Winnipeg Police Service
Encyclopedia
The Winnipeg Police Service is the police force of the city of Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
.
. Those appointed decided to hire city officials, including a Chief Constable. On February 23, 1874, John S. Ingram was appointed the first Chief of Police of Winnipeg.
During the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, most of the force was replaced with 2000 better paid special constables for refusing to sign a declaration promising to not belong to a union or participate in a sympathy strike, even though they remained on duty during the strike. The union was thus broken, and Chris H. Newton became the acting Chief Constable.
In 1972, Winnipeg merged with its eight neighbouring communities, causing the amalgamation
of the communities, but still having eight police services with different uniforms and radio channels. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) contract for Charleswood and Headingly was cancelled, and that area fell under the Inner City patrol area. On October 21, 1974, the amalgamation of the services was complete, and the remaining eight services formed into six districts. On January 1, 1975, all police officers in Winnipeg started to wear the same uniform with matching shoulder flashes that stated, "One, with the strength of many".
In the early 1990s, J.B. Dale Henry, a retired RCMP officer and former commander of the Manitoba "D" division, was selected as the first Chief of Police not from the service's own ranks. Henry was well respected amongst minorities and sought to change and improve the image of police in Winnipeg. One of the most noticeable changes was the name for police, from the Winnipeg Police Force (which it had been for 120 years), to the Winnipeg Police Service. Another change was the addition of the motto "Community Commitment".
Henry also changed the department crest to the one known today and pictured above. The 13 golden stars on the badge represent the 13 communities that came together to form Winnipeg during the amalgamation in the 1970s, and the crocus is the Provincial flower.
. The two Deputy Chiefs are Shelley Hart and Art Stannard. The service has 1411 officers of which approximately half are on the front lines or known as, General Patrol (Uniform Operations). The WPS also has over 400 civilian workers.
Division 11 - Downtown - City Centre: Patrols Police District 1 - 151 Princess St. - 204-986-6288
Division 12 - West St. James / Assiniboia: Patrols Police District 2 - 210 Lyle St. - 204-986-6060
Division 13 - North Lord Selkirk / West Kildonan: Patrols Police District 3 - 260 Hartford Ave - 204-986-6313
Division 14 - East East Kildonan / Transcona / St. Boniface/ St.Vital: Patrols Police East District 1750 Dugald Road - 204-986-6262
Division 16 - South Assiniboine Park / Fort Rouge / Fort Garry: Patrols Police District 6 - 1350 Pembina Hwy - 204-986-6042
Specialized units include:
-
-
leader J.J. Harper
, having mistaken him for an auto theft suspect. However he had grabbed the officers service revolver and a life and death struggle ensued and the gun went off, killing Mr. Harper. Initially, this shooting was ruled as justified by the internal firearms board of enquiry. Subsequently, however, the shooting and other events led to the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry
, a comprehensive investigation into the treatment of First Nations Peoples within the Manitoba justice system. In 1991, the inquiry concluded that the WPS internal investigation was faulty and intended more to exonerate Cross than to discover the truth. Furthermore, they ruled that Constable Cross had used excessive force and was therefore responsible for Harper's death even though Mr Harper grabbed at the officers revolver. The result after this caused undue stress and hardship on Constable Cross who left the department and died prematurely of heart disease in his 40's. The report recommended that, in the future, officer-involved shootings be investigated by independent parties.
Two incidents in summer 2008 sparked further accusations of racism
within the police service. In July, 17-year-old Michael Langan, a Métis
, died after being taser
ed by police. Witnesses had reported a youth breaking into a vehicle, and police encountered Langan several blocks away, allegedly wielding a knife and refusing to surrender. David Chartrand
, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation
, suggested that racial profiling may have resulted in police using excessive force, an accusation that police chief Keith McCaskill
denied. In August, Craig McDougall, a member of Garden Hill First Nation
and nephew of J.J. Harper
, was tasered then shot by police responding to a disturbance call in the city's West End
. Police reported that McDougall was brandishing a knife, though family members have disputed that claim, saying McDougall was carrying a cellular phone
.
and killed Crystal Taman, a 40-year-old mother of three, while she was stopped at a red light. The incident was initially investigated by East St. Paul
police. Harvey-Zenk was originally charged with "impaired driving
causing death" and numerous other charges. In July 2007, however, Harvey-Zenk was pled down
to "dangerous driving
causing death" (a lesser charge) and given a conditional sentence
of "two years less a day", to be served at his home
.
