By SCOTT SUTHERLAND
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Law/2006/08/04/1719803-cp.html

VICTORIA (CP) - A group representing front-line police officers in British Columbia says one of its members has received a gag order from RCMP brass.

The B.C. Federation of Police Officers says Const. Rob Creasser did a radio interview last month suggesting it's taking too long for answers into what happened when four officers were gunned down last year in Alberta.

The interview, with a Kamloops radio station, followed the July killings of a pair of Saskatchewan RCMP officers.

Creasser also questioned on air whether there are enough officers on the force, saying municipal departments have more resources.

Don McKenzie, president of the federation, said that after the interview, Creasser was issued an order to stop commenting in public.

"Here's an individual, a police officer, sworn to protect the public, to be honest and tell the truth, being punished for just that," said McKenzie, a police detective in Abbottsford.

"He drew attention to some manpower shortage issues within the RCMP as well as questioned why there hadn't been anything given to front-line police officers in the province regarding the tragedy in Mayerthorpe."

The federation quoted from the superintendent's order which cited a section of the RCMP Act stating: "A member shall not publicly criticize, ridicule, petition, or complain about the administration, operation, objective or policies of the force."

The order also said the constable's comments are "under review and may result in further investigation."

The RCMP have faced criticism from several directions over the length of time it's taking for the results of their Mayerthorpe inquiry to become public.

After the two Mounties were killed in Spiritwood, Sask., Denis Allchurch, the MLA for the community demanded: "What have we learned or done since that, because it has happened right here in this small community?"

An RCMP spokesman was not aware of the specific order issued to Creasser, but confirmed the regulation, known as Section 41.

"We do not have permission, as members of the force, to publicly criticize the RCMP or the government, or ridicule policies, criticize courts," said Cpl. Tom Seaman. "We're not supposed to and we're not allowed to do that."

He said there are proper channels for officers to voice their concerns internally.

[Where the RCMP has a trusted inner circle of members who they can could on to do their utmost to cover up anything embarrassing or criminal.]

"To take it externally and to go public with those concerns, as you can see, is against regulations," said Seaman.

McKenzie said his group wants to protect the rights of individual officers within the RCMP to speak their mind, adding that the RCMP Act does not supersede the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"They're muzzling their own members from speaking out when they see something wrong or trying to protect their fellow officers."

He said the federation's concern is that this gag order - coupled with what he called a recent RCMP directive to media relations officers to limit the information they release to reporters - amounts to a "muzzling" of police that may help erode public trust.

Seaman rejects that.

"Our surveys show the public trust level remains very high with communities we serve. We haven't seen anything like that at all," he insisted.

"We are not muzzling our communication officers at all."

Seaman said news reports earlier this week about the media relations directive were referring to a "discussionary paper" that has taken more than 18 months to compile.

The paper suggested the RCMP refrain from speaking too much to the media in an effort to cut back on news reports about crime, which the paper suggests heighten public anxiety.

But Seaman said the RCMP has been successful recently in improving communications.

McKenzie and the federation of police officers disagree.

"I think recently the RCMP have come under fire for some of their practices from a managerial point of view," McKenzie said.

"They are trying to control information to the public. It's all about spinning, about spin-doctoring that is, and making sure the image of the RCMP is not tarnished with fact."

Creasser, vice-president of the B.C. Mounted Police Professional Association, was unavailable for comment.
 

In the aftermath of the deaths of four RCMP officers who were, at first glace, trespassing on a farmers private land to "investigate a grow-op", a scandal is now brewing over the RCMP and media's attempt to shift total blame to the shooter (who conveniently committed "suicide") on a vague property violation.

It was some time later that the RCMP began saying the real reason they were at the farm was to "repossess a vehicle".... and auto theft officers were not part of those executing the original and apparently bogus warrant.

Interestingly enough, since the shooting first broke, the "Public Safety" Minister has done nothing but comment on raising penalties for people growing pot on their own property". Anne McLellan never once mentioned any "stolen property" issue, and we now know the original warrant was to confiscate a mere 20 mature plants - hardly a commercial farming grow op, and least of all one we were told was tied to "organized crime syndicates".

Is this, as some have now suggested, yet more prove of questionable police involvement in moving and selling pot with the possible help of our military? Why are they now soft-pedalling the grow op angle, and raising "stolen property" issues?

