VANCOUVER - 2010 Games security forces operate outside of civic control, Vancouver’s city manager said yesterday.
“The city has no accountability in terms of the role, the policies of the [2010 Integrated Security Unit],” Penny Ballem told council. “We are only able to ask questions.”
Ballem made her remarks in the context of a presentation from the B.C. Civil Liberties Association’s Cameron Funnell.
The BCCLA spokesperson appeared in council to raise a number of issues not covered by RCMP Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer’s presentation earlier this week.
Is there a consistent policy for Taser use? How will complaints against security forces be dealt with? Where will protest zones be located? And how big will they be?
“We still have many outstanding concerns,” Funnell said.
The city manager suggested Funnell take his questions to the federal government, which has primary oversight of the ISU.
“That would probably be the most productive way,” Ballem said.
The ISU is led by the RCMP, but composed of many different government agencies and municipal police forces, including the Vancouver Police Department.
That’s a fact councillors should keep in mind, Olympics critic Chris Shaw said.
“I understand that the police belong to them, whether they’re seconded to the ISU or not.”
During the Games, Vancouver and Whistler will be home to 7,000 police, 4,500 armed forces and 5,000 private security guards.
Geoff Dembicki reports for The Tyee.
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Van Isle
2 years ago
If we have that number of
If we have that number of people just for security, how many atheletes are going to be at the games? Maybe the olympics games should be changed to the 'security games'.
dorothy
2 years ago
Sorry!
'“The city has no accountability in terms of the role, the policies of the [2010 Integrated Security Unit],” Penny Ballem told council. “We are only able to ask questions.”'
Er, last time I looked, the city was still accountable to its inhabitants (that's us). I do not remeber voting in a plebiscite of any kind that would ask for permission to abdicate the responsibility of seeing to keeping our streets safe. There is no right to hand that job over to some outside agency that the city has 'no control' over, and can 'only ask questions' of ( polite questions, I bet). What kind of wimps are we having to depend on? Let us hope there won't be a hair curled in the wrong direction on any Vancouverite going about his regular business. For that would face us with the problem of figuring out just who IS accountable. I do not think City Hall can lawfully declare itself unconcerned.
mcgregory
2 years ago
Amazed
I am totally amazed at how much power and authority Vanoc has for an unelected, appointed from who knows where body. First we are supposed to lay everyone off for the games, then we have to build a highway, then a massive condo development, them foot a massive security bill, then pay court cost to keep the women's ski jumping team from competing, never mind the canceling of civil rights with regards to free speech. All this for a two week event. I'm tired of paying for this crap. I wish the athletes well, but I don't think we need the spectacle that would have made Nero proud.