Racism, profiling or good old fashioned police work?

Last week members of the Winnipeg Police Auto Theft group watched as a Chrysler 300 driven by a black man in gangsta-wear drove through a Starbucks lot twice in quick succession. That aroused their suspicions and the license plate was called into dispatch. The word came back: the car was stolen and off they went after them.

A few blocks later they and other police officers conducted a high risk take-down. Remember Winnipeg is a hostile environment where police officers are being deliberately targeted by car thieves. Several times this year punks have driven directly at police as they attempt to apprehend the punks.

In this case they had no idea who the driver was. He was black. He was dressed like a hood. He was driving a car not normally associated with a black man dressed as a hood. And they understood the vehicle was stolen.

So the police took the driver and passenger down as they would any other perp in any other situation. Guns removed from holsters, drawn and pointed at the bad guys. Forced to the ground. Then cuffed and placed into the back seat of a cruiser.

Only then did the police check the drivers ID, insurance and registration. Only then did the police realize their mistake. Only then were the driver and his passenger released.

Oops. Mistakes happen. The police officer at the scene apologized. The police chief apologized.

Was this profiling? Did the police act differently because the driver was black? Would the police act differently were the driver white but still dressed as a punk gangsta?

Watch the TV show COPS. Not every car pulled over results in a guns drawn and pointed scenario, but a goodly portion of them are. Unfortunately this is what our society has evolved to. There is such a lack of respect that the police simply don't feel safe in what at one time was a pretty innocuous event.

Call it racial profiling if that helps one's holier than thou attitude. The simple fact is the vast majority of crime is conducted by certain people. These people dress in a certain way. Combine these elements in a car not normally seen in those hands and there is cause for suspicion.

Place yourself in the role of the police officer here. They watch a car twice roll through the Starbucks drive through in quick succession. That is a little out of the ordinary wouldn't you agree? So the police did what we expect of them: check the vehicle out. That led to the unfortunate set of circumstances.

Now put yourself back in the role of police officer again. They notice the suspicious activity and do nothing. And it turns out it was a couple hoods casing the joint and eventually robbed it. I bet the uber-righteous amongst us would come down so hard on the police.

Can't win situation in my view.

Arrogance and The Parking Authority

As I drove southbound on Balmoral Street, behind the Great West Life building, I noticed a City of Winnipeg truck parked on the east side of the street, facing Broadway. What made me give it more than a passing interest was that vehicle's driver was crossing the street with a camera in his hand to photograph an illegally parked car. It was then I noticed his truck was a Parking Enforcement vehicle, and it was parked directly in front of a fire hydrant.

Now let's add up the offences here:

1. City of Winnipeg vehicle parked on east side of the street, facing Broadway. This is a clearly marked no parking zone.
2. City of Winnipeg Parking Enforcement driver, crossing the street in the middle of the block. This is jaywalking.
3. City of Winnipeg vehicle was parked directly in front of fire hydrant. A FIRE HYDRANT.
   

I took out my cell phone with its' built in camera, and walked up to the driver, now back in his City of Winnipeg truck. I asked this fellow under what conditions was he allowed to park illegally.

His reply: "as long as he is doing his job."

It was my understanding, wrongly I later learned, that no vehicles were allowed to break traffic laws unless operating under very specific emergency conditions. Which I thought meant that Fire, Police and Ambulance drivers operate under strict conditions under which they could ignore traffic laws.

So I suggested to this individual that he was incorrect. I alerted him to the fact that not even Fire, Police and Ambulance drivers were allowed to park illegally unless under certain emergency protocols. He then drove off.

To my utter amazement he simply drove forward a few car lengths and parked. Again illegally.

So off I went to again remind him that he was not permitted to park illegally. He continued to assert his right to park illegally while ticketing illegally parked cars.

The irony here is delicious.

I didn't expect this arrogant and officious bureaucrat to change his ways. So I called the city Parking Authority. It was just before 5PM so there was nobody home to speak with. I left a message asking that someone call me the next day to discuss this situation.

I'm not so sure I'll hear from the City's Parking Authority... BUT, I mentioned it to a former member of Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz' Executive Policy Committee yesterday evening. We all shook our heads and tsk tsked. Maybe I will hear from someone...

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UPDATE
The Winnipeg Parking Authority actually called me. Credit where credit is due.

Here is the kicker. There is a city by-law that permits ANY city vehicle to park anywhere they bloody well want provided it is a "necessity" of their work.

By-law 1573/77 Section 32

PARKING EXEMPTIONS
32. The provisions of this by-law prohibiting or regulating stopping and parking shall not apply to:
(a) vehicles of the Police Department of the City of Winnipeg;
(b) vehicles of or employed by the City of Winnipeg while in use in connection with work of necessity being done in or near a highway requiring them to stop or be parked in contravention of any such provisions; and
(c) vehicles of the Government of Manitoba, the Government of Canada, or a public utility if such vehicles have the owner’s name painted thereon and are actually engaged in work of necessity on or near a highway requiring them to stop or be parked in contravention of any such provisions.

Necessity is not defined.

So, two sets of rules. One for citizens and one for the government. It is assumed therefor that writing a parking ticket is a necessity and it is acceptable to park illegally to write an illegal parking ticket.

Unbelievable eh?

Shades of Gray

There is serious and ongoing debate about too few Winnipeg Police feet on the street. They don't have time to respond to take a vehicle theft report. There are too few to man community police centres. Or chase down parole violators.

But they can raid private clubs and lay charges against illegal gaming? I wonder who establishes priorities for the Winnipeg Police?

Don't get me wrong. The Winnipeg Police do a great job. I'm not a police basher. I'm also not a gambler. Not even casually. Thus establishing myself as fully unbiased in this matter...

The issue I have stems from how the police prioritize matters. The private gaming industry is full of ostensibly sane adults participating in something they enjoy, that hurts no one. And before our social conscience goes off on me no less an authority then the government runs and licenses "legal" gaming parlours all over Manitoba. So it MUST be harmless, right?

I read in the Winnipeg Free Press that SIXTY police officers participated in the raids. Wow, imagine how many car thefts might have been investigated. Or how many hours could the community police stations been manned?

I say to all Manitoba justice officials, to the Winnipeg Police, and our Provincial and Municipal politicians, 'tis time to seriously reevaluate your priorities. To assign such significant resources to prosecute an area of law bathed in shades of gray is asinine.

When choosing between going after scofflaws participating in activities that GOVERNMENT agencies sanction versus chasing car thief's and parole violators, I say go after the real criminals every time.

For gawd's sake people, give your heads a shake...

Winnipeg Police, Open for Business

Closed Open for Business
The Winnipeg Police are back-pedaling as fast as they can about the announced closure of two community police centres in north Winnipeg. It was a mistake they say.

I have no problem accepting the fact mistakes happen. People correct them and we move on.

But they say the mistake was not an executive decision to close the centres. Rather it was the announcement itself that was a mistake.

I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. But this does not pass the smell test... I guess some poor schmuck in the communication department wrote a fictional press release completely independent of the decision makers eh?

Yeah, right.