Public outcry over the plea and allegations that the investigation had been botched led to a provincial inquiry, which began in June 2008. At the inquiry, multiple police officers testified that they did not notice Harvey-Zenk drinking, leading to allegations of a police cover-up. Furthermore, a waitress who served the officers liquor throughout the evening testified that she was pressured to not "remember too much" by the restaurant's manager, who was "friends" with the officers. Officers involved in the investigation have denied they gave preferential treatment to Harvey-Zenk.
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
When Winnipeg became a city in 1873, an election was held to select the city's new Mayor and AldermenAlderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
. Those appointed decided to hire city officials, including a Chief Constable. On February 23, 1874, John S. Ingram was appointed the first Chief of Police of Winnipeg.
During the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, most of the force was replaced with 2000 better paid special constables for refusing to sign a declaration promising to not belong to a union or participate in a sympathy strike, even though they remained on duty during the strike. The union was thus broken, and Chris H. Newton became the acting Chief Constable.
In 1972, Winnipeg merged with its eight neighbouring communities, causing the amalgamation
Amalgamation (politics)
A merger or amalgamation in a political or administrative sense is the combination of two or more political or administrative entities such as municipalities , counties, districts, etc. into a single entity. This term is used when the process occurs within a sovereign entity...
of the communities, but still having eight police services with different uniforms and radio channels. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) contract for Charleswood and Headingly was cancelled, and that area fell under the Inner City patrol area. On October 21, 1974, the amalgamation of the services was complete, and the remaining eight services formed into six districts. On January 1, 1975, all police officers in Winnipeg started to wear the same uniform with matching shoulder flashes that stated, "One, with the strength of many".
| Police Chief Constables Pre-amalgamation |
|
|---|---|
| Years served | |
| John S. Ingram | 1874 – 1875 |
| D. B. Murray | 1875 – 1887 |
| John C. McRae | 1887 – 1911 |
| Donald MacPherson | 1911 – 1919 |
| Christopher H. Newton | 1919 – 1934 |
| George Smith | 1934 – 1947 |
| Charles McIver | 1947 – 1953 |
| Robert T. Taft | 1953 – 1965 |
| George S. Blow | 1965 – 1970 |
| Norman M. Stewart | 1970 – 1974 |
In the early 1990s, J.B. Dale Henry, a retired RCMP officer and former commander of the Manitoba "D" division, was selected as the first Chief of Police not from the service's own ranks. Henry was well respected amongst minorities and sought to change and improve the image of police in Winnipeg. One of the most noticeable changes was the name for police, from the Winnipeg Police Force (which it had been for 120 years), to the Winnipeg Police Service. Another change was the addition of the motto "Community Commitment".
Henry also changed the department crest to the one known today and pictured above. The 13 golden stars on the badge represent the 13 communities that came together to form Winnipeg during the amalgamation in the 1970s, and the crocus is the Provincial flower.
Administration
The Winnipeg Police Service is headed by Chief of Police Keith McCaskill as of December 10, 2007, who replaced retired Jack EwatskiJack Ewatski
Chief Jack Ewatski was the Chief of Police for the city of Winnipeg. He was also the President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police....
. The two Deputy Chiefs are Shelley Hart and Art Stannard. The service has 1411 officers of which approximately half are on the front lines or known as, General Patrol (Uniform Operations). The WPS also has over 400 civilian workers.
Organization
The City of Winnipeg is divided into five policing districts. Each district contains several generalized and specialized police units.Division 11 - Downtown - City Centre: Patrols Police District 1 - 151 Princess St. - 204-986-6288
Division 12 - West St. James / Assiniboia: Patrols Police District 2 - 210 Lyle St. - 204-986-6060
Division 13 - North Lord Selkirk / West Kildonan: Patrols Police District 3 - 260 Hartford Ave - 204-986-6313
Division 14 - East East Kildonan / Transcona / St. Boniface/ St.Vital: Patrols Police East District 1750 Dugald Road - 204-986-6262
Division 16 - South Assiniboine Park / Fort Rouge / Fort Garry: Patrols Police District 6 - 1350 Pembina Hwy - 204-986-6042
Specialized units include:
- Bicycle Patrol Unit
- Bomb Disposal Unit
- Canine Unit
- Central Traffic Unit
- Crowd Management Unit
- Photo Enforcement Unit
- Pawn Unit
- River Patrol Unit
- Underwater Search & Recovery Unit
- Victim Services Unit
- Street Crime Unit
- Tactical Support TeamSWATA SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
(TST) - formerly the part-time Emergency Response Unit (ERU) made up of officers trained for special circumstances, such as hostage situations, armed and barricaded incidents and search warrants. - Training Unit - Includes, police vehicle operations instructors, policy and law instructors, firearms instructors, and use of force instructors - located at the WPS Training Academy
- Division 40 - Criminal Investigation Bureau - Homicide, Drugs, Hate Crimes, Major Crimes, Morals, Integrated Proceeds of Crime (IPOC), Organized Crime and Crime Stoppers
- Division 41 - Criminal Investigation Bureau - Missing Persons, Child Abuse, Internet Child Exploitation (ICE), Domestic Violence, High Risk Offenders, Sex Crimes, Vulnerable Persons, and Youth Crime
- Division 42 - Criminal Investigation Bureau – Arson, Commercial Crime, Stolen Auto, Pawn, Surveillance and Forensic Services
- Flight Operations Unit
- Auxiliary Force Cadet Section
Fleet
- Ford Crown VictoriaFord Crown Victoria-1992–1994:Released in March 1991 as an early 1992 model, the Crown Victoria sedan was completely redesigned with a rounder, eight-window roofline . The redesign reduced the coefficient of drag from 0.42 to 0.34; the suspension setup was also heavily revised...
