Comments on: Ottawa spends more than half a million to defend RCMP, officers at Taser inquiry

By: Deepthroat

Deepthroat — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:57:08 +0000

The civil suit was launched by the individual involved. Read the news. The government does not sue people for defamation or the like.

The government pays the costs of their employees in the inquiry and would pay for any suit decided against it, or its organs, in this case the RCMP. In case you were not aware, its tax dollars that are used.

By: lenovo

lenovo — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:15:33 +0000

So if the federal government paid for the legal cost why is there a civil suite against CBC?

And I wonder how much it will be to settle this case with Robert’s mother in the end and who will pay for her legal cost?

What am I missing here?

By: Calvin Lawrence

Calvin Lawrence — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:02:22 +0000

Not always; but constantly trying to serve the public, holding individuals accountable, and being a good police officer has nothing to do with sentiment
. Everyone can’t do everything. But everyone can do something. If everyone does something, then everything gets done.

I respect your knowledge in these matters.

Calvin Lawrence
CGL Consulting

By: Deepthroat

Deepthroat — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:16:08 +0000

The Executive level, starting with the Chief Superintendent rank do receive a bonus if finances are kept within budget.. No all positions qualify for the bonus. No difference but less than any major corporation.

There are approximately 90 persons up to and including the Commissioner that are in that category. Even if they all got the maximum bonus, it would still be just over a million dollars total. The RCMP budget alone has increased $800,000,000 in the past 5 years. That is .00125% only on the increase.

The RCMP has used up its yearly government set budgets and more in the past number of years, and is forced to return to Treasury Board several times for additional funding to complete directed programs and directives from the government.. They have also had to cut services to make ends even come close.

You have to do the math Calvin. Sentiment is nice but the facts are what they are. Having been a part of the RCMP for 28 years you should remember this stuff.

By: Calvin Lawrence

Calvin Lawrence — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:32:12 +0000

DT,
Not being part of RCMP management, I cannot comment accurately on the following process:

Did commanding officers of the Divisions receive or still receive a performance bonus for returning money from their budgets back to the government? If the answer is yes; there would be two sources of money to help fill the black hole that you speak of. The amount that the CO received and the amount turned into the government. Am I wrong here?

Thanks,

Calvin Lawrence
CGL Consulting

By: Deepthroat

Deepthroat — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:20:42 +0000

Nice sentiment Calvin but the resources you quoted represents less than the 11 to 17 % vacancy rate the Force runs under due to: sick leave, at the behest of the contract partners, and the inability to fulfill manpower commitments. A mere pittance if you cost out the end price of a major crime investigation that easily eats up hundreds of thousands of dollars and the cold cases that lack even the smallest of budgets to revisit and investigate by “pulling out all the stops.” Multiply that by all the missing women, unsolved homicides, multi million dollar frauds, ad naseum. Policing is a black hole of money just like health care. You will never be able to fully investigate all major/minor crime even with a tenfold increase of budgeting. There is simply not enough money to go around, period.

A 30 year study of the cost of policing done for the Province of BC quotes investigative time increases of up to 700+% for some categories of crime. So how much more tax dollars are you willing to part with to ensure these investigations are undertaken? 20, 50, 100, or maybe 150 percent more? Will that be enough?

Air India would have “bankrupted” the RCMP in BC had the Federal government not augment their budget to cover costs. A process still in place.

The Department of Justice (sic) that handles the federal business of the RCMP and other Federal enforcement departments is undermanned, outgunned, and underfunded to even tackle what the various departments are sending their way now. Plea bargains, refusing to prosecute, and shortcuts are the norm every day.

Besides, employees on sick leave, lawsuit costs, pensions and the lot are the cost of doing business my friend, not unlike any major corporation or company, and are built into budget calculations.

That’s the math Calvin, that’s the reality.

By: NRF

NRF — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:16:06 +0000

Words of wisdom:

Half the work that is done in the world is to make things appear what they are not.

Thanks: Calvin Lawrence

I guesstimate the real material cost of Dziekanski will be in the $5 million range, 90% wasted to “make things appear what they are not.”

By: Calvin Lawrence

Calvin Lawrence — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:54:43 +0000

surely you cannot posit that this is something unknown. How many investigations in your career did you forgo due to a lack of suitable resources?
Deepthroat
——————————————————————
Knowing and doing does not make it right and should not make it acceptable. Wealth times knowledge equals power. Suitable resources are there. The money to pay those suitable resources are diverted to salaries of members on sick leave due to stress in the following ways:

Members on sick leave.
Members receiving VAC pensions
defending civil court cases / settlements
giving promotions as part of settlements

Please do the math. How much more money would be spent on investigations etc.

IF there is money paid out as a settlement or legal decision regarding the incident in Vancouver; could that money have be added to suitable resources.

There should always be suitable resources to defend the RCMP when they are right or made an honest mistake; however when the RCMP is clearly wrong then simply tell the truth no matter who it helps or who it hurts. That would save money for investigations and resources.

Half the work that is done in the world is to make things appear what they are not.

Calvin Lawrence
CGL Consulting

By: NRF

NRF — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:39:55 +0000

‘Group think’ is another example of neurotic institutional behavior. For some of us, the most effective limit to free speech is our own inability to think objectively. Would you agree DT?

By: Deepthroat

Deepthroat — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:10:36 +0000

After almost three decades in the RCMP and stints with another PD and now a business person I am surprised at your statement about money. From the investigation of crime, the prosecution of crime and the results of both, surely you cannot posit that this is something unknown. How many investigations in your career did you forgo due to a lack of suitable resources?

The Braidwood inquiry superseded the Coroners Inquest due to political pressure, so now when the inquest is held it will be long and drawn out and cost more money, but will no doubt be curtailed somewhat due to money.

Investigations have been and always will be constrained by money. Prosecutions are cast aside due to money. Incarceration is averted because of money. It has been this way for a long long time. the wealthy, or the indigent getting “justice” is all about the bills. Civil courts in the province of BC start at 42,000 dollars in costs for litigation. Highest in the country.

New courtrooms for the Picton trial, 30+ million for the politically charged Air India Investigation which is still ongoing and will be for many years due to political pressure, not justice, do not suffer from a lack of money per se, however something else is suffering because of their expenditures. Someplace is cut back due to them.

Legal aid, once the bane of the large firms pro bono, is now an industry in itself. Money Calvin, money.