Submitted. In recent weeks the issue of homelessness in Abbotsford has become a high profile topic for the media and the community. Last week during a meeting of the Abbotsford Social Development Advisory Committee, a group presented third party allegations that Abbotsford Police officers had damaged tents belonging to homeless persons and deployed pepper spray in areas where those tents were placed. This group is extremely involved in the community and is recognized as an important advocate for many of our citizens.
The Abbotsford Police Department is very concerned about these allegations. The APD does not authorize or approve of officers damaging personal property. As a result, on Friday, June 14 Chief Constable Bob Rich requested an Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) directed investigation into the matter.
The objective of the investigation is to determine the validity of the complaint and, if necessary, to hold accountable any APD officers involved.
The Professional Standards Section of the Abbotsford Police Department has conduct of the investigation and would like to speak to anyone with information about these allegations. They can be contacted by calling 604-859-5225 or texting 222973 (abbypd).
The homeless camps are usually dealt with through
the cities’ By-Law Dept. via orders issued by Mayor/Senior
City Manager, council member/s involved and/or senior
city staff, who will, also, get the police involved.
For instance, the Jubilee Park clean-up involved an email
indicating that the police would be doing a sweep of Jubilee
Park and those orders came from City Hall.
The Police must investigate, howoever, if a Police Officer/s attempted to
destroy any homeless people’s belongings without orders given to
them and then, it would still be wrong!
The homeless camps are usually dealt with through
the cities’ By-Law Dept. via orders issued by Mayor/Senior
City Manager, council member/s involved and/or senior
city staff, who will, also, get the police involved.
For instance, the Jubilee Park clean-up involved an email
indicating that the police would be doing a sweep of Jubilee
Park and those orders came from City Hall.
The Police must investigate, however, if a Police Officer/s attempted to
destroy any homeless people’s belongings without orders given to
them and then, it would still be wrong!
Perhaps, the police investigation will shed some light on
who may have given Police orders to assist in the dismantling
of the camp on Gladys Ave.
There seems to be finger pointing at police patrol officers,
city staff and, Mayor & City Manager saying they’ve taken responsibility, but, there has been deafening silence from members of Council, Abbotsford Chamber Exec., who have always been first to protect the “cities image,” in the interest of the business community involved in growth & development in the city.
Something is real fishy and it points to the upper echelon’s ties to
the business community in this city.