At long last, Solicitor General Heather Forsyth is moving towards creating an independent public process to investigate complaints of police misconduct.
As Forsyth says, neither citizens nor police are well served by the current system of police investigating themselves.
The inherent perception of bias can’t be overcome, and that risks eroding public confidence in police.
(Copyright Edmonton Journal 2004)
EDMONTON - A cloud of suspicion will hang over the Edmonton Police Service until the public knows what happened to the original file containing allegations that police officers engaged in sexual misconduct with prostitutes in the early 1980s, says the Criminal Trial Lawyers’ Association.
Police have said the original file, which is thought to contain the findings of an internal investigation into the allegations, was destroyed after 10 years, following the police file retention policy.
CTV NEWS
While he says it’s likely members of the Edmonton Police Service abused prostitutes in the 1980s, the chair of the city’s police commission is recommending no further action.
“Right now there’s nothing we can do about those allegations. We don’t know who they’re against,” Martin Ignasiak said Wednesday.
He was reacting to the report prepared by retired RCMP officer David Cleveland.
CBC NEWS
The Edmonton police commission won’t launch an investigation into 20-year-old allegations that officers sexually exploited and robbed prostitutes, it announced Wednesday.
Commission chairman Martin Ignasiak says his staff has talked to an officer who was a member of the internal affairs department at the time, and has been reassured that a complete investigation into the allegations was done.
The officer came to the police commission with the information. The police service had previously said it couldn’t find any files that showed an investigation into the allegations was completed. (more…)