Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 3, 2009, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page a6 t o say 2008 was a Stormy year for the Winnipeg police service would be a Gross understatement. Public perception of the City Force took More than a few knocks in the Wake of the Crystal Taman inquiry and the probe into the police involved shooting of Matthew Dumas. The Taman inquiry prompted the province to re examine How police investigate themselves. Taman was killed in february 2005 after she was rear ended by an off duty Winnipeg police Constable who had been up All night drinking with fellow officers and was on his Way Home. Two other High profile police involved fatalities this summer brought harsh allegations from angry aboriginal leaders that racism runs rampant in the officers ranks. Looking beyond these things there was a lot of Progress made by police in 2008, says chief Keith Mccaskill who sat Down with free press Justice reporter James Turner on Friday to talk about his perceptions of the top cops Job just Over a year after taking on the role. Presented Here is an edited version of their conversation. Free press last year the was was faced with a number of situations that challenged the Public cos perception of police including the Dumas inquest and the Taman inquiry. Youve had some time now to digest the outcomes. What have you taken away from them Keith Mccaskill the Dumas inquest was a tragic incident obviously where a Young person had been killed. The inquest indicated that the police officer acted appropriately within the Bounds of his training. There were Independent witnesses there and police witnesses As Well. It was a very important Public vetting of exactly what transpired and i think it was vitally important. I know that there were certain groups that were concerned about did the police officer act appropriately a and were talking about racism. It was very important that that inquest came out and said exactly what transpired. The Taman inquiry As Well. It was a very Public vetting of issues. We certainly did take some hits theress no doubt about that and i think we have to learn from All of those things. The recommendations show that there should be additional oversight on policing and were going to support that obviously. I dont know what its going to turn out to be but i think thatus probably a Good thing for the police service and other policing agencies. We have to look at being open As open As we possibly can. I still believe that on major incidents such As Dumas we took a number of Steps. We had our homicide investigators investigate it. It went out to an outside Agency to review it went to an outside Crown to review and a Public inquest. It showed that that investigation was done very thoroughly. In my mind we were doing them thoroughly but it was the Public perception that is so vitally important for policing and that is one of the things that Taman showed. Up what has or will change with the Winnipeg police after Taman Mccaskill i think what will happen is exactly what inquiry commissioner Roger Salhany has recommended. Were waiting for what the province is going to do. Weave talked to the province weave said you know were going to support what you re going to do. The police act is going to change and i think its going to change fairly quickly. Its a Good thing. Were going to be supporting those recommendations. Up police were very publicly confronted a few times in 2008 with allegations of racism by aboriginal communities. What Progress had been made on your commitment to improve relationships with them Mccaskill Progress has been very Good but weave got a Long ways to go. Ive got a very Good relationship with Assembly of Manitoba chiefs grand chief Ron Evans and although i disagreed with a lot of the statements that were made by different groups i recently met with Morris Swan Shanna Apo chief of the rolling River first nation and Natanni Fontaine Justice director for the Southern chiefs organization. I dont agree with some of the things that they said but i think we have to continue to work toward building those relationships. I think its being open and talking straightforwardly. I think by doing that hopefully things Are going to get better. Now i will support our officers and when different groups say things that Are wrong ill say so. That does not mean to say that we continue to try and work toward improving those relationships. Theress been a lot of comments about racism and i think that the was is like any organization. If accusations like that come Forth we want to investigate them. But they be made just for the Sake of being made. The was is a segment of society. Nobody can say that theress no racism at the was or at the free press because everybody yes raised with certain values and so on. Everybody you and me included have our own biases and we have to work toward not having them. Up it must be disheartening for you in some ways when a serious matter the Dumas Case goes through the Steps from investigation to oversight by outside agencies to a Public inquest that found no wrongdoing and have those allegations still remain. Mccaskill its like anything. Its very difficult for the family obviously. They ave lost a person that they care about. I understand that. Its a tragedy theress no doubt about it. It was also a very trying time for the was and particularly the officers involved. Nobody unless they re criminally minded wants to take a life. You re going to have people say things publicly especially in policing that ism going to disagree with. But people have the right to say what they want to say. We As a police Agency also have the right to say based on facts we dont agree with you. Theress no doubt theress a mistrust Between the police and some groups aboriginal groups As Well. But theress also a lot of Bridge building that goes on As Well. Up whats the biggest misconception the Public has about the Winnipeg police the biggest misconception that some people have is that the police service is maybe not As effective As it could be. I think were very effective. We have to do a Little bit More on reorganizing. Some people believe that weave got a group of police officers out there running around not doing what they should be doing maybe not being As honest As they should be. Thatus not True. Some of the things with the Taman inquiry came across that Way in some Peoples minds. I think we have a very honest police Force. We do have and have had occasions where officers have done the wrong thing and Well Deal with that. Up whats reasonable for the Public to expect from the Winnipeg police in terms of the service they receive Mccaskill in a perfect world id like people to Call the police and were there immediately. Sometimes its not a perfect world. Ive talked about How in 2007 the Calls for service were building up in the summer months. It was virtually impossible unless it was a life threatening situation to have the police there immediately in Many cases. Thatus not acceptable. The Ideal situation id like to be Able to get it Down to a Point in most cases where people get very timely responses. Up its been just Over a year since youve been in the chiefs chair. Whats your perception of the Job today and is it different than before you were hired Mccaskill i did not really know what to expect. I was under the belief from talking to officers from talking to the Public that they wanted to have More involvement with the Community and More interaction with the police officers and More communication with the executive of the service. And i think weave achieved that to a degree. The morale on the service is quite High right now and its not something you can take for granted. Were trying to be More and More open with the Media. We have to Start doing More of that to get our message out straightforward truthful information to allow people to understand what policing is All about. James. Turner free press. My. Ca read the entire transcript of the interview with Keith Mccaskill at Winnipeg repress. Com a 6 Winnipeg free press saturday january 3, 2009 saturday special Winnipeg repress. Com James Turner walking the Fine Blue line police chief Keith Mccaskill reflects on a Tough year and the task of rebuilding Bridges photos by Mike Deal / Winnipeg free press a 06_ Jan 03 09. 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