Did CSIS set up these officers in order to bolster the fading image of the RCMP, due to their involvement with Hong Kong criminal drug syndicates selling methamphetamine to our children, as reported by W5?

Check out the media's initial reports of this incident, including a video clip from CTV news. The below stories were released the same day as the shooting, or shortly after.

Note the MAIN focus in ALL the reports is on "GROW OPS", and their alleged "public safety dangers to ALL OF US" - as these headlines clearly show!

 [ Update - March 3 2006. Information (from various sources) now has come forward that questions the 'official' version of events. see bottom of this page for more details.

First check out this CTV video clip and see if you can figure out the reason the police say they were at this location...... Remember that a LEGAL warrant must have an attached affidavit with a list of the property to be seized, and credible evidence supporting its existence!

Note CTV insert in above frame..

Seized marijuana no longer going up in smoke in New Brunswick.  [<<< Related link]

Friday, Mar 04, 2005

RCMP deaths trigger calls for tougher grow op penalties

VANCOUVER (CBC) - B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman says prosecutors should seek tougher sentences for criminals involved in marijuana grow ops to act as a deterrent.

Coleman's comments follow the shooting deaths of four RCMP officers at a grow op in rural Alberta.

"It's very clear that in Canada, particularly in British Columbia, that we do not give out the level of sentencing or go after the assets of these criminals like we should in order to deter them from doing business here," he says.

[For the record... penalties for grow ops NOW include 14 years in prison, and confiscation of ALL property, INCLUDING the house and land. See this related link for confirmation]

"If you look at Washington state south of us they have significantly higher penalties."

[Ah, how nice....  yet another reason to proceed with the new North American Zone, which will all but eliminate Canadian sovereignty in such areas as law enforcement. Click this link for more..]

Coleman, who is a former RCMP officer, also says his prayers go out to the families of the dead officers.

The RCMP had raided a farm in a small community northeast of Edmonton, looking for stolen property and a suspected grow op.

[Ah, no.... They said they "stumbled across" the alleged "stolen property".. and that is why the "auto-theft officers" were not called till later. See last article, and end of above video clip.]

The four officers were shot by a man armed with with a high-powered rifle. The suspect, identified as 46-year-old Jim Roszko, is also dead.

The deadly shootout is especially worrisome for police in B.C., given the large number of grow-ops here.

[Well Legalization would solve that problem... but then that would reduce the profits the RCMP make on the sale of the stolen bud, wouldn't it? See link showing RCMP involvement with organized crime in the sale of drugs FAR more dangerous than pot. Note, however, the propaganda they are clearly peddling is that growing pot somehow equates to dead cops.]

Vancouver Police Union president Tom Stamatakis says the sheer number of grow ops has created a sense of business as usual amongst police when they make a bust.

"One of the issues that we have been dealing with here in Vancouver specifically, but probably in British Columbia is yes, we do deal with so many grow ops that it's easy to fall into a bit of a routine and maybe not be as careful or as vigilant as you should be."

The marijuana industry is worth tens of billions of dollars in Canada, and as much as $7 billion a year in British Columbia.

[Here is the real interest to the government and RCMP brass, in case you somehow missed it.]

Former RCMP officer Rene Hamel has investigated marijuana grow ops in B.C., and says that as the dollar figures grow, so does the danger for police.

"They'll booby-trap not just around the house, but they have stashes as well. But they have a product that needs to be distributed. So they'll go to a lot of different means to protect it," he says.

Simon Fraser University criminologist Neil Boyd agrees that some growers will go to extremes to protect their operations.

"You have young men with knives or guns or baseball bats guarding these plantations that are worth literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. We are in an Al Capone-style prohibition," he says.

[So, what do you think folks:  were the cops on the farm to investigate a grow op, or a stolen car? Can we expect increased police violence at all future "grow op busts"?]

source http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=bc_home&articleID=1862529

Still not quite convinced? Well here are some more media reports for you......


Four RCMP Officers Killed Investigating Marijuana Grow-Op

MAYERTHORPE, Alta. - Four RCMP officers were killed yesterday investigating a suspected marijuana growing operation at a farm near this community about 130 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

One of the slain officers was identified by a family friend as Constable Brock Myrol, 29, of Red Deer. Const. Myrol was on his first posting as a Mountie and had been in Mayerthorpe less than three weeks.