Interceptor cruiser - Chevrolet TahoeChevrolet TahoeThe Chevrolet Tahoe are full-size SUVs from General Motors. Chevrolet and GMC sold two different-sized SUVs under their Blazer/Jimmy model names through the early 1990s. This situation changed when GMC rebadged the full-size Jimmy as the Yukon in 1992...
- Eurocopter EC120B "Hummingbird" - 1 Unit C-GAOL (Term used for "Jail")
- Ford ExplorerFord ExplorerThe Ford Explorer is a sport-utility vehicle sold in North America and built by the Ford Motor Company since 1990, as a replacement for the smaller but related Ford Bronco II. It is manufactured in Chicago, Illinois...
- Chevrolet ImpalaChevrolet ImpalaThe Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
- Ford ExpeditionFord ExpeditionThe Ford Expedition is a full-size SUV built by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced in 1997 as a replacement to the Ford Bronco, it was previously slotted between the smaller Ford Explorer and the larger Ford Excursion, but as of the 2005 model year, it is Ford's largest and last truck-based,...
- Unmarked Vans
Ranks and Insignia
- Chief of Police (crown over three pips-equivalent to a Brigadier-General; the same insignia as a BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
in the UK/Commonwealth armies) - Deputy Chief of Police (crown over two pips-equivalent to a ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
; same insignia as a ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the UK/Commonwealth armies) - Superintendent (crown over one pip-equivalent to a Lieutenant-Colonel in the army; same insignia as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the UK/Commonwealth armies)
- Inspector (crown-equivalent to a MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the army; same insignia as a MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the UK/Commonwealth armies) - Staff-Sergeant (four downward-pointing chevrons over ID number)
- Sergeant (crown over three upward-pointing chevrons all over ID number)
- Detective Sergeant/Patrol Sergeant (three upward-pointing chevrons over ID number)
- Senior Constable (single upward-pointing chevron over ID number)
- Constable/Detective (ID number)
Demographics
| Police demographics As of 2006 |
|
|---|---|
| Ethnic origin | Number |
| Caucasian Caucasian race The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia... |
1,076 |
| Aboriginal Aboriginal peoples in Canada Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative.... |
137 |
| Black | 23 |
| Filipino Filipino people The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines .... |
4 |
| East India East India East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the... n |
25 |
| Other | 21 |
| By gender | |
| Gender | Number |
| Male | 1,110 |
| Female | 177 |
| As of 2007 | As of 2008 | As of 2009 |
|---|---|---|
| Causcasian - 1,109 | Caucasian - 1,148 | Caucasian - 1,169 |
| Aboriginal - 142 | Aboriginal - 148 | Aboriginal - 151 |
| Black - 24 | Black - 24 | Visible Minorites - 91 |
| Filipino - 5 | Filipino - 8 | |
| East Indian - 14 | East Indian - 16 | |
| Asian - 12 | Asian - 14 | |
| Other - 20 | Other - 24 | |
| TOTAL - 1,326 | TOTAL - 1,382 | TOTAL - 1,411 |
| Male:1,142 Female:184 | Male:1,185 Female:197 | Male:1,213 Female:198 |
Recruitment
Potential trainees must be at least eighteen years old with a High School diploma, and able to complete the Police Officer's Physical Aptitude Test (POPAT), which determines a recruit's physical ability. Training is salaried and takes 37 weeks consisting of classroom, use of force and in the field training with assigned Field Training Officers, who supervise them while they carry out all regular duties. After this process is finished the recruit is inducted into the police service. After five years of general patrol service, officers may apply for specialty divisions like those listed above.Cost of Policing
| YEAR | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| POPULATION | 653,500 | 658,500 | 665,600 | 674,400 |
| Police per Residents | 1/499 | 1/503 | 1/503 | 1/501 |
| TAX SUPPORTED EXPENSES | $134,318,216 | $160,756,266 | $170,864,652 | $181,837,268 |
| PER CAPITA COST | $207.09 | $246.03 | $259.40 | $269.47 |
Statistics
[for 2006]- Total Incoming Phone Calls
- Emergency 9-1-1 Calls - 196,189
- Non-Emergency Calls - 366,484
- Busiest Day: Friday, June 30, 2006, with 2241 incoming calls
- Busiest Average Month: June
- Slowest Day: Monday, December 25, 2006, with 831 incoming calls
