Why has this taken so long?
In October of 2009, a video surfaced on YouTube that depicted Abbotsford Police taking down suspects they believed were involved in a drug transaction. The clip depicts officers kicking a man in the head, as well as standing on his legs, despite the fact that the man was lying on the ground an appeared to be complying with the direction of the officers.
Although an investigation was undertaken by the Abbotsford Police themselves, it was determined that no misconduct or excessive force was used. Now the BC Police Complaints Commissioner has ordered a public hearing in respect of this matter.
I ask again, why has this taken so long?
Perhaps in light of the incident in Kelowna, where an RCMP officer brutally kicked a man in the face, who again appeared to be compliant, the policing agencies in this province are facing a bit of public pressure. Add to that the problems that have been evident in cellblocks and police detachments across the country, and the need for a public inquiry into police conduct becomes apparent.
While there are certainly tragedies involving our police forces in this country, such as the stabbing of a Victoria police officer, the fact of those actions does not excuse police conduct that rises to the level of excessive force or unnecessary invasion of privacy.
The policing forces in this country are given so much power: the power to detain, search, shoot, investigate, imprison, etc. It is therefore necessary that police conduct themselves in strict adherence with the rules regarding use of force and abide by our Charter guidelines. Conduct that fall outside these bounds should be investigated and the officers involved should be suspended or dismissed to protect the public’s faith in our police services.