Calgary police accused of racial profiling, ASIRT investigation over murdered native

[jayswin]

http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/08/22...ing-mans-death

Following complaints of racism against police in the handling of a missing person case, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has launched an investigation.

Family members of Colton Crowshoe, 18, accused Calgary police of racism in their handling of his case, saying they did little to look into his disappearance because he was Native.
Crowshoe was reported missing by family on July 6, two days after he was last seen at a house party in Abbeydale

His body was found in a northeast pond July 24 near 16 Ave. and Stoney Tr. N.E., near Abbeydale party.
Crowshoe was arrested July 2 and released the same day and family accused officers of roughing him up.

Apparently, CPS themselves asked for the investigation. The optimist in me hopes that they saw some findings internally that led to them asking for the investigation. The pessimist in me feels it's likely they felt this coming and decided to be pro-active to make it seem like it was all them, rather than have the family publicly demand it and have it seem like they were forced into it by family/public pressure.

CPS declined to comment on the allegations but released a statement saying they asked for the ASIRT investigation.
“Please note the Calgary Police Service pro-actively requested an independent review into previous interactions between officers and Colton Crowshoe, as well as the missing person investigation,” it read in part.
“This request was made to the director of law enforcement on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014 in order to ensure full transparency and public confidence of the case and CPS actions.”

[jayswin]

I have full faith in the Calgary Police Service, but one area I worry about even with a top class police force is treatment of natives.

It wouldn't surprise me one bit if there was racial profiling of natives going on here and there, and that a natives missing person case wouldn't be taken as seriously as say a white teen in Somerset going missing, unfortunately.

[Cuz]

It's tough in any missing person's case to say whether the police did enough or not. I would suspect in this case they didn't have much to work with and the family felt they weren't doing enough and it's a shame the first though they come up with is that the cops didn't do much because of racism.

[Cole436]

Native treatment and profiling has an ugly history with Canadian police. Awful situation.

[Arya Stark]

Woah dude, there are much bigger problems Natives should deal with before they go up against racial profiling.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

Woah dude, there are much bigger problems Natives should deal with before they go up against racial profiling.

Honest question , what is/are the bigger problems.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

Woah dude, there are much bigger problems Natives should deal with before they go up against racial profiling.

Before? There's an order that problems need to be solved in? What's the order for natives? They can only go up against one problem at a time?

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by flameswin

Before? There's an order that problems need to be solved in? What's the order for natives? They can only go up against one problem at a time?

Was only being sarcastic. Another poster made the same argument in the sports team thread about the Red Skins. It is a ridiculous argument.

[Acey]

I'm friends with a guy that knew him and would have been surprised if these allegations didn't come through. I guess CPS aren't corrupt so they decided not to even pretend like they cared, but in regards to this case I heard of people going to CPS asking for help to find them and they flat out refused saying they don't waste money on "kids who have definitely run away from home." Two sides to every story obviously, but IMO this a blemish on CPS who otherwise do fantastic work.

Racist? Well I dunno how they'll prove that.

[Johnny199r]

Absolutely white people who disappear are treated more seriously than an aboriginal who disappears. It's sad.

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

Was only being sarcastic. Another poster made the same argument in the sports team thread about the Red Skins. It is a ridiculous argument.

Yeah, these two things are the same. Good one.

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Yeah, these two things are the same. Good one.

They are. When someone says a problem can't be dealt with until another problem is dealt with I don't take anything they say serious.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by Johnny199r

Absolutely white people who disappear are treated more seriously than an aboriginal who disappears. It's sad.

Well to be honest, we (whiteys) don't normally go on "walkabout" for months at a time, so its not usual for aboriginal people to dissapear for a while, unlike white city folk.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkabout

FYI - Walkabout is a traditional practice where Australian Aborigines go on a solo quest to manhood when growing up. In Canada the "walkabout" generally occurs on the Stoney Nakoda reserve, along the Transcanada and nearby overpasses. How there are so many pedestrians just walking around out there in the middle of nowhere is beyond me.

[442scotty]

I cant speak for what its like in Calgary where the native community has a lot more money to play with but as a retired Police Officer from Winnipeg most guys definitely had a slanted opinion where native peoples are concerned. Not all of it unjustified.

Alcoholism, sexual abuse, poverty, fetal alcohol, inadequate education, drug abuse...and on and on. It is what it is and will continue this way for many years to come. A lot of the kids have the deck stacked against them from day one. Fact: Its not unusual for a lot of native kids to just take off for periods.

