Winnipeg Copwatch » Reports http://winnipegcopwatch.org Working Together to Stop Police Misconduct Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:09:56 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 Winnipeg newcomers targeted by police: report http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/winnipeg-newcomers-targeted-by-police-report http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/winnipeg-newcomers-targeted-by-police-report#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:14:07 +0000 macho http://winnipegcopwatch.org/?p=97 A report by the Winnipeg Police Advisory Board has revealed the negative experiences of many new immigrants in the city when interacting with police. Some of the items the report touches on are

  • “Lack of respect by some police toward the newcomer community in general”
  • “General harassment of black youth during everyday activities”
  • “Unwarranted combative/assaultive behavior… used by some police officers in the early stages of a contact, or after arrest”
    • “i.e. stories of being beaten with a phone book so no marks are left”
]]> http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/winnipeg-newcomers-targeted-by-police-report/feed 0 Report on the Provincial Police Act Review http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/report-on-the-provincial-police-act-review http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/report-on-the-provincial-police-act-review#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:01:50 +0000 Kendra http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/report-on-the-provincial-police-act-review law-book.pngThe Provincial Police Act is being reviewed for the first time in nearly 80 years. The 2007 report on the Racialized Communities and Police Services Project by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, and the 1991 report of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba have pointed to systemic problems in police accountability in this province. The new Act will lay out how municipal police boards, a provincial police commission, and an independent investigations unit will be structured.

Winnipeg Copwatch’s recommendations include:

  • Municipal police boards and the provincial police commission should be democratically elected
  • The police commission should not include police or former police due to conflict of interest
  • The police commission should provide free supports to people filing a complaint against the police
  • Complaints should not be shown to the police until after the police have been questioned, and police should be separated before questioning to prevent collusion
  • Non-criminal charges against the police should not be investigated by a police service
  • The police boards should be empowered to hire and dismiss the police chief

Read the full report on Winnipeg Copwatch’s Recommendations on the Provincial Police Act Review.

We encourage you to participate in the process. There are two ways to do so:

  1. Attend a public consultation: Wednesday 4 March, at 7pm at the Freight House Bingo Hall at 200 Isabel Street (register by calling 945-4773); or,
  2. Fill out the province’s on-line questionnaire.
]]> http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/report-on-the-provincial-police-act-review/feed 0 The Racialized Communities and Police – Interim Report by the Manitoba Human Rights Commission http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/the-racialized-communities-and-police-interim-report-by-the-manitoba-human-rights-commission http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/the-racialized-communities-and-police-interim-report-by-the-manitoba-human-rights-commission#comments Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:44:50 +0000 admin http://winnipegcopwatch.org/wpgcwnews/the-racialized-communities-and-police-interim-report-by-the-manitoba-human-rights-commission On December 6th the Manitoba Human Rights Commission released its report around “racialized communities and police services”. In the report it states that within certain communities there is a fear of the police, that people do not have faith in the Law Enforcement Review Agency, and that police brutality is part of police culture and it’s just not a “few bad apples”.

Here is a quote from someone speaking about “Abusive treatment by police based on Aboriginal ancestry”:

I was driven to the perimeter by police and left to walk home barefoot. I have no one to complain to. Aboriginal people don’t matter. I have no trust in the police.

We at Copwatch have heard stories from people speaking about Starlight Tours being practiced by members of the Winnipeg Police Service. This is of larger concern given the statements from Environment Canada that we are in for one of the coldest winters in sometime. Will it take another Neil Stonechild for people to realize that this is happening, and has been happening in Winnipeg for sometime now.

Here, you can read the Manitoba Human Rights Commission‘s report.

This is some reaction from printed media: Policing the Police, Winnipeg Free Press.

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