The Ottawa Police Service
The world is full of them; sociopathic personalities, the ones that become brutishly bullying, those who believe that they should be treated respectfully, and to achieve that respect they sometimes gravitate to positions within society whose occupations engender respect. Tinged with fear. The fear of law-abiding citizens when confronted by agents of societal security; the respect that arises when confronted by someone expressing the authority of a uniform.
Most people, of course, don't fear police, not in Western societies. For the police are there to ensure that law and order, a calm and orderly presence prevails, as everyone goes about their business. Their presence is reassuring, if anything. For most people, knowing that a local police force, well trained and professional, is on duty to uphold all manner of society's laws for the protection of the public and the public weal, it is a comfort.
There are rumours that surface from time to time, based on someone's unfortunate encounter with agents of the law, that not all police agents are as professional as expectation would have them be, that some are aggressively ugly in their attitudes toward the public. That demographic among the public that live on the seamier side, that are known to be minor trouble-makers. Let alone those whose activities are clearly social blemishes bordering on criminality.
But even petty criminals - not to mention those within society who can be considered hard-core criminals - should be able to expect that they would be treated with a modicum of human decency. And recently, it's come to the attention of the public that a segment of the Ottawa Police Service - an extremely small segment, to be sure - has demonstrated an utter lack of concern for brutality meted out to those temporarily incarcerated for minor law infractions.
The abuse and violations of human dignity have been caught on cellblock video cameras which have revealed the truth of what some unfortunate individuals have claimed. That, while in police custody they have been subjected to humiliating, brutal and nasty treatment. Their basic human rights have been violated, as seems evident enough from the videos just recently released showing Cellblock officers abusing Roxanne Carr.
Previous very similar events made the news when, as it happens, the very same police officers were also involved in like abusive events with other, previously-arrested people, both men and women. In this most recent revelation, Roxanne Carr whom police claim to have been resistant and violently abusive, was treated to dehumanizing treatment, to brutality one might be horrified at witnessing in a Third-World country.
Her head, while she was physically restrained, forcefully, by three burly police well rehearsed in restraining tactics, hit repeatedly on the cement floor of a prison cell. While she was unresisting because she appeared to be semi-conscious. She was stripped naked by male officers and left in that condition for hours. All charges that were brought against her were dropped by the prosecutors once the treatment she had received was revealed publicly.
The public trusts its police department. This city has an excellent police chief. Most police officers know their profession, conduct themselves well, and have earned the respect of the public. A small cadre of hardened bullies on the Force appear to relish humiliating techniques, and using extreme, unneeded force on incarcerates. They appear to feel themselves entitled to behave in this manner.
Their brutish behaviour - even while it is known that most police injuries occur while restraining prisoners - is untenable, unproductive and demeaning; harmful physically and psychologically. The manner in which they comport themselves is dangerous to the public and to the reputation of the Service. And no one can doubt that most professional police officers are embarrassed by these revelations.
Of police restraint techniques that bear no resemblance to what is required to pacify reluctant prisoners, the inebriated, the angry, and women whose rights are being violated.
Most people, of course, don't fear police, not in Western societies. For the police are there to ensure that law and order, a calm and orderly presence prevails, as everyone goes about their business. Their presence is reassuring, if anything. For most people, knowing that a local police force, well trained and professional, is on duty to uphold all manner of society's laws for the protection of the public and the public weal, it is a comfort.
There are rumours that surface from time to time, based on someone's unfortunate encounter with agents of the law, that not all police agents are as professional as expectation would have them be, that some are aggressively ugly in their attitudes toward the public. That demographic among the public that live on the seamier side, that are known to be minor trouble-makers. Let alone those whose activities are clearly social blemishes bordering on criminality.
But even petty criminals - not to mention those within society who can be considered hard-core criminals - should be able to expect that they would be treated with a modicum of human decency. And recently, it's come to the attention of the public that a segment of the Ottawa Police Service - an extremely small segment, to be sure - has demonstrated an utter lack of concern for brutality meted out to those temporarily incarcerated for minor law infractions.
The abuse and violations of human dignity have been caught on cellblock video cameras which have revealed the truth of what some unfortunate individuals have claimed. That, while in police custody they have been subjected to humiliating, brutal and nasty treatment. Their basic human rights have been violated, as seems evident enough from the videos just recently released showing Cellblock officers abusing Roxanne Carr.
Previous very similar events made the news when, as it happens, the very same police officers were also involved in like abusive events with other, previously-arrested people, both men and women. In this most recent revelation, Roxanne Carr whom police claim to have been resistant and violently abusive, was treated to dehumanizing treatment, to brutality one might be horrified at witnessing in a Third-World country.
Her head, while she was physically restrained, forcefully, by three burly police well rehearsed in restraining tactics, hit repeatedly on the cement floor of a prison cell. While she was unresisting because she appeared to be semi-conscious. She was stripped naked by male officers and left in that condition for hours. All charges that were brought against her were dropped by the prosecutors once the treatment she had received was revealed publicly.
The public trusts its police department. This city has an excellent police chief. Most police officers know their profession, conduct themselves well, and have earned the respect of the public. A small cadre of hardened bullies on the Force appear to relish humiliating techniques, and using extreme, unneeded force on incarcerates. They appear to feel themselves entitled to behave in this manner.
Their brutish behaviour - even while it is known that most police injuries occur while restraining prisoners - is untenable, unproductive and demeaning; harmful physically and psychologically. The manner in which they comport themselves is dangerous to the public and to the reputation of the Service. And no one can doubt that most professional police officers are embarrassed by these revelations.
Of police restraint techniques that bear no resemblance to what is required to pacify reluctant prisoners, the inebriated, the angry, and women whose rights are being violated.
Labels: Human Relations, Ottawa, Security, Society
posted by Pieface | 6:31 PM
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