Police resources are not unlimited and you wouldn't believe how many calls come in for missing teens. Native, white or otherwise. Its impossible to give these calls the attention they deserve. In most cases its up to the families to get the ball rolling...

No matter what race, if there is a history of criminal activity, drugs or alcohol it is more likely that people come and go for long periods and these people would go to the back of the list unless something jumps out at you.

As for being roughed up? It wasn't my style personally no matter how much of as a-hole you were because what ever you give is gonna come back on another officer some day. But I can see someone being less than gentle with a suspect if he gives them grief in some way. So who knows.

No matter what race... I am sick and tired of people pulling the Race card. Its always someone elses fault. Poor me!

The Police didn't make this kid do a crime. The Police didn't make this kid take off and the Police didn't kill him.
99 percent of all Police really do care! The other 1 percent used to care but are burnt out.

[combustiblefuel]

Edit:Nm comment was raged fuelled. The topic hits to close to home as I've experienced some racial profiling by police. Not cps in specific but by cops.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Police resources are not unlimited and you wouldn't believe how many calls come in for missing teens. Native, white or otherwise. Its impossible to give these calls the attention they deserve. In most cases its up to the families to get the ball rolling...

In Calgary alone last year, roughly 3,300 people were reported missing.

That's roughly 10 people a day...just for Calgary...

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

In Calgary alone last year, roughly 3,300 people were reported missing.

That's roughly 10 people a day...just for Calgary...

There was also the Nathan O'Brien and Liknes family disappearance just a week earlier. Who knows how much resources were/are tied up into that investigation. Police were sent to Mexico just a couple weeks ago.

Unfortunately, may have been a bad time reporting a capable adult with no evidence of foul play missing.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

There was also the Nathan O'Brien and Liknes family disappearance just a week earlier. Who knows how much resources were/are tied up into that investigation. Police were sent to Mexico just a couple weeks ago.

Unfortunately, may have been a bad time reporting a capable adult with no evidence of foul play missing.

In a murder case, the best evidence that can possibly be found/used is the bodies, and it's incredibly time sensitive evidence to be found. Without a body(ies), the murder case is much, much harder to prove.

In a missing persons case, what can really be done beyond talking to the family, and keeping an eye out?

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

In a murder case, the best evidence that can possibly be found/used is the bodies, and it's incredibly time sensitive evidence to be found. Without a body(ies), the murder case is much, much harder to prove.

In a missing persons case, what can really be done beyond talking to the family, and keeping an eye out?

Yeah, and that's pretty much my point. When Crowshoe went missing the police were doing open houses, going through surveillance tapes, asking to see every item sold at the estate, going door-to-door to talk to neighbours, walking through fields etc. A lot of man power would have been allocated to the disappearance/murder of the 5 year old.

Unfortunately for the Crowshoe family, and any other capable adult who went missing, it might have been simply been bad timing. Limited resources and a hefty chunk being used on the investigation of the disappearance/murder of a a 5 year old. In Crowshoe's case there didn't even seem to be any evidence to indicate foul play until the discovery of the body.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

Yes, but your bias doesn't hide either. I knew you were not a cop. Wording how I did would draw your actual occupation out. So what is your actual distain for the general populous? Since you side generally with law enforcement. Why do you believe they are to be given reasonable doubt before theyrreach the court of law?

yer two smrt 4 me. j00 tell me.

Ah, I jest.

I don't have disdain for the general population. You can't do what I do and have disdain for the general public (imo, anyhow, if you do have disdain for the public, you are in the wrong profession)

I don't feel that anyone should be given "reasonable doubt" before they reach a court of law. I do think, given the general nature of their job, that they should get the benefit of the doubt. I generally extend that to most folks until they hit a court of law..."innocent until proven guilty" and all that.

I also don't like seeing folks piled on. Notice how in a different thread someone commented on a picture on a different site, that he thought the cop was "laughing" into his phone, and that was inappropriate and offensive? Can you think of any other job where no matter how you do what you do, folks will hate you for it and assume that you are doing it for the most negative reason they can think up.

I'd do much the same for Firefighters and EMT's...but they don't tend to need it, as most folks are happy to see them show up.

It also bothers me that a lot of folks seem to conflate American police forces with Canadian ones.

Finally...after starting my job, I realized there's a lot of things I didn't know about before starting my job, and it changed my perspective on a lot of things.