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| NEWS > 27 October 2007 |
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Arbitrary arrests, prolonged d
In its annual report on human rights, the U.S. State Department has highlighted human rights violations in several developing countries, including Yemen.
Entitled, “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” the report observed numerous violations, including killings, fatal shootings, violence, detentions, prison torture, corruption, declining freedom of press and violence against women.
According to the report, Yemeni security authorities employed prison torture in a way running counter to both Islamic Sharia and Yemeni law. “Members of the Political Security Office and... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Canada.com - Hamilton,Ontario,
27 October 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Victoria Police Service, BC
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Mounties to investigate police
B.C.'s police watchdog has ordered an investigation into allegations of misconduct against Victoria police Chief Paul Battershill, who has been on administrative leave since Oct. 11.
Police Complaint Commissioner Dirk Ryneveld issued a press release yesterday saying RCMP in Vancouver will conduct an external Police Act investigation into unspecified allegations. Reached by phone, Ryneveld refused to comment publicly.
A news release said the office wouldn't comment further to "preserve the integrity of the investigation," adding the RCMP and Victoria's mayor, police board and police department had also been asked to refrain from comment.
Battershill, who has been police chief since 1999, has been instructed by his lawyers not to talk to the press. On Oct. 22, he and wife Brenda put their new James Bay home on the market. The house is listed with Taddy Owen-Flood Realtors for $795,000.
Mayor Alan Lowe, who is chairman of the police board, is on business in Thailand. He has refused to say why the chief is on administrative leave with pay, other than to say it has to do with a "personnel issue."
Esquimalt Mayor Chris Clement, the board's vice-chairman, said it's up to the police board to decide if Battershill will remain on administrative leave or be suspended. "I suspect the decision will be made after Alan [Lowe] gets back on Nov. 3," said Clement.
Police Act investigations are not criminal, but involve violations of public trust. Under the B.C. Police Act code-of-professional-conduct regulations, these violations include abuse of authority, discreditable conduct, neglect of duty, deceit, corrupt practice and improper disclosure of information.
The investigation must be done by an officer of similar rank to chief. In the case of the RCMP, that could be a superintendent or a chief superintendent.
According to the act, the chairman of the police board is the discipline authority for a police chief. After the investigation, Lowe will have to decide whether the allegations are substantiated.
Meanwhile, Victoria lawyer David Mulroney has received a "generous" three-inch stack of responses to three Freedom of Information requests he filed with Victoria police in September, in which he was seeking documents related to employee dismissals and suspensions, the chief's expense accounts and employment contracts.
Mulroney's FOI requests had previously been challenged by law firm Heenan Blaikie on behalf of Battershill. A letter that Mulroney wrote in response to that challenge seems to have been the catalyst for an emergency police board meeting on Oct. 10, during which top police officials were called to answer questions. By the next morning, the chief was on administrative leave.
Mulroney said the stack of documents he received doesn't include information on employees dismissed without cause and the amounts of their severance packages, noting that because they involve other people, the requests "will be delayed until December."
Mulroney also wants more information on the chief's legal bills when he acted as discipline authority in the West Vancouver police investigation surrounding Const. Lisa Alford, who pleaded guilty to drunk driving last year.
Yesterday, he glanced over expense accounts of $40,000 for a Taser report prepared by Victoria police for Ryneveld's office, which he said did not include staff and officers' labour.
"It's obviously a horrendous cost involved," he said.
Mulroney filed the FOI requests on behalf of a client -- whom sources have identified as local developer Gerald Hartwig -- who wanted to see if the city could afford more police patrols downtown.
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