(CBC News) – The RCMP is proposing an officers-only bar at its new regional headquarters in Surrey, but at least one former senior B.C. police officer says he thinks it’s a bad idea.
The bar would be inside the new B.C. headquarters building, still under construction at 14200 Green Timbers Way, and would seat about 100, expandable to 500 people for special events.
“The mess will be open on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday basis and will be open from after-work hours until approximately 11 o’clock at night to begin with,” said RCMP spokesman, Cpl. Bernie Conroy.
But Liberal MLA and former West Vancouver police chief Kash Heed says times have changed and the RCMP should reconsider.
“I cannot believe that we cannot ensure that alcohol-related behaviour, which is unacceptable in the culture nowadays … cannot be changed within the RCMP,” Heed said.
Recent incidents
Heed pointed to a number of recent incidents involving alcohol.
RCMP Cpl. Monty Robinson was convicted of obstructing justice in a deadly 2008 crash in which alcohol had been alleged to be a factor.
Sgt. Don Ray was demoted after admitting he had sex with employees and drank with them in Alberta. Ray has since been transferred B.C.
In the 1990’s an RCMP mess hall in Prince Edward Island was shut down after an officer who had been drinking there hit a boy with his car, killing the child.
Surrey’s city council has to approve the liquor licence application and Mayor Diane Watts said councillors will be taking a close look at the RCMP proposal.
“If you have a regimental dinner or a retirement, I don’t think people have an issue. The other piece we are definitely going to have a look at,” Watts said Friday.
Council will begin to consider the application Monday.
A spokeswoman for federal Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews said in a statement late Friday that the officers’ mess in the new headquarters building is not subsidized by taxpayer dollars and would be paid for by contributions from members.
The statement also said that there are strict orders on when it is appropriate to serve alcohol, and, “obviously no member who is on duty can be served.”
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No kidding johnnyG. Been to a couple of military messes and they make our people look like absentee tea totallers. With the price of drinks they have in theirs its no wonder. Not sure who subsidizes theirs. Ours at least pays full ride and the profit goes to a number of charities or projects.
Hey johnnyG, why should facts get in the way when its part of the national media sport to bash us?
About the article though, I was wondering when the mess was going to become another media football. Its an old military thing from ages past. I am waiting for the bashing of the steak and lobster night as some kind of booze fest. Kinda funny how old Kash Heed sings a different tune now he is out of the VPD. Who by the way still have one and he was no stranger to the PAC over the years either. Ah the stories from there my friend would curl your hair.
I wonder if the media will start a rant on the Edmonton Police club? Probably not. Its just every little thing with us that gets their attention. Maybe we will hear about the hard drinking legends at the Vancouver Sun?
If they want to pick on anyone, it should be the Canadian Forces. A much higher percentage of their members utilize mess halls than in the RCMP.
While they are at it, they should be attacking University Professors because they have bars close to where they work.
If they want to start going after organizations because of this kind of thing, there are plenty of other places to start looking.
It would have been nice if the author had mentioned that the Cpl. involved in the PEI case was acquitted, not convicted of impairment as well as there were a lot of mitigating circumstances such as the kid was walking on the road, not the shoulder wearing dark clothing on a dark foggy night…