More Embarrassing Emails Reveal City Staff, APD At Their Worst

By Mike Archer. For the first time, as a result of two Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, we have a detailed look at the how staff at the City of Abbotsford, planned and executed the dumping of chicken feces on the homeless across from the Salvation Army in June of 2013.

They did so with the knowledge and support of the Salvation Army and worked with the APD to contain the growing crisis which emerged when the story was first reported and then spread around the world.

For the first time we know who at the City was involved and knew about the plan and we have a clearer picture of how they reacted once their plan became known and then shared around the world.

New Context

We also have new insights into how the upper echelons of the Abbotsford Police Department (APD) reacted to the incident. While Abbotsford Today published some embarrassing emails (to the APD) in August of 2013, there is now a bit more context to the emails as the timeline is expanded.

At first the department seemed most concerned with determining whether or not they were involved and then, once it was established that it was the City’s fault, there is an exchange of particularly offensive and demeaning emails joking about the homeless and their lawyer and making fun of the injuries and damage done to the men and women who were the victims of the chicken feces dump.

One man, who had only been homeless for less than 48 hours when the City spread the chicken feces, almost lost his eye after a severe infection. Referring to the possibility of a class action suit over the incident, APD Chief Constable Bob Rich emails, “Oh please let it be so! I would need a copy of that writ. Damages would be what, hurt feelings, or?”

It is noteworthy that senior staff, at first sound professional. The one injecting the sense of joking and derision into the emails appears to be Chief Constable Rich. The others then follow suit with Rich eventually saying, “Let us know if you think of something funny ! (please).”

Change Of Approach

As a result of the Chicken Manure Incident, the APD issued a directive to all of its staff (see below) with “interim” measures to be followed starting immediately and “for the forseeable future” in dealing with homeless camps. The directive refers to the City of Abbotsford as “the lead agency” and describes the City’s protocol for dealing with homeless camps as having been a failure. The directive is clearly intended to change the way the APD acts towards homeless people and set a new, if perhaps, temporary, less controversial approach.

In the aftermath of the Chicken Manure Incident, it was revealed by Jesse Wegenast of The 5 and 2 Ministries at an emergency meeting of the now disbanded Abbotsford Social Development Advisory Committee (ASDAC) that the APD has been engaged for years in an ongoing campaign of harrassment, destruction and theft of property as well as the use of pepper spray in its interactions with the homeless in Abbotsford.

The APD has admitted guilt and settled out of court with several of the complainants in those cases but the cases make up an important part of the legal battles between the Abbotsford Chapter of the BC/Yukon Drug War Survivors, the APD and the City of Abbotsford.

Editor’s Note: The emails have been edited and organized chronologically below. Not all of the emails have been reproduced. In the interest of making the emails more reader-friendly we have bolded the text of each email. For the original documents received as a result of the FOI request simply click on the links below and at the bottom of the page:

APD Emails
City Emails

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City Emails

From: Eric Fong
Sent Monday, June 03, 2013 3:59 PM
To: James Arden
Subject Spreading chicken manure by the the “Honey”tree near the Savlation Army Bldg.

Hi James:

After a meeting with Bylaws (Gord Ferguson and Dwanye Fitzgerald), and Roads (Tony Schmidbauer), the agreement is
to spread the chicken manure around the tree to deter homeless encampments being set up under it. We just need your approval to go ahead and spread the manure.

Bylaws and Roads will be on site with the police, so we will time the manure dump around 10:30 AM.
Thanks,

From: James Arden
Sant; Monday, June 03, 2013 4:17 PM
To: Erlc Fong
Subject: RE: Spreading chicken manure by the “Honey’ tree near the Savlation Army Bldg.

I am okay with giving this a try, to assist with the other agencies and this ongoing issue. I am glad that we were able to get
the product for free and avoid cuttiug down a healthy tree to see if that resolves the issue.

Thank you.

James Arden
Acting Ditcctor of Parks Sen’ices
Parks. Recreatiott and (.ulturc
City of Abbotstbrcl
604-557-4402 (p)
778-.5.1t)-?041{ c }

From: Eric Fong
Sent: Monday, June 03, 2013 4:31 PM
To: James Arden
Subject: Spreading chicken manure by the the “Honey”tree near the Savlation Army Bldg.

Thanks, James.

Urban Forester
City of Abbotsford
604-853-5485

From: James Arden
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 1:03 PM
To: George Murray
Subject: Tree

I followed up with my team and the Salvation Army staff were talked to by By-Law as to our plan with the fertilizer and were in agreement.

Thank you.
James Arden

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APD Emails

From: Tom Chesley
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 2:36 PM
To: Bob Rich

Have you been contacted today about chicken manure and the Salvation Army?

Is this one of the weirdest questions you have been asked?

From: Bob Rich
Sent Tuesday, June 04, 2013 1:52 PM
To: Tom Chelsey

N + yes 🙂

From: Tom Chesley
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 2:23 PM
To: Bob Rich

Crisis averted.
decision someone made to dump a load of chicken manure over the area where the homeless were squatting across from the Sally

It was a decisions of someone at the City, not APD

From: Ian MacDonald
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 01:59 PM
To: Bob Rich, Tom Chesley
Subject: The Province and others have called about the manure story

The Province is following the Abbotsford Today headline “Abbotsford Spreads Chicken Manure in City to rid itself of the Homeless”.

