Ian Mulgrew (Postmedia News) - An RCMP code-of-conduct inquiry is underway into a Mountie who played a part in the investigation into serial killer Robert Pickton and appeared on a website posing in sexually explicit torture images reminiscent of the pig-farmer’s crimes.
In some of the graphic pictures obtained by The Vancouver Sun, Cpl. Jim Brown appears to wear only his regulation-issue Mountie boots and an erection as he wields a huge knife and a bound naked woman cringes in terror.
The narrative of the still photographs, posted on an S&M website, progresses from an apparent street scene of the woman walking past Brown sitting on a wall; he overpowers her; he hog-ties her, he imprisons her in a cage, he threatens her with a large butcher knife and he slashes her.
His detachment commander, Supt. Claude Wilcott, said that when he became aware of the material on the website earlier this year, he discussed the issue with the force’s legal services to determine if there was a violation of the Mountie code of conduct.
“The alleged issue was deemed to be off-duty, non-criminal, adult consensual activity during which the individual was not representing himself as a member of the RCMP and thus it did not appear to legal services to meet the threshold for a code-of-conduct violation,” he said.
“Despite this legal opinion, a code-of-conduct investigation is under-way to determine if there are any additional facts and ensure the fullest review possible. While I agree the staged images are graphic, it’s important to note that they appear only on an adult site catering to those who seek them out.”
Mike Webster, who has had a career counselling police officers and advising departments, including the RCMP, said the sexual degradation of women in the images raises serious concerns.
And he thought the initial response of the national force cavalier.
“The fact that Mr. Brown could engage in these activities without considering current attitudes toward this type of behaviour indicates to me that his empathetic abilities are impaired,” Webster said.
During a brief telephone call Wednesday at the detachment, Brown declined to comment about the pictures and the “Kilted Knight” persona featured in them.
He acknowledged being aware of the material.
“I am familiar with an internal investigation that was conducted,” Brown said. “It concluded in March or April and it was decided it was a non-issue – There was no victim.”
Lawyer Jason Gratl was astounded by the images and said Brown’s even peripheral involvement in the missing women investigation was troubling.
Gratl, who represented Down-town Eastside community groups at the public inquiry into the Pickton police investigation, wondered why Commissioner Wally Oppal wasn’t informed when he was conducting hearings at the very moment the RCMP learned of the material.
“This pictorial enactment of a kidnapping and torture by an RCMP investigator crystallizes the ethical nexus between the detachment and the farm,” Gratl said.
Wilcott maintained in an email that to “associate this to a more than decade old investigation into a serial killer . . . is an incredible leap. If you would like to check back with me in a couple weeks I may be in a better position to provide more information as I expect the investigation to be submitted to me in the near future.”
Art Vertlieb, counsel for the inquiry, said he only learned about the situation late Wednesday and would be seeking an explanation.
Brown did not appear at the Missing Women’s Inquiry or at the Pick-ton trial.
His name, however, appears on the “Key Events Chronology” exhibit filed for one of the policing panels.
In an entry dated July 16, 1999, it reads: “(Vancouver Police officer Geramy) Field receives call from Cst. Jim Brown (Coquitlam RCMP) re (source Ross) Caldwell; assigns tip to (officer Mark Chernoff.”
Chernoff and his partner were assigned the task of interviewing Caldwell, the second tipster to con-act authorities and finger Pickton nearly three years before he was arrested.
Caldwell lived on Pickton’s farm and provided key information about the killer, but the inquiry was told the RCMP questioned his credibility.
[Source]
I would opine that this will be an interesting case to watch unfold, for a few broader reasons.
In times past, the RCMP, beginning in its training division was able to rid itself of those males between 18 and 28 that did not fit the mold, with ease. Allowing for inter troop discipline such as horse troughing, senior troop raid for discipline, shower punishments etc, made it quite easy. Do not integrate, then forced out. Drill instructor language was legendary. Obedience ruled. All under the watchful aegis of management.
Commanding officers could transfer troublesome individuals to some remote outpost commensurate with their indiscretion to a para military theme. There were only two options, quit, or move and conform.
Homosexuality was taboo, and as Calvin has pointed out in past submissions, non white persons were not included. Women were not even contemplated.
No hue and cry from any quarter. Now fast forward to an organization brought into a non para-military posture, replete with gays, lesbians, non whites, and transgendered. Affected by the Canadian Labor Code, the Charter, subsequent labor laws, human rights tribunals, and an age of instant communication and permissiveness, and of course the plethora of talking heads. An era of everybody is allowed to engage in any occupation they wish. Governments dictate hiring percentages, groups and outcomes. (Recent directive to RCMP recruiting dictated 50% of all hires will be women.)
In this age of personal freedoms, where legally can an organization dictate the sexual mores of its employees? Is the line drawn at the noted role playing games of this subject due to its faux violence? Is the line to include within its boundaries sexual threesomes? Foursomes? Female domination? Mixed sexual activity? Certain “toys”? Is it to be followed that even if the sexual appetites of its employees do not affect their performance, they still may be terminated? Who determines the sexual mores of the prospective employees? Are you able to inquire legally about this facet when hiring? Can you provide or indeed, should you provide a list or termination offenses at the outset of your employment or even hiring?
It seems quite obvious to me that this constant bemoaning of various activity heightened by the penchant of the media does little to address any overarching issues. What can we expect in this litigious milieu?
gordbusey outlined a short time ago what present labor law guidelines he followed when he was involved in the attempted termination of employees in the RCMP. If this was practiced during his tenure, where are the abiding regulations in support? Should we demand that the RCMP be exempt from present labor laws, the Charter, and have the Commissioner or delegates as ipso facto termination authority according to their decree?
