Communication recommendations after RCMP deaths

[harryshute]

64 recommendations have been made after the death of three RCMP members in Canada. Some of them have to do with communications and two way radio. They include:

Members have a cellphone and police radio while on duty..
That a radio and data system be developed to allow RCMP members from all maritime divisions to communicate.
That RCMP create policy to allow for use of plain language instead of 10-codes in urgent situations.
Software be sought to properly monitor social media.
That communications people have functional, portable devices to enable them to use social media.


Moncton RCMP shooting: Report's 64 recommendations include swift use of patrol carbines - New Brunswick - CBC News

 

[Jay911]

Social media monitoring of the kind they want for this kind of situation isn't a software solution, it's a human solution. You have to have a body (or bodies) watching the feeds and performing real time assessment of the content.

I mean yes, you could probably have a PRISM-like package trawling the Internet for specific code words, but still, somebody's gotta look at the data.

The other suggestions - have a radio and a phone? Communicate with each other? It's sad that these aren't step 1 to begin with.

 

[NDRADIONUT]

And a rifle !

 

[SCPD]

Wow. I agree. This all should have been step 1 long time ago. They aren't equipped with a high power rifle? Wow. Bad management and bad policies.

 

[brucewarming]

The U.S. is spending all sorts of money to monitor "The People" I have always figured cell phones should have a breathalyzer attached that a person has to pass the test before use. Getting all sorts of bent out of shape is NOT all that hard to do these days. Often when they mention it's a home grown person who commits the crimes is actually a first generation immigrant.

 

[kayn1n32008]

Wow. I agree. This all should have been step 1 long time ago. They aren't equipped with a high power rifle? Wow. Bad management and bad policies.

A recommendation that came out of the Mayerthorpe AB, shooting... 10 years ago... It was recommended at that time that officers be trained and equipped with carbines after 4 RCMP officers were killed by James Rozco(sp)

 

[W8RMH]

It is time that law enforcement in Canada as well as the US have the same training and equipment as the military, especially in remote areas. Training and equipment are more important than cellphones and computers..

 

[MTS2000des]

It is time that law enforcement in Canada as well as the US have the same training and equipment as the military, especially in remote areas.

Uhm...why? Civilian law enforcement is not an occupational force, or would you rather just us surrender ALL our rights, because the next step is martial law. Is that what you want?

The military has one purpose only: to present an occupational force to accomplish a mission.

Civilian law enforcement is a SERVICE provided by the local government to enforce the laws and keep the peace, not to occupy the streets and take over the city/county/state.

Somewhere after 9/11/2001, we seemed to have veered off course from "Land of the Free. Home of the Brave" to "Land of the fearing. Home of the conquered" I guess those terrorists have won, haven't they?

Training and equipment are more important than cellphones and computers..

No, people are more important than stuff. Amassing peacekeepers, caches of expensive radios, weapons, and intelligence is for nil if no one is around to use it.

I find it rather ironic how these rural communities will spend copious amounts of cash stockpiling stuff that never gets used, yet these same places have three officers on duty at a given a time. It's all priorities. Here is a shining example of this homeland security waste, fraud and abuse as it relates to radio equipment in one state that is mostly rural:

Expensive radio equipment found in storage, unused and unopened « Watchdog.org

Lots of costly equipment procured, no one around to even notice because there are so few officers that require it. What a sham.

 

[Jay911]

I kept it to myself at the time, but indeed when this report first came out, I was a little bemused that Americans are all uptight about the "militarization" of their police forces, and here we have recommendations that Canadian forces need more firepower. And frankly I agree with the recommendation. The criminals are bringing serious heat to the party - it only makes sense to equip the men and women we expect to defend us from the criminals with at the very least enough to put them on equal footing.

 

[kayn1n32008]

I kept it to myself at the time, but indeed when this report first came out, I was a little bemused that Americans are all uptight about the "militarization" of their police forces, and here we have recommendations that Canadian forces need more firepower. And frankly I agree with the recommendation. The criminals are bringing serious heat to the party - it only makes sense to equip the men and women we expect to defend us from the criminals with at the very least enough to put them on equal footing.

I have to completely agree with you Jay911, when folk stadt shooting at law enforcement with big bore, auto loading rifles, shotguns and pistols are not nearly adequate enough to fight back with. While i do not think carbines need to be pulled out at every turn, having every patrol officer train in their use, and equiped with a carbine in their patrol vehicle is essential for not only their own safety, but the general publics as well.

 

[MTS2000des]

The problem with militarizing the police is there is, where does one draw the line. Not trying to start a US and Canada war, because our poop does certainly stink, but that is one of the reasons we have the 2nd amendment where ALL citizens (not just the police and military) can be lawfully armed without having to ask permission of the government.

The idea was to provide for our own defense against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic, including terrorists, criminals and thugs. No matter how armed or equipped the police are, unless the are on every corner, they cannot be everywhere all the time and contrary to popular belief, are NOT responsible for the personal safety of others.

This is why having an armed populace has an advantage. People have to handle their own affairs. Spending trillions of dollars to create a police state is not only impractical and wasteful, but the long term implications of what governments can do with that power (especially when the people lack the means to defend themselves against such a tyrannical government) are not worth it.

The argument that criminals are outgunning the cops just reinforces why citizens should not be criminalized for owning guns. Armed law abiding citizens are a better idea than turning civilian police into a militarized occupational force. Once that happens, the floodgates are open to totalitarianism.

 

[Jay911]

I'm not looking to get into the gun debate either, except to say just this - the situations in Canada over the past year or two haven't been ones where civilians, armed or not, would have a chance to intervene. Almost all of them were targeted actions against either police or military personnel, and those that weren't already had police on scene which IMO nullifies any benefit of having armed civilians present to negate the threat.

 

[MTS2000des]

I'm not looking to get into the gun debate either, except to say just this - the situations in Canada over the past year or two haven't been ones where civilians, armed or not, would have a chance to intervene. Almost all of them were targeted actions against either police or military personnel, and those that weren't already had police on scene which IMO nullifies any benefit of having armed civilians present to negate the threat.

Jay911,

I hear you. We in the US also have an increasing threat to our law enforcement. What has happened in NYC and other cities is prime example of this. However I don't think that turning the police into the military is the answer, as this can be a one way street towards unintended consequences. We've already seen the abuse and absurdity that is the Dept. of Homeland Incompetence here in the states.

Learn from our mistakes. Don't repeat our history. I can certainly support more training and updated equipment for all public safety personnel, but the ultimate answer is MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT not making the existing few into some para-military organization. Bad things can happen. Maybe not in Canada, which doesn't seem to be overrun with corporate control like we are in the USA, but it can lead to a road your citizens may not wish to go down.

I'll leave it at that.