Gloating Ontario ex-cop thanks
police for three-year paid suspension
Lots more cops owe B.C. police complaint commissioner
Stan Lowe gratitude for his cop-friendly corruption
The letter reeks of self-satisfied gloating. Former Waterloo Regional Police officer Craig Markham thanked his ex-employer for a three-year paid suspension that was a “dream come true.” That brings to mind New Westminster Police officer Sukhwinder “Vinnie” Singh Dosanjh, who benefited from a three-year, seven-month paid vacation and, unlike Markham, kept his job. For that, Dosanjh owes B.C.’s corrupt Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner a great big thank-you.
So do a lot of other cops. Among them is Taylor Robinson, the Vancouver constable who shoved a disabled woman named Sandy Davidsen to the sidewalk. Some others include the VPD Professional Standards officers who covered up that incident. They all enjoyed the OPCC’s protection.
In the Dosanjh case, police complaint commissioner Stan Lowe refused to call a public hearing into the New West cop despite extremely disturbing circumstances and extraordinary leniency that amounted to a three-year, seven-month paid vacation. That’s even more generous than the Waterloo deal. And Dosanjh kept his job.
Justice and duty required Lowe to call a public hearing. But he refused. Lowe’s handling of this case demonstrates how he takes advantage of the near-secrecy and zero accountability granted him by B.C.’s Police Act. The legislation allows him to act in a thoroughly unethical manner, thereby bolstering his corrupt career.
Then there’s the Robinson case. No Police Act investigation began until 48 days after he shoved his victim to the ground, 47 or 48 days after VPD Professional Standards found out and 29 days after the OPCC found out—but just five days after a barrage of media publicity began. Evidence very strongly indicates a joint VPD/OPCC cover-up.
Of course Lowe and his crew covered up not just Robinson’s actions, but also those of the VPD Professional Standards officers involved. On behalf of Lowe as well as those unnamed cops, deputy police complaint commissioner Rollie Woods (a former head of VPD Professional Standards), OPCC investigative analyst Andrea Spindler and OPCC admissibility analyst Anthony Parker have lied shamelessly about the cover-up.
Only by a fluke do cases like Dosanjh and Robinson come to public attention. Undoubtedly there are many more cops who owe thanks to Lowe and his crew.
Those cops also owe thanks to the people who make this corrupt system possible. The OPCC enjoys the unquestioning support of both the BC Liberal government and NDP opposition, the emphatic support of the Law Society of British Columbia, the implied support of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and the fulsome praise of the Pivot Legal Society. With rare exceptions, B.C.’s compliant media report only what they’re told by the OPCC and its supporters.
Of course Lowe was earning cop gratitude even in his last job. The RCMP officers responsible for Robert Dziekanski’s Taser-related death have had no stronger supporter than Lowe. While a Crown prosecutor, Lowe was a member of the Criminal Justice Branch executive management that unanimously exonerated the YVR4 liars. Less than one week after Lowe publicly declared all their vicious actions to be “reasonable and necessary,” he was appointed police complaint commissioner.
That would seem to be one of the times Lowe did receive gratitude.
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