Who and where do we as a society want our direction to come from for our institutions? If the reply is “from the courts”, I submit you already have your way.
Today the media indicated that some of the most “disturbing” of these photos may not actually be of Cpl. Brown, although the ones of the guy wearing high browns likely are. Personally I can’t see myself wearing those things off duty as they’re unbelievably uncomfortable, but apart from that I’m not going to pass judgement on Cpl. Brown’s sexual/recreational choices. He can do what he likes in privacy as long as his partners are completely willing to be involved.
Most people’s sexual fantasies are just that – fantasies. Many women have rape fantasies (often involving Matthew Mcconaughey from the movie Magic Mike, after which he cleans my house from top to bottom wearing nothing but cowboy boots) but that certainly doesn’t mean they actually want to be raped. Fantasy is often where people can act out this stuff without actually inflicting physical/emotional harm on others. If there’s any indication at all that Cpl. Brown’s personal life has negatively affected his job, prior to the discovery of these photographs, I’d like to hear about it. If it has the RCMP should, a least in theory, have noted it and dealt with it by now. If it hasn’t – what’s the big deal?
The only issues here that the RCMP should be dealing with as regards Cpl. Brown:
Are any of the pictures actually of him? Did the women involved consent to the activities depicted? Did they agree to having the pictures disseminated on the web? How did they get on the web? Did Cpl. Brown post them himself, or knowingly allow them to be posted? (As he has apparently identified himself as a member to at least one woman through the web site that appears likely. Stupid, and he should have known they’d cause him problems.) Why were the pictures on a flash drive at the office? Was the flash drive RCMP-owned or personal? Were any RCMP computers used by him to upload or view his pictures?
If he did post them, identify himself or use office computers he’s clearly an idiot. He should have known that should his pictures come to light it would cast doubt, rightly or wrongly, on his credibility as a member. Those actions alone show that he has very poor judgement and those are the ones he should be judged on by his employer.
It will be interesting to see what happens next. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to see Magic Mike for the 5th time …
“scene of the woman walking past Brown sitting on a wall; he overpowers her; he hog-ties her, he imprisons her in a cage, he threatens her with a large butcher knife and he slashes her.”
Article/ in Part
“BUT that is his private life.”
placajada
A private life? Really?
Credibility is a major component of policing. What “may” be his attitude towards women? Will it effect his work?
Will he be trusted by female members of the RCMP?
Will women who have been sexually assaulted feel safe talking to him?
Add the fact that he was apparently involved in the Missing Women’s investigation. It is all about the optics and credibility at best. At worst, who knows.
This member is a disgraceful embarassment to to those who have served before him. I retired from the Force 28 years ago and during my service, members respected their Force and would not behave in such a disgracefull manner. Fire the weirdo BUM.
Years ago detachment commanders used to get on the case of young constables that would be on call in small rural area’s and the blue and white would be parked in the driveway overnight of a unwed damsel. The message that was sent, was that it was not becoming of the organization. Boy have times changed when the outfit see’s this as business as usual when a guy is flashing his penis in highbrow’s over the internet and it’s OK with the Brass.
You see this is what the outfit has come to. You can’t question the hiring polices, or disagree with anything that is politically incorrect behind closed RCMP doors- which will get spied out. Yet things have been unrestricted to the point of this disgraceful example.
No doubt about it, years ago the rules were too restrictive where members couldn’t join political parties ect. And yes, the force in years past have gone completely overboard with being image conscious. But, Sam Steele is rolling over in his grave right now!
What a pile of crap! OK this Mountie has some kinky sexual ideas (I have some as well … but shall not reveal) BUT that is his private life. Where does this stop. Should an employer have a right to question our private life? Yes … he is RCMP, a professional one as it seems. Remember Bill Clinton? An entire country paralyzed by a blow job.
RCMP officer investigated over bondage photos
CBC News
July 5, 2012
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/07/05/bc-rcmp-sex-photos.html
An RCMP officer in B.C. who was involved in the Robert Pickton investigation is facing an internal code of conduct inquiry over posing for some sexually explicit bondage photographs that were posted on an adult fetish website.
The images of Coquitlam RCMP Cpl. Jim Brown depict him posing in a variety of scenarios with a woman. The photographs and the acts depicted appear to be consensual.
In one image, Brown appears to be slashing a naked woman’s chest with a large knife while her hands are tied above her head.
In another image, he is holding a knife to a naked woman’s throat. In another, a woman apparently in chains is performing oral sex on him.
Dr. Mike Webster, a private psychologist who has made a career of counselling RCMP and other police officers, said he was first approached with pictures involving Brown months ago.
“They could be variously described as bondage, or sado-masochistic,” Webster told CBC News.
He believes officers must be held to a higher standard, particularly in a province that has seen so many sexual harassment allegations made against members in recent months.
“The attitudes that drive this type of behaviour would make it impossible to objectively investigate any file involving a female,” said Webster.
But when Webster’s source approached the RCMP with concerns about the officer’s conduct, the force initially decided that the off-duty conduct merited no further investigation.
“Nothing was done. It wasn’t even worthy in their opinion of a code of conduct,” Webster said.
Webster said that has now changed, and the RCMP are now investigating the officer’s conduct, but he said that should have been the case from the start.
“For the RCMP to come to his aid and attempt to minimize his behaviour, in this climate, in this province, just shows me that they are completely out of step … This national icon is fast becoming a national disgrace,” he said.