Peter Hodson and Vancouver police:
Just one bad apple?
Decisive action against a ‘rogue’ officer
proves the VPD’s commitment
to accountability. Or does it?
April 22, 2010
Cops aren’t pulling any punches against Peter Hodson. The Vancouver police constable was suddenly fired, charged and jailed for a number of allegations, including selling marijuana on and off duty. This proves that Vancouver police won’t stand for misconduct or criminal actions among its officers.
Or does it?
Chief Jim Chu’s statement refers to Hodson as a “rogue officer,” “one bad apple.” What does that say about all those cops who remain on the job pending long, slow investigations into allegations of, for example, police brutality?
They’re not rogue officers?
In fact they’re not. Gratuitous violence is rife in police culture. It happens much more often than the media report. When cops get caught, their fellow cops do their best to cover up for them.
Hodson crossed a line by allegedly selling drugs. Now he’s an ex-cop sitting in jail pending a criminal trial. Vancouver constables Nicholas Florkow and Bryan London — to name just two — are still on the force, still drawing pay and will probably never face criminal charges.
All they allegedly did was beat the shit out of an innocent man.
That’s something to consider when the VPD use Hodson as their poster boy for police accountability.
Update: If Vancouver police have entered
a new era of accountability, then how the hell
do they explain this?
A murder attempt notwithstanding,
inmate/ex-cop Peter Hodson received special privileges
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