Hello!  I have started a petition to the Premier of Alberta: Call a judicial inquiry into the High River Forced Entries.

I need your help to get it off the ground. Will you take a minute to consider signing this important petition?

WHY A JUDICIAL INQUIRY IS NEEDED FOR HIGH RIVER: On February 12, 2015, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP released their long-awaited report of their investigation of the RCMP’s actions during and following the emergency flooding in the Town of High River, Alberta between June 20, 2013 to July 13, 2013.  The Commission’s investigation examined the RCMP’s forced entries of “more than 754 homes”, their unwarranted search of 4,666 homes (most on at least two occasions), damage complaints filed by more than 1,900 home owners, the RCMP’s seizure of more than 600 firearms and the seizure and destruction of approximately 7,500 pounds (between 400,000 and 450,000 rounds) of ammunition.

The RCMP Complaint Commission’s report starts with such lofty aims and ambitions by quoting British statesman William Pitt from his speech to the House of Commons in 1763: “The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail, its roof may shake; the wind may blow through it; the storms may enter, the rain may enter,—but the King of England cannot enter; all his forces dare not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement.”  Sadly, the report documented what we already knew: how the Queen’s forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, did cross the thresholds of 4,666 High River homes, by kicking in doors, searching homes and seizing private property without warrant.

The report tries to justify the RCMP’s actions in High River, overlooking the Alberta Emergency Management Act’s plain requirements for the delegation of authority for unwarranted searches of buildings (which was clearly not followed), omitting or distorting important details, contradicting past public statements and documents; and, holding no one to account for systematic, organized egregious violations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Alberta Bill of Rights and offences under Criminal Code and the RCMP Act.

This is a story of police, bureaucratic and ministerial misconduct and cover-up that belongs in the third world, not in Canada. The entire story needs to be dragged out into the sunlight and those who were responsible need to be held accountable. We need an independent public inquiry if we are to have any hope of correcting this gross abuse of power. We believe a judicial inquiry will reveal the entire story as well as those responsible; in the same manner as the Braidwood Inquiry revealed the truth about the death of Robert Dziekanski and those who lied to cover it up. (Please read my letter to the Premier below).

SO MANY QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED BY HIGH RIVER INVESTIGATION
By Dennis R. Young March 31, 2015

Senior politicians stated (hoped) that the High River report released on February 12, 2015 by the RCMP Public Complaints Commission would close the file on the hundreds of doors being kicked in, 4,666 x 2 unwarranted entries and searches, seizures of hundreds of guns, and seizure and destruction of tons of ammunition, seizure of firearms magazines, bows, knives, etc, etc. The 122-page report didn’t even come close to answering all the questions that High River residents asked at their town hall meeting on September 5, 2013.

More….

You can sign my petition by clicking here.

Thanks for your time, interest and support,  Dennis R Young


I encourage you to also write a letter to the Premier of Alberta.  Here is a copy of my letter.

LETTER TO THE PREMIER OF ALBERTA
Office of the Premier premier@gov.ab.ca

Dear Premier:

Please call a judicial inquiry to examine all the issues and claims related to the High River forced entries, unwarranted searches, seizures of private property and damages caused to High River homes by police overreach and bureaucratic mistakes during the flood of 2013.

A telephone poll taken after the RCMP Complaints Commission’s High River report was released, showed that sixty-seven percent of the people in High River thought the RCMP’s actions were not “appropriate” contrary to the report’s findings. Fifty-three percent of High River residents polled last August indicated they would be prepared to refuse an evacuation order in the event of another emergency.

A judicial inquiry is needed to fully restore the trust of the residents of High River and to reassure all Canadians that their rights and their homes will be protected in any future emergency. Lack of a full scale judicial examination of the events in High River casts a negative shadow on the many thousands of dedicated RCMP members who serve and protect us and maintain our rights every day in thousands of communities all across Canada.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Dennis R. Young
Airdrie, Alberta

E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR YOUR LETTERS
Premier of Alberta premier@gov.ab.ca
Alberta Minister of Justice and Solicitor General ministryofjustice@gov.ab.ca
Prime Minister of Canada PM@pm.gc.ca
Minister of Public Safety ministerpublicsafety@ps-sp.gc.ca
Minister of Justice and Attorney General mcu@justice.gc.ca
Minister of National Defence dnd_mdn@forces.gc.ca

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x