OPP officers have been on hand for months as tensions have boiled over between aboriginal protestors and residents of Caledonia, near Hamilton. So far, 13 officers have been injured.
This just might be one of those prority issues......
Posted on 06/10/2006 4:47:39 PM PDT by fanfan
HAMILTON
OPP officers assigned to the native standoff in Caledonia say their bosses have put their public image ahead of officer safety and law and order.
Talking for the first time since the volatile land occupation began 100 days ago, the president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association said a meeting is being held tonight in Caledonia so the association can hear the concerns of officers who have been told not to wear riot gear or tactical uniforms when dealing with native protestors, are being sent out without proper back-up and are left wondering if commanding officers and the courts will back them up when they try to enforce the law.
"Due to the political pressures and optics involved with this, the OPP seems to be bending their own rules while sacrificing officer safety," Karl Walsh said. "Optics don't have any place on the front lines at Caledonia."
The OPP have had a fluctuating presence at the protest ever since natives began occupying a housing development they claim is being built on their land. At some points, it's been nothing more than a single OPP officer watching from a parked cruiser. At other times, officers have physically stood between natives and Caledonia residents as tempers flared.
Front-line officers feel they haven't had a strong enough presence at the barricades.
The "deviation from the usual training and standards" of the OPP "has been an underlying concern from the get-go" in Caledonia, said Walsh.
So far, 13 officers have been injured while assigned to the stand-off. Some injuries could have been avoided if officers had been allowed to follow their usual procedures, officers say.
`It's okay to have an officer walking around in tactical uniform at Wasaga Beach on a long weekend, but it's not okay in Caledonia'
Karl Walsh, president of Ontario Provincial Police Association
For instance, the highly trained and heavily armed members of the OPP tactical team have not been allowed to wear their tactical uniforms.
"It's okay to have an officer walking around in tactical uniform at Wasaga Beach on a long weekend, but it's not okay in Caledonia," Walsh said.
The standard practice for OPP officers dealing with an unruly crowd — as both the protestors and the townsfolk have sometimes been during the past months — is to dress in riot gear, with helmets, visors and shields.
"But these officers were ordered not to wear them for optical purposes," said Walsh. The OPP doesn't want to give the media, the protestors or residents the idea "there's an increased level of aggressiveness" in what they consistently have called a "peaceful" operation.
In fact, that is Const. Paula Wright's response when asked to respond to concerns raised by Walsh and front-line officers. The Haldimand detachment media officer repeatedly said "our role is to keep the peace and ensure public safety."
Wright would not talk about police gear or uniforms, saying those are "operational matters" that will not be discussed publicly because to do so could — ironically — jeopardize officer safety.
Six Nations Police could not be reached for comment.
It has been a long 100 days for the OPP officers on the ground in Caledonia. Some have been there from the beginning. Others are rotated in every seven daysfrom across the province.
Hamilton SPECTATOR
OPP officers have been on hand for months as tensions have boiled over between aboriginal protestors and residents of Caledonia, near Hamilton. So far, 13 officers have been injured.
This just might be one of those prority issues......
Canada ping!
Please FReepmail me to get on or off this ping list.
The police responded with force and an aboriginal died.
The Liberals and NDP and their tame media have been beeting up on Harris ever since.
This blockade must be seen in context of that one.
Imagine if McGuinty authorized a more robust response and an aborigal got hurt.
Whether or not a non-aboriginal or a copper gets hurt is nothing to the point.
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