I have made Katherine [Jeffcoat] aware of the Province call.

From: Tom Chesley
Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 02:04 PM
To: Ian MacDonald; Bob Rich
Subject: The Province and others have called about the manure story

I think this is going to hit the fan for the City

From: Bob Rich
Sent: Wednesday, June 05. 2013 2:05 PM
To: Tom Chesley; Ian MacDonald
Subject: The Province and others have called about the manure story

Really, I mean if you think about it, its a chicken shit story for sure.

From: Tom Chesley
Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2013 7:40 PM
To: Ian MacDonald; Bob Rich; Rick Lucy;Len Goerke;Brett Crosby Jones
Subject: Re: Chicken Manure Medi – Audio of interviews including Conservation for Environmental assessments

Once the dust settles on this we are going to have to proceed very thoughtfully on every camp for the forseeable future.

I think for the next while we need to centralize all responses to camps through the Bike Squad, as the APD reps on ISET. Exceptions of course would include when there is an immediate public safety issue.

If you agree, I will ask Brett to communicate this to Patrol and I will ensure Doug W is aware.

From: Ian MacDonald
Sent: Friday, July 05, 2013 11:04 AM
To: Bob Rich; Rick Lucy; Len Goerke
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

Please take this with a grain of salt at this point. Not a lot of details but a French CBC reporter told me a lawyer is expected to announce a class action suit against the city of Abby today for the chicken manure incident.

I have only heard this from French CBC to this point.

From: Bob Rich
Sent: Friday, July 05, 2013 Pacific Standard Time
To: Ian MacDonald; Rick Lucy; Len Goerke
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

Oh please let it be so! I would need a copy of that writ. Damages would be what, hurt feelings, or?

From: Ian MacDonald
Sent: Friday, July 05, 2013 11:16 AM
To: Bob Rich, Rick Lucy, Len Goerke
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

Attention over substance for sure. Lawyer looking to boost his/her profile. Very John Grisham novrl – say Litigators.

From: Bob Rich
Sent: Friday July 05, 2013 11:32 AM Pacific Standard Time
To: Bob Rich, Rick Lucy, Len Goerke
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

Ooooh – a book deal.

Hmmmm

“The Chicken Coup Scoop”

From: Rick Lucy
Sent: Friday July 05, 2013 12:25 PM
To: Ian MacDonald; Bob Rich; Len Goerke
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

Can’t make this sh#* up.

From: Len Goerke
Sent: Friday July 05, 2013 12:50 PM
To: Rick Lucy; Ian MacDonald; Bob Rich
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

A new cackle to the Fraser Valley agribusiness.

Shall I continue to put your funny bones on the chopping block?

From: Bob Rich
Sent: Friday July 05, 2013 12:50 PM
To: Len Goerke; Rick Lucy; Ian MacDonald
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

Let us know if you think of something funny ! (please)

From: Len Goerke
Sent: Friday July 05, 2013 01:43 PM Pacific Standard Time
To: Bob Rich; Rick Lucy; Ian MacDonald;
Subject: Chicken Manure class action lawsuit

I will freely range hunting and pecking for something you can cluck about.

From: Tom Chesley
Sent, June 14, 2013 2:00 PM
To: #Staff-ALLStaff
Cc: Gordon Ferguson (gferguson@abbotsford.ca); mhelmer@abbotsford.ca
Subject Homeless Camps Interim
Importance: High

Please find attached in interim directive for APD staff dealing with homeless camps.

Operational supervisors please ensure that you and your staff are aware of this directive.

What Do You Think?

Tell us what you think. As more and more is revealed, both through the courts and now through another batch of incriminating emails, about how this community has been treating its most defenceless and marginalized citizens, do you think it is time for the City, the APD, the serice providers and any others who particpated in the abuse of these people, to come forward, admit it and help stop the abuse?

Use the comments box below or email us at editor@abbotsfordtoday.ca.

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APD Emails
City Emails

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Short Summary of Abbotsford’s Homeless Crisis:

Nick Zurowski, The Face of Homelessness in Abbotsford. Bas Stevens Photo

First came  John Smith’s announcement to the national media that he had instructed the APD to handle homelessness in downtown Abbotsford; then the Abbotsford Shuffle – otherwise known as Chief Bob Rich’s “disperse and displace” strategy for solving homelessness; then Mayor Banman’s Chicken Manure Incident (first revealed on Abbotsford Today); then there was the Standoff in Jubilee; followed by the ‘MCC Dignity Village‘ protest camp on Gladys Avenue and the gathering of more and more of Abbotsford’s homeless to the security of living with others and out in the open in the growing size and number of camps across from the Salvation Army and along Gladys Avenue.

Embarrassing Revelations

Abbotsford Homeless Camp. Bas Stevens photo.

Along the way a few embarrassing revelations were uncovered and published by Abbotsford Today including
the fact that the Salvation Army knew about and was in agreement with the use of chicken feces to encourage the homeless to move from their camp across the street from the Sally Ann; and the rude and demeaning emails shared by police chief Bob Rich and his senior staff after the Chicken Manure Incident went worldwide.