Ottawa City Police respond to complaint

On December 15th, a blogger witnessed a young woman lying on a sidewalk, unconscious after police chased her and took her down at Bank and MacLaren Streets in Ottawa.

We can’t save the world, however when we witness inappropriate behavior from police (the blogger used the chilling phrase, “she looked like a ragdoll”) we can go public, given the tendency of misconduct to be ignored, I believe knitnut did all the right things; talked to other witnesses, took pictures. She bore witness.

I posted here at BDBO, and encouraged bloggers to pick this up so media would pay attention, and witnesses would go through the dreary steps of seeing there were official reports regarding the conduct of the officers.

I posted the contacts for The City of Ottawa Police Department, and I wrote. I have received a response which has been given publicly because I gave them the link to my blog post.

I work as the officer in charge of the Professional Standards Section at the Ottawa Police Service and am currently reviewing this matter at the request of Chief Vern White.

The Service recognizes that there are specific concerns raised here about the conduct of Ottawa Police officers. For everyone’s information, the police service takes any allegation of this type very seriously and encourages anyone with such a concern to visit our site at:

http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/serving_ottawa/compliment_complaint/complaint.cfm

or to contact our Professional Standards Section at (613) 236-1222 ext 5830 to speak with an investigator, or to obtain more information on the process.

In order to comply with due process in matters such as this one, we do not comment on specific cases until any investigation is concluded and a decision is reached about the possible laying of any charges under the Ontario Police Services Act.

If you have any further questions or comments, please direct them to info@ottawapolice.ca . Your concern will then be forwarded to me or to the appropriate person responsible within the police service.

Should you have been a witness to this incident, please contact the Professional Standards Section as your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Denis Cléroux
Professional Standards Section
Staff Sergeant
Central Division centrale
Ottawa Police

As blogs picked up the story and asked who is this young woman and how is she now doing, people piled into various comment sections, telling their own stories of Ottawa Police misconduct, or their experience with police in other areas of the country who are a disgrace to their profession, who have gotten away with abuse of power and will continue to do so.

There has been resignation, anger, cynicism, fear, discouragement. A few I read have chosen to file formal complaints in similar incidents, and the lack of hope over ever seeing officers disciplined is difficult to absorb.

I read a commenter say this incident was being investigated at the highest political levels.
Maybe, maybe not, I don’t know, it is one avenue. I’ve read readers across Canada did contact The City of Ottawa Police Department.
I read from a witness they had heard from a 3rd source this young woman is okay.
I don’t know what that means, her health is the first step in a long journey.
She is one of many who is treated this way by police across Canada daily, and it is only when witnesses document, stand up to on scene bullying, know their rights and follow up with official statements and complaints will police departments stop turning a blind eye to misuse of power. The thin blue line cannot be a thick blue wall, our society cannot sustain itself when officers are not held accountable.
It is tough to step forward, it can be very costly, economically, socially, emotionally. Being a Good Samaritan takes it out of you. In split seconds of witness, ‘am I my brother’s keeper’ becomes more than a theoretical exercise.
I am so impressed with the blogger who posted this story, and with the young man who said, “This is Canada.”
It will be a better Canada when we in a split second in our day find ourselves as witness and chose the harder road.
We become desensitized without being aware it is happening. Media rarely covers these events anymore. Laws are convoluted, the system is designed to intimidate and discourage witnesses, and those who abuse their power, do not want you being heard.
Two people had the courage to not walk away, and it is my hope and prayer this young woman meets others who will step forward to ensure she will not receive any more abuse by law enforcement.

Staff Sergeant Cléroux:

Thank you for your response.
Thank you for encouraging witnesses to come forward, I hope you are heard.
If I can be of further assistance you know how to contact me.
May I suggest sir, that in your role in Professional Standards, you advice your investigators to warn witnesses they may receive the same bellicose and unprofessional treatment a witness who has gone public received?

I will be following your investigation, expecting a full accounting including the training and re-training in place for your constables on patrol.
I am encouraging others online who have expressed concern for this young woman and the behavior of The Ottawa City Police to do likewise.

Respectfully,

BD

Peace, order and good government and knitnut, and Dr. Dawg also received the comment from Staff Sergeant Cleroux. Anyone else?

Update: The Ottawa Citizen picks this up. Police wanted photos erased, blogger claims There is no contact with ‘the blogger’ and I understand the writer of the article has to used alleged, claimed and other careful language. The Chief of Police got his say, and ordered a review on Tuesday. Yesterday, four blogs received a comment from the Staff Sergeant of the Ottawa Police asking for witnesses to come forward.

a) Citizens on common ground have a right (and it appears from reports of police behavior- a responsibility) to take photos or video of police conduct and report just as publicly as the take down.
b) If Ottawa Police put one of their ‘undercover officers’ in uniform that is their responsibility, not the responsibility of people seeing a young woman’s face slammed into the pavement, seeing her knocked unconscious and police attempting to stuff her dead weight into a van.
An ambulance was called and the female officer place cardboard under her head while she lay on a wet sidewalk. The officer intimidating witnesses is quite another story.
c) If an officer goes on shift in uniform, he is a public figure, and belligerent behavior toward witnesses is not acceptable.
d) If you were a witness December 15th, Bank and MaLaren Streets in Ottawa, seek sound advice, if you chose to step up, go through the channels and keep a copy of your statement.
e) Go to the Police Board meeting January 19th, 2009 (is this date correct?) in Ottawa and make sure a copy of your statement has been received by them, as well as a copy of your interview with Professional Standards.

As a journalist there have been times we or our cameraman were asked not to take pictures of an officers face. It’s a case by case situation, and if those officers on scene have a very sound reason they are prepared to lay out respectfully, a decision is made.

It is important citizens know their rights, we pay police salaries.
When witnesses are lied to and intimidated and a young woman is harmed, the police are not the victims.
In today’s digital age it is no longer an ‘unusual situation’ for citizens to document and publish behavior of public servants. Community policing works both ways boys.

Why didn’t Neco Cockburn, The Ottawa Citizen reporter ask about the young woman?
What condition is she in? What has she been charged with?
Why are the facts concerning the person lying on the sidewalk not in the article or information on