The bloody encounter -- the deadliest for the force since the 1880s -- will spark a renewed debate about how best to deal with the massive proliferation of marijuana grow-ops, which the head of RCMP yesterday called a "plague."

The four male officers -- three from the Mayerthorpe detachment and one from nearby Whitecourt -- were conducting an investigation at a farmhouse in Rochfort Bridge near Mayerthorpe yesterday morning when shots were fired by a gunman who apparently caught the officers by surprise.

The gunman, who was armed with a high-powered rifle, also died at the scene.

[Pity he wasn't merely armed with one of the many assault rifles banned by our "great leaders", because in all likelihood some or all of those cops would still be alive if he had. Hunting rifles are, as everyone knows, up to TEN times as deadly as so-called "assault rifles" which fire small calibre, low impact projectiles. That is precisely why hunting with such weapons was always prohibited.

Oh, and can we see those autopsy reports to see how one man with a bolt action hunting rifle can shoot four armed cops, without getting shot himself? Remember, we are told the "shooter" committed suicide for unknown or substantiated reasons. A nice tidy package, just like they teach them at the CIA. ]

The officers and the shooter were not immediately identified and the exact causes of death were not revealed yesterday.

[...........]

Source:http://www.canada.com/national


Four Mounties slain in grow-op raid

By BOB WEBER

Friday, March 4, 2005 Updated at 1:13 AM EST

Canadian Press


Rochfort Bridge, Alta. — His voice tight with grim self-control, Alberta's commanding RCMP officer groped for a way Thursday to describe a catastrophic drug raid that left four young officers lying dead in a quonset hut.

"I'm told you have to go back to about 1885 in RCMP history and the Northwest Rebellion to have a loss of this magnitude," said assistant commissioner Bill Sweeney.

"It's devastating. We're all in terrible shock and mourning."

Also killed was the man believed to have shot the officers, a 46-year-old loner.

The peace of this gently rolling farm country near the hamlet of Rochfort Bridge in northwestern Alberta was shattered Thursday morning in the tragic culmination of an investigation into stolen property and a marijuana grow-op.

RCMP Corporal Wayne Oakes said the operation began Wednesday afternoon, when officers from the local Mayerthorpe detachment placed the farmyard just north of the community under surveillance.

Two officers remained at the farm overnight. Thursday morning they were joined by backup.

Although the occupant of the farm had not been there overnight, at some point he had returned.

At about 9:15 a.m., four officers walked on to the property and entered a large metal quonset hut. They were wearing soft body armour and carrying handguns.

"They were not going into a potential armed conflict," said Cpl. Oakes. "They were guarding a scene."

Suddenly, two officers from the RCMP auto theft unit who had just arrived heard gunfire in the hut. The male suspect came out and fired at them, then retreated back inside.

[Note: "auto-theft officers" were not originally on scene, confirming the original warrant was not for "stolen property", but that the "stolen property" was found as a result of their intent to confiscate the pot and farmland. The investigation was thought to be over a mere 20 plants (see below story)]

The auto theft officers took cover and returned fire.

After the shots died down, none of the police on the property responded to their radios.

Emergency response teams from Calgary and Edmonton were called to the scene. The Edmonton Police Service's helicopter was called, as were three armoured vehicles from the Canadian Forces' Edmonton Garrison.

[Since when has the lawful role or sacred duties of "Her Majesty's"  Armed forces been to shoot at its own citizens? The RCMP have swat teams for this situation, who we are told were on scene from TWO departments, so what were the military doing there?]

Finally, at about 2:20 p.m., an RCMP team burst into the quonset to confirm their worst fears: four dead officers and a fifth dead man.

A government source told The Canadian Press the suspect, who was armed with a high-powered rifle, killed himself after shooting the officers.

While police have yet to release the name of the suspect, several media are reporting the man as Jim Roszko, 46.

His father, William Roszko, 80, said RCMP called him earlier Thursday to ask him questions about his estranged son.

"I don't like this. I hate it. I don't want to have Jim as my son. It is a great shame what he has been doing."

People in Rochfort Bridge also said the shooting happened at the farm of Jim Roszko.

The deaths of the four officers — three from Mayerthorpe, one from nearby Whitecourt — rocked law enforcement officials and politicians across the country.

Public Safety Minister Anne McLellan said she will consider tougher penalties for grow operations in the proposed marijuana decriminalization bill.

