The following letter to B.C.’s Speaker of the Legislature concerns the dishonest manner in which Rollie Woods and Bruce M. Brown handled my police complaint. But two others, who are beyond the Speaker’s authority, were also involved: Ian Upton, then a sergeant with Vancouver Police Professional Standards, and Dirk Ryneveld, then B.C.’s police complaint commissioner.
Upton conducted most or all of the dishonest investigation, although the decision came from Woods. In addition Woods, as senior officer, must take responsibility for Upton’s work.
It will be interesting to see if Upton follows Woods into a cushy sinecure at the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
Ryneveld supported every aspect of Brown’s dishonest review of the Vancouver Police investigation. Like Upton, Woods and Brown, Ryneveld’s work on this complaint was so obviously biased that it likely reflected the way he handled other complaints. Although the media often treated Ryneveld as a crusader, he was a selective crusader. He was canny enough to pursue complaints that received advance publicity or advance support from influential groups. The rest of the time he likely helped police excuse or cover up for misconduct and illegal actions by their fellow officers.