- Slowest Average Month: December
-
- Top Five Events For Service
- Domestic Disturbance -16,639
- Traffic Stop - 15,180
- Disturbance - 8,933
- Traffic Complaint - 8,596
- Suspicious Person - 6,600
-
- In 2006, 80 marijuana grow operations were dismantled by the WPS' "Green Team" with more than $253,000 in equipment, and over $14,000,000 in plants seized.
- The WPS Bomb Unit was deployed 42 times.
- The Crisis Negotiators Unit was activated 19 times.
- The Crown Management Unit attended three incidents.
- The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) was called out 15 times.
- The Underwater Search & Recovery Unit was deployed 19 times.
Winnipeg Police Museum
The Winnipeg Police Museum is a museum in Winnipeg. The museum displays the history of the Winnipeg Police Service from 1874 to the present. Pictures, equipment, vehicles and other artifacts are presented within the museum. An original 1911 jail cell from the North End Station is one of the highlights of the museum.Incidents involving Aboriginals
On March 9, 1988, Winnipeg Police Constable Robert Cross shot and killed AboriginalFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
leader J.J. Harper
John Joseph Harper
John Joseph "J.J." Harper was a Canadian aboriginal leader from Wasagamack, Manitoba, who was shot and killed by Winnipeg police constable Constable Robert Cross on March 9, 1988. That event, along with the murder of Helen Betty Osborne, sparked the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry.During the an...
, having mistaken him for an auto theft suspect. However he had grabbed the officers service revolver and a life and death struggle ensued and the gun went off, killing Mr. Harper. Initially, this shooting was ruled as justified by the internal firearms board of enquiry. Subsequently, however, the shooting and other events led to the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry
Aboriginal Justice Inquiry
The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry was commissioned in 1988, with its final report presented in 1991. Its stated purpose was "to examine the relationship between the Aboriginal peoples of Manitoba and the justice system."...
, a comprehensive investigation into the treatment of First Nations Peoples within the Manitoba justice system. In 1991, the inquiry concluded that the WPS internal investigation was faulty and intended more to exonerate Cross than to discover the truth. Furthermore, they ruled that Constable Cross had used excessive force and was therefore responsible for Harper's death even though Mr Harper grabbed at the officers revolver. The result after this caused undue stress and hardship on Constable Cross who left the department and died prematurely of heart disease in his 40's. The report recommended that, in the future, officer-involved shootings be investigated by independent parties.
Recent cases
On January 31, 2005, 18-year-old Matthew Dumas was shot and killed by Constable Dennis Gbarek after Dumas confronted the officer with a screwdriver. At the time, Dumas was believed to be involved in a home invasion, though this was later determined to be false. Two reviews of the shooting were performed by the Calgary Police Service on August 2006 and by the Ontario Crown Attorney's Office in May 2007 at the Manitoban government's request. Both reviews concluded the Winnipeg police investigation of the shooting was handled properly. On June 2008, an inquest was held into Dumas's death. The inquest's report, released in December 2008, ruled that racism was not a factor in the incident.Two incidents in summer 2008 sparked further accusations of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
within the police service. In July, 17-year-old Michael Langan, a Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
, died after being taser
Taser
A Taser is an electroshock weapon that uses electrical current to disrupt voluntary control of muscles. Its manufacturer, Taser International, calls the effects "neuromuscular incapacitation" and the devices' mechanism "Electro-Muscular Disruption technology"...
ed by police. Witnesses had reported a youth breaking into a vehicle, and police encountered Langan several blocks away, allegedly wielding a knife and refusing to surrender. David Chartrand
David Chartrand
David Chartrand is a politician and aboriginal activist in Manitoba, Canada. He is the current leader of the Manitoba Métis Federation. He was born and raised in Duck Bay, Manitoba.-External links:*...
, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation
Manitoba Métis Federation
The Manitoba Métis Federation is an aboriginal organization in Manitoba, Canada. Its current president is David Chartrand. MMF is an affiliate of the Métis National Council.-History:...
, suggested that racial profiling may have resulted in police using excessive force, an accusation that police chief Keith McCaskill
Keith McCaskill
Keith McCaskill is police chief of the Winnipeg Police Service , located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He took office on December 10, 2007...
denied. In August, Craig McDougall, a member of Garden Hill First Nation
Garden Hill, Manitoba
Garden Hill is a First Nations community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is situated on Island Lake in the far northeast corner of the province. It is only accessible by winter ice roads via St. Theresa Point and air.-History:...
and nephew of J.J. Harper
John Joseph Harper
John Joseph "J.J." Harper was a Canadian aboriginal leader from Wasagamack, Manitoba, who was shot and killed by Winnipeg police constable Constable Robert Cross on March 9, 1988. That event, along with the murder of Helen Betty Osborne, sparked the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry.During the an...
, was tasered then shot by police responding to a disturbance call in the city's West End
West End, Winnipeg
The West End of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a mostly residential area just west of Downtown Winnipeg. It is bordered by Route 62 on the east and stretches as far west as St. James Street, the boundary between the old City of Winnipeg and St. James-Assiniboia...
. Police reported that McDougall was brandishing a knife, though family members have disputed that claim, saying McDougall was carrying a cellular phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
.
Other incidents
In February 2005, a truck driven by off-duty WPS Constable Derek Harvey-Zenk, reportedly drunk after having attended an all-night drinking party, rear-endedRear-end collision
A rear-end collision is a traffic accident wherein a vehicle crashes into the vehicle in front of it, usually caused by tailgating or panic stops...
and killed Crystal Taman, a 40-year-old mother of three, while she was stopped at a red light. The incident was initially investigated by East St. Paul
East St. Paul, Manitoba
East St. Paul is a rural municipality in Manitoba, Canada. It is located north-east of and adjacent to the city of Winnipeg, and is part of the Winnipeg Metropolitan Area. The municipality encompasses and is bounded by the Red River to the west; the municipality of St. Clements to the north; the...
police. Harvey-Zenk was originally charged with "impaired driving
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
causing death" and numerous other charges. In July 2007, however, Harvey-Zenk was pled down
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
to "dangerous driving
Reckless driving
Reckless driving is a major moving traffic violation. As a legal term, it is used within the United States. This offence has been abolished in the United Kingdom and replaced...
causing death" (a lesser charge) and given a conditional sentence
Conditional sentence (Canada)
A conditional sentence is a non-custodial punishment for crime in Canada.-Description:Conditional refers to rules the offender must follow in order to remain out of prison, which are similar to when one is on parole. Conditional sentences should not apply in certain cases, such as the infamous case...
of "two years less a day", to be served at his home
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
.
Public outcry over the plea and allegations that the investigation had been botched led to a provincial inquiry, which began in June 2008. At the inquiry, multiple police officers testified that they did not notice Harvey-Zenk drinking, leading to allegations of a police cover-up. Furthermore, a waitress who served the officers liquor throughout the evening testified that she was pressured to not "remember too much" by the restaurant's manager, who was "friends" with the officers. Officers involved in the investigation have denied they gave preferential treatment to Harvey-Zenk.
See also
- RCMP Heritage CentreRCMP Heritage CentreThe RCMP Heritage Centre was officially opened May 23, 2007 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is owned and operated by an independent nonprofit organization called the Mounted Police Heritage Centre and receives no funding from any level of government...
, Regina, SaskatchewanRegina, SaskatchewanRegina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox... - Rotary Museum of Police and CorrectionsRotary Museum of Police and CorrectionsThe Rotary Museum of Police and Corrections is a museum in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. It covers the history of law enforcement in early Prince Albert and Saskatchewan....
, Prince Albert, SaskatchewanPrince Albert, SaskatchewanPrince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan... - Vancouver Police Centennial MuseumVancouver Police Centennial MuseumThe Vancouver Police Museum opened to commemorate the centennial of the Vancouver Police Department and the City of Vancouver, British Columbia in 1986. Located at 240 E...