[So how is that going to reduce the fear and anxiety of people simply growing pot plants on their property?

Meanwhile this same government is making TENS OF BILLIONS on the sale of alcohol and tobacco, which studies show is MORE harmful to individuals than pot.

Is the issue perhaps more to do with Billions in tax revenue, and the sale of confiscated pot, than their phoney utilitarian "public health" arguments?]

Prime Minister Paul Martin called it an act of "brutality" and offered his condolences to the families of the slain officers.

Speaking of acts of brutality... check these four links.... [1] [2] [3] [4]

RCMP commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli called it "an unprecedented and unspeakable loss."

None of the officer's names have been released until family members were notified. Family members are being afforded whatever support the RCMP can provide, said Cpl. Oakes.

The deaths may be what it finally takes to get the Canadian public to take the dangers of marijuana grow operations seriously, said a Calgary police officer.

[Isn't it obvious to even the mentally challenged that the "danger" is actually caused by government agents taking guns onto private property with the intent to confiscate the pot intended for sale to consenting adults? In other words, is it also reasonable for the government to say that the dangers of bank robbery or liquor store hold-ups is the cash or booze left at the business being robbed? Who do they think they are kidding?]

"There is some apathy out there, and unfortunately maybe it takes incidents like this to wake people up," said Staff Sgt. Birnie Smith of the Southern Alberta Marijuana Investigative Team.

[They are spending tax money on TEAMS just to stop people growing pot? Is the intent of these special teams to cover up the subsequent sale and distribution of the seized marijuana?

Note the open admission that it takes "incidents like this" to sway public opinion to the whims and increased aggression of government]

"It's a danger to everyone."

[How is growing a plant on a farm a danger to "everyone"???? Maybe this cop needs forced government medication for his acute paranoia? OR maybe this whole event was staged by government for political purposes? THERE ARE NO LIVING WITNESSES to what really happened - and no evidence has been released to the public.]

The last time more than one police officer was killed on duty was on June 18, 1962 in Kamloops, B.C. Three RCMP officers — E. J. Keck, D. G. Weigerber and G.E. Pedersen were shot in Peterson Creek Park by a mentally disturbed man.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050303.wmounties0303a/BNStory/National/

More discrepancies surface in police account of "grow op".

 According to the Edmonton Sun, the farm in question [above articles] contained 300 plants, yet the Edmonton Journal stated the initial search warrant mentioned only 20 plants. That is quite a discrepancy, and shows just how small a "grow op" the police will go after. Or is this all part of the misdirection?

Note also in this article from Ottawa Sun last summer, the number 300 is also used, as well as the disturbing reference to the police admitting to using Canadian Forces Helicopters in their operations.

Is growing pot being treated as a terrorist threat by our Public Safety Ministry, and CSIS? Is a special branch of the military being used to transport the pot to undisclosed locations?

Note in the Edmonton Journal report [linked above] that the police knew the owner would shoot at police. Thus raising the question: Were these new officers sacrificed by RCMP brass, CSIS and the Department of Justice for political gain?

    "This idiot would have killed over a littering ticket," Allan Wood wrote, referring to Roszko.

Apparently everyone within 20 miles of Roszko's farm knew he would shoot anyone who trespassed on his property, so how is it possible for an entire detachment of RCMP not to know this as well? How did Roszko manage to slip unnoticed past several posted guards armed with a high powered rifle in broad daylight and kill four armed officers single-handed?

One can't help but notice the increased sympathy and public relations polish that this incident has generated, with massive coast to coast coverage, right at a time when the RCMP's image has been at an all time low.

Is the public supposed to put away their well deserved mistrust of this department, and forget their proven ties to criminal drug dealers and organized crime? [LINK RCMP passport scandal]

Certainly the motive for setting up these new officers [one had only been on the force three weeks] exists, but without any proper investigation its just another story they can sweep under the rug, as they continue to confiscate Billions in narcotics.

Opinion by Doug Woodlock

By JIM MACDONALD

MAYERTHORPE, Alta. (CP) - A year after four RCMP officers were shot to death during a stakeout, grief-scarred residents of this aging farm town are burning to know who might have helped James Roszko lay his deadly ambush.

