WPS Chief Danny Smyth said police doing foot patrols in Downtown Winnipeg skywalks are seizing more weapons – CTV News
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Important call to all WiseUpWinnipeg members and the general public viewing that care about policing in Winnipeg and the high rate of serious crimes which are rising in Winnipeg while they drop in almost all of Canada.
The Winnipeg Police Association run Facebook Page ForASaferWinnipeg is often posting about the issues in Winnipeg and WPS Chief Smyth like here is commenting about them but they are not reminded enough of how serious crime was allowed to get so bad in Winnipeg while it controlled in other jurisdictions with similar demographics, population, funding, less police officers and staff per capita and other factors.
Has the meth crisis been made worse by the opioid epidemic which was also allowed to grow and get worse as a result of poor regulation, decision making and influence at the federal, provincial and municipal levels? When the restrictions on OxyContin and other opioids finally started being enforced and created it caused many addicts, dealers and organized crime to turn to more deadly fentanyl and dangerous Meth. Much of this was out of the hands of WPS but there was things they could have done and can do to try and reign it in while the other levels start taking for actions.
Please see this post and my response. If you agree interact with it and add your own comments. Once this done more often and on more places those in authority will not be able to mislead the public.
https://www.facebook.com/ForASaferWinnipeg/posts/401520900684193
Officers seizing more weapons in Downtown Winnipeg skywalks due to meth: police chief
Monday, March 11, 2019 5:24PM CST – Jeff Keele, Political Reporter – @jeffkeelectv
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The meth crisis, the violence and serious crime associated with it is very concerning
Would it have helped if there wasn’t years of diverting officers from community support and other important units to do traffic enforcement or volunteer to work pensionable OT to do traffic enforcement? Aka revenue collection to offset 85% of total police budget (Over $233 Million) going to salaries, pension contributions and other benefits. The over-staffing and inefficiency well documented in many FIPPA request results and Ombudsman complaints, in the 64 page detailed report from Fraser Institute in 2014 and annual compensation disclosure reports.
These not only ignored but matters only got worse until the Province put pressure on the City and WPS in the last two years to be more fiscally responsible and restore spending to sustainable levels after years of double digit budget increases, pension bailouts, many CBA’s that didn’t consider what the City and Taxpayers could afford. False and misleading statements from the WPA and WPS leaders with the facts exposed via FIPPA requests and Ombudsman complaints. The response from WPS and the Police Board was lay off a few officers that were part of two serious crime units that were partnering with RCMP resources and had many successes tackling serious and organized crime which resulted in these being shutdown.
It especially concerning that many officers directed to or choosing to aggressively enforce in locations with known, created and often dangerous traffic engineering deficiencies like short 4 second amber times in medium and high speed intersections with no Advanced Warning Flashers causing large dilemma zone and high number of rear end and related collisions. Missing, removed or obscured signage including dual signage on large or divided roads for speed limits, speed reductions and photo enforcement ahead signs on the blvd. Artificially reduced speed limits like Grant Ave, Kenaston, Panet Rd and others where were lowered or left lower against recommendations from City engineers and PWD Directors, national standards for safety and many calls from WiseUpWinnipeg and other public advocacy groups to correct.
It also very concerning that Project Drive exposed via FIPPA results where officers diverted or asked to work pensionable OT on traffic duty with net loss to the public (over $1 Million in fines issues but over $1 Million in OT) plus more when considering pensionable OT doing traffic duty, for other units left short staffed after diverting and in traffic court.
Then $.5 Million diverted to WPS from MPI overcharges in 2016-17 instead of refunding as required by the MPI act and mandate as part of the MPI, CoW, WPS and CAA Pilot “Safety Program” to do “enhanced enforcement” in Winnipeg’s most dangerous intersections like Bishop Grandin and McGillvary that diverted officers from community support and other important units to do traffic enforcement or volunteer to work pensionable OT to do traffic enforcement. Photos of WPS marked and unmarked cars parked unlawfully and unsafely on the meridian, crosswalk, meridian, bus lane, merge or exit lanes.
The lighted board warning of dangerous intersections again only up for a couple weeks but enhanced enforcement went on for over a year until the FIPPA results exposed what the real priority was. Senior WPS John Burchill saying “the funds needed to counter the City trying to reduce our budget” (actually trying to reign in out of control spending) “and we hope the “data” will allow more funding in the future”. MPI program coordinator saying there wasn’t enough violations issued for the investment. In other words not enough demerit related revenue to even make up for the investment never mind the expected surplus.
There is many more examples well documented and raised to the attention of those in authority at WPS, the City and Province. Who is influencing the decision makers that have the authority a responsibility to correct these serious issues?
More here https://yaworski.net/2016/09/10/mpic-diverting-millions-to-police-for-safety-initiatives-most-of-which-are-a-waste-and-actually-putting-the-public-at-risk/
, www.wiseupwinnipeg.com and www.facebook.com/Groups/WiseUpWinnipeg
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Post on WiseUpWinnipeg
https://www.facebook.com/groups/WiseUpWinnipeg/permalink/10155742518501222/
Post on ForASaferWinnipeg – WPA run page
https://www.facebook.com/ForASaferWinnipeg/posts/401520900684193
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Comments:
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I never mentioned photo enforcement operators as I was not talking about them. They don’t divert them, that is all they do 365 days a year. They have diverted police officers as I mentioned. There is up to 55,000 alleged traffic offenses issued by wps police officers per year and this has been trending up yet they claim enforcement reduces violations. The other 150,000 per year and trending up is from pe.
I never said this was the cause of the meth crisis I asked it would have helped if these officers were not diverted.
It is very concerning that there has been 911 calls for intruder or b&e and they told no officers available and it took up 36 hrs for response and even then often inadequate investigation. Yet during these times of calls the TrapSpy app showed over a dozen enforcement locations active with in a short distance and reported within 3 hrs or less.
Also several cases of WPS officers responding within 15mins to peacefully protests by WiseUpWinnipeg members with $low Down signs at locations with deficient engineering and issuing parking tickets that later get tossed by the Crown for missing signage.
The priority doesnt seem to be where it belongs in many cases.
Every time alleged traffic offenses proven in court to be unlawful from missing signage and other issues the dismiss the tickets but refuse to refund those that paid in good faith.
The vast majority of alleged offenses involve 42 or 43 in a artificially reduced 30 with no flashing lights as recommended by engineers and caa, 63 or 64 in an artificially reduced 50 also against engineering recommendations for safety or a few tenths of a second into red with dangerously short 4 sec amber time with no advance warning flashers.
Correct these known and often created deficiencies and violation drop by 95%.
This misuse of valuable and limited responses, abuse on the road, in court and by MPI of the average safe driver is resulting is loss of trust respect and confidence in police, the courts and government. This puts police and the public at higher risks of violence in heated situations. Many officers attending calls to domestic disturbances get verbally or physically assaulted by both parties. If they respected more would this happen less?
The majority of this equates to unlawful taxation as fines and with the fines being up to six times higher than anywhere in Canada it resulting in up to $70 Million per year taken from drivers and vehicle owners before considering MPI demerit related penalties. That equates to $420 Million per year taken from the economy with velocity of money.
That kind of money if spent in the economy would stimulate a lot of growth and legit revenue. This revenue before proper safety agenda and less focus on serious crime than is needed is costing in many other ways as well.