Disturbing implications

A letter published in the Vancouver Province, May 29, 2009

The Robert Dziekanski case has disturbing implications for the accountability of municipal police.

In your May 27 story, Don Rosenbloom, lawyer for the Polish government, added his voice to those criticizing the Criminal Justice Branch for absolving four RCMP officers of criminal responsibility for Dziekanski’s death.

That decision lay with Stan Lowe, who headed the Criminal Justice Branch investigation. But last December, just one week after he announced his decision, Lowe was appointed B.C.’s new Police Complaint Commissioner. Incredibly, he now runs the office that supposedly oversees complaints against municipal cops.

We should ask why Lowe’s name was ever put forward for this job and why an all-party committee of MLAs unanimously approved his appointment.

Greg Klein,
Vancouver

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