Wednesday, May 14, 2008

 

About Paul Battershill ... with updates added

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This anonymous comment came in today, and may be seen following the story on this web-site of Paul Battershill, Chief of Police for Victoria B.C., co-leader of the raids on the B.C. Legislature. [The story is titled $91,000 over 4 years = $22,750 a year. Its date is October 30, 2007.]

The updating comment received today tends to confirms my own hunch right from the start of the Battershill issue. I thought you might like to see it ... so I am posting it up front. This is important. But there are other items added at the end, showing how this news is being reported by CanWest, which are also disturbing.


Anonymous wrote:


The buzz around the station is that the RCMP pretty much cleared Battershill and if they found anything it was pretty minor.

Makes you wonder why or how this all got going. He'll never come back after the way he's been treated.

Victoria couldn't attract a good outside chief now. Lots of good people from the department are quitting or getting ready to.

Pretty sad for the public.


# posted by Anonymous: May 14, 2008

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From today's Times Colonist:

BATTERSHILL INFORMATION COULD COME IN MONTH

Rob Shaw,
Times Colonist - May 14, 2008

It could be another month before the public receives answers about why Victoria police Chief Paul Battershill has been suspended and what, if any, of the allegations against him were substantiated.

Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe said he won't explain the case until it goes through a disciplinary hearing. "I'm hoping it can take place within the next 30 days," Lowe said. "Until the situation has concluded, I will not be able to tell the public very much."

At the hearing, Lowe will decide upon what he called a "range of disciplinary options" facing the chief. He would not say what that range includes or whether one option could be no discipline against Battershill because the allegations were unproven.

Lowe said he is obligated to consider a range of discipline according to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner and Police Act legislation, which governs the case.

Battershill has been suspended with pay since November, but the allegations against him have not been made public. Lowe has described them only as a "personnel issue."

The RCMP investigated the case on behalf of Victoria police, under the oversight of the police complaint office. A team of four officers interviewed dozens of people.

Under provincial legislation, Police Act investigations are not public. The full report on Battershill is not expected to be released. Lowe said he would release whatever information his lawyers said he could.

Battershill received a summary of the report last Thursday. It included a factual account of the incidents, a brief account of the investigative steps and a summary of the conclusions, said Bruce Brown, deputy complaint commissioner.

Battershill has 10 days to request any additional information. Lowe then schedules the disciplinary hearing.

Battershill is able to request a public hearing if he is not satisfied with the conclusion. The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner may also call a public hearing or order another investigation if it has any concerns about the case, Brown said.

Meanwhile, Victoria's police board is looking for another police chief. Battershill's contract expires at the end of the year, and Bill Naughton has been serving as interim police chief.

rfshaw@tc.canwest.com

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This is too embarrassing to post. Students of elementary witchcraft might study it:

http://www.cfax1070.com/newsstory.php?newsId=5310

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Over and over, CanWest newspapers speculate on what shoulda, coulda, mighta, or maybe will happen to former Victoria Police Chief, Paul Battershill. I cannot believe that the RCMP's deputy complaints commissioner would lightly make statements like the ones shown below ... when other reports continue to complain that the RCMP are too quick to close ranks and protect their own. Look at this, from today's Vancouver Province:


TOP COP'S HEARING SET [No, it isn't. That hearing is expected within 30 days, date unknown. - BC Mary]

The Province; News Services
Published: Thursday, May 15, 2008

A disciplinary hearing for suspended Victoria police chief Paul Battershill will be set in the next 30 days, says Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe.

And that likely means investigators have found something against the chief, says Bruce Brown, B.C.'s deputy police complaint commissioner.

"From a common-sense point of view, you wouldn't hold [a disciplinary hearing] if you were of the view nothing was substantiated," Brown said yesterday.

Battershill has been suspended with pay since November. Lowe has said only that allegations against the chief are "personnel" issues. The RCMP investigated the case on behalf of the Victoria police, under the oversight of the police complaint office.

http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=1d141de3-6257-4436-89fe-2c4c3b692069

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And Times Colonists chimes in with

SUSPENDED POLICE CHIEF FACES DISCIPLINE HEARING

which, I dunno, pretty much announces that Paul Battershill is guilty, doesn't it?

And is that correct? Is that fair? Is that decent journalism?

