| # "From the Left" ## The 1998 Guelph Tribune columns July 30, 1998 Small problems that are not dealt with properly do not go away. The longer they fester, the worse they get. Our police chief should have learned this a long time ago. Apparently she didn't, and a situation that could have been put to rest eight and a half months ago continues to cast a shadow over her department. Last November 18, in the middle of widespread anger over Bill 160, the Minister of Education came to Guelph for a fund raising dinner. A couple of thousand teachers, students and parents turned out to let him know what they thought of his plans to gut the public education system. The Guelph police, bolstered by reinforcements from other communities, were obviously inexperienced and ill-prepared to deal with this crowd. They arrested protesters for actions which, at larger protests in larger cities, would have gone unnoticed. By the end of the night, the holding cells at the police station were full. This was a violation of an agreement reached with the teachers' unions, and the local labour council, not to hold people in custody. Those arrested were to have been brought to the station, charged with breach of the peace and released with instructions not to return to the protest. With no room left on Fountain St., seven women were sent to the Wellington Detention Centre on Stone Road where they were subjected to the gross indignity of a strip search. This was unnecessary, and wrong. The police used the detention centre as an extension of their holding cells. The women, who shouldn't have been in cells in the first place, could have gone there under the same rules as apply at the police station. They would not have been strip searched downtown, and it should not have happened at Stone Rd. The police could have made this agreement with the provincial correctional officers. Having failed to do so, they should have apologized to the women and assured the community that similar lapses of judgment will not happen again. This would have resolved the situation. But the police missed the opportunity. They denied that a problem exists, and decided no corrective action was called for. They tried to stonewall the situation, hoping that if they waited long enough it would go away. But it didn't. The women showed themselves to be more courageous and determined than the police had expected. As a result, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association became involved. Five of the women filed formal complaints. Now the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services has asked the Waterloo Regional Police to investigate the complaints. If there is any cause for concern in this, it is that the Waterloo police were on standby alert last November, ready to come in to Guelph if the crowd grew bigger, or became unruly. The most important thing about this review is that it must be perceived to be impartial, open and fair. It cannot be seen as a whitewash of the Guelph force. Such an outcome would not do either the community or the police any good. There are many good police officers in Guelph. I've seen them deal with domestic matters sensitively and carefully. It isn't a stretch for them to extend this to matters of political and civil protest. It can be seen as part of the maturing process that people and organizations go through. One sign of maturity is knowing when to say "I'm sorry." For the police, that time is now. |