Constables Anthony Gordon, Leo Johnston, Peter Schiemann and Brock Myrol were killed by Roszko at a Quonset hut on his nearby farm. His truck was later found 20 kilometres away, prompting suspicions that perhaps someone drove him back and knows how he managed to sneak onto the property while the Mounties were guarding it.

"It's only the person maybe that gave him the ride back that knows it, and if he's smart, he won't say nothing, will he?" said lifelong Mayerthorpe resident Carl Sneddon.

Sneddon says this question may never be resolved by the RCMP investigation, which continues.

"If they're still digging for answers, I think there's some things that will never be gotten out," said Sneddon, 53.

John Elley, who has lived in the town for 11 years and works as a special constable, said he also has questions about how Roszko "did the things that he did."

"It's something that I think everybody's wondering," said Elley, 35, who mainly enforces traffic laws. "I don't know if it's something that we're ever going to get an answer to."

Ron Kidd, 65, says the first anniversary of the slayings has renewed questions about a possible mystery driver.

"This past week, again it's been on people's minds quite a bit," said Kidd, who also has a farm near the town. "Until this last week, it's been an issue that no one really wants to talk about."

But Rev. Don Schiemann, who lost his son in the ambush, remains hopeful that the RCMP will dig out all the details to "see how they can be a little more proactive" in preventing similar tragedies.

"I think that they're going to be tenacious in pursuing this investigation until they have all the answers," he said while watching Thursday's memorial hockey game between RCMP officers and the local oldtimers team.

"Because it was four of their own that they lost, they're very interested in getting to the bottom of some of the questions."

[And yet we see more and more bizarre contradictions, misinformation and missing evidence the more the RCMP "work" on this case]

Many in the community of 1,600 northwest of Edmonton lit candles during a service Friday evening to mark the sombre anniversary.

About 150 mourners attended the service, which was held in a Royal Canadian Legion hall across from the RCMP detachment.

As they entered the hall from the bitterly cold night, they lit candles on a table that displayed photos of the four slain officers in their red serge uniforms and stetsons.

A local musician, Josiah Wicks, played a song on guitar that he wrote, called Thank God for the Officers, and biographies of each of the men was read.

Members of the officers' families attended the vigil.

Schiemann said earlier that he has been taking solace in his lobby efforts, calling for tougher laws, including mandatory minimum sentences.

"It was a major election issue, and that's the first time in my memory that justice issues have been given that kind of spotlight."

[Really? Well that confirms one of the arguments being put forth for a possible motive to RCMP brass involvement in this shooting.]

But Derril Butler, the reeve for Lac Ste. Anne county, which includes Mayerthorpe, says politicians must guard against simple solutions that may prove popular but won't stop a repeat of similar tragedies.

"This is a difficult problem - violence in our society and people with serious mental problems running around loose and we have no way to help them.

[Let us also consider the difficult problem of people in power frequently becoming corrupted and evil, and 'running around' using any means necessary for furthering their goals. We know the RCMP assisted in getting passports for methamphetamine dealers to get into Canada.... that the RCMP continue to actively lobby government for restrictions on our God given right to defend ourselves with the very same tools they use, and they have a pattern of covering up for each other when they commit criminal acts. >>>Click this link for RCMP passport scandal reported by CTV W5 RCMP working with meth dealers!] <<<

"It just makes me tired sometimes to hear people talking in terms of their pet projects. One guy thinks if we really up the punishment for marijuana possession that that's going to solve the problem."

The four Mounties were guarding evidence of a marijuana grow operation at the Roszko farm when they died.

The town is trying to raise $1.5 million for a memorial park and life-sized bronze statues of the fallen four.

Sneddon, who runs a gas plant near Mayerthorpe, said the project has "created a little bit of division within the community."

"Some people think the money should be for the park. Some people think they should be upgrading the arena, which is more long-lasting for the community."

But Kelly Johnston, the widow of Const. Leo Johnston, said the memorial project has helped bring people together at a time when there's still a lot of sadness.

"Everybody needs something positive to focus on," she said.

In a statement from Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute to the fallen four, saying, "One year later, we pause to remember their sacrifice and to reflect on the dangers faced by all law enforcement officers in Canada."

"We will do our best to ensure that tragedies similar to the one which unfolded near Mayerthorpe last year will never happen again."

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2006/03/03/1471650-cp.html

 

BC Solicitor General makes prepared speech/policy THE SAME DAY of the deaths of four RCMP officers on increasing fire risk to public!