Read the CanWest version of the Battershill story at:

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=a8b25c38-79e4-4b42-a598-68265f76ab5b

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Oh, wow: A makeover for Victoria Police Department

The force -- now to be called "VicPD" -- gets a new look, and sets targets for crime reduction.

The story is at:
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=4d23d447-d563-4a84-9614-d90fc3c8b781

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Comments:
We will soon know the answers as they are about to go public
 
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If, by "soon" you mean 30 days from now, dl.

These people seem awfully quick to throw stones, but awfully slow to reach a conclusion about their so-called "personnel matter".

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The scuttlebut in the Policing World is that Chief Battershill will be exonerated........lets face it the truth WILL come out and we will see who was behind this coup............

What goes round.....comes around!
 
A city top cop's reputation is on the line. The mayor has stated the informaionn will be made public, when the disiplinary hering is complete. It ws indicated that even if some actions were not good, disipline is not necessarily the result. The man has been off work for months, My point of soon, if it is 30 days is not too long for the public to wait considering hat a lot of public simply dont care .and of course the results could greatly affect his career choices. I can wait
 
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dl,

I think this headline and story are much more sympathetic toward the lengthy, agonizing wait that the former Victoria Police Chief has been put through:

Suspended police chief still in limbo, awaiting disciplinary hearing

By Keith Vass - Victoria News - May 16, 2008

A disciplinary hearing over still-unspecified allegations against suspended Victoria police Chief Paul Battershill should come within 30 days, Mayor Alan Lowe said Tuesday.

As chairman of the Victoria Police Board, Lowe is the discipline authority for the chief, who has been suspended since last October. An external investigation was conducted by RCMP, who delivered a report containing their finding to Lowe last month. Lowe said he sent a summary of the report to Battershill on May 8.

Under the B.C. Police Act, Battershill has 10 business days to request any information severed from the RCMP report in Lowe’s summary. While Lowe said the report presents Battershill with “a range of possible disciplinary measures,” he declined to say if he has reached a decision on whether the allegations are substantiated or if discipline is needed.

“We place a range of possible disciplinary measures and then there will be a hearing for the respondent (Battershill) to respond to the report as well as what potential issues may come up,” Lowe said.

The Police Act specifies that a hearing is only required “if it is determined ... that imposition of disciplinary or corrective measures against a respondent is warranted.” The hearing will not be public, but if Battershill considers himself aggrieved by the outcome, he could request a public hearing.

Lowe said he has discussed parts of the investigation report with the Victoria Police Board.

“Until the situation has concluded, I will not be able to tell the public very much,” Lowe said, citing a need to “protect the integrity of the process.”

kvass@vicnews.com


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Did they ever find out who broke in to his lawyer's office or in to Tieleman's office ?
 
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Anonymous 4:37,

I think Bill Tieleman would have told us, if charges had been laid.

As for whoever broke into Paul Battershill's lawyer's office, I've felt that those crooks would be shielded ... don't ask me why I say that, because I just don't know, except that the whole process looked so "cooked" right from Day One.

And all that recent stuff about a "new look" for Victoria Police Department ... oops, I guess I should say "VicPD" ... and how VicPD plans to increase street arrests by 4% or something ... oh, and to print up a fancy brochure about their new look ... I mean, come on. Real cops don't do stuff like that, do they? And I have this feeling that Paul Battershill was/is a real cop.

Google him and you'll see some of his career-achievements.

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This is the biggest recent travesty in policing in BC. Absolutely shameful.
 
You can increase street arrests just by making some easy drug arrests, it means nothing. Our union is upset because he was a decent chief and they were hoping he'd go in to government and we'd finally have somebody in there who understood the issues. Everybody knew he was getting ready to go in a year, that's the sick part.
 
Now that Chief Battershill is going to retire,,,,,(once this mess that some insiders created is complete)...............I certainly hope that Victoria PD looks outside their department for a new Chief....It is obvious that a new Chier cannot be selected from within the upper ranks.
Members must have confidence and trust in a person in that position!
 
If you think what they have done to the Chief is bad? How about looking into the "favors" upper management has done for the police board members, spouses, and family members.
 
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Anonymous 11:51,

I'd like to follow your advice but honestly, where would I begin?

If you have suggestions, I'd welcome the help.

If privacy is a problem, write NOT FOR PUBLICATION across the top of your comment and it will be held in confidence.

OK?

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paul was in the vancouver police depsrtment for years..the richest criminal organized crime are from vancouver east end..makes me think
 
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