Canadian Problems: Misconduct Allegations Rock BC Police &
Oversight
Misconduct allegations rock B.C. police
— By
DIRK MEISSNER
The Canadian Press VICTORIA -- The second in command for dealing
with complaints against police in British Columbia has accused her boss
of orchestrating back-room deals with police, misleading the provincial
solicitor general and the media and abusing taxpayers' money.
Barbara Murphy made the explosive allegations Wednesday in front
of a legislature committee reviewing the office of the B.C. police
complaints commissioner.
Murphy also told the committee that her boss, Don Morrison, tried
to intimidate and threaten her when she insisted on testifying.
Murphy said Morrison told her: "If you're going to speak to that
committee, you better get yourself a good lawyer."
She described Morrison as an office tyrant who demeans and
berates staff and often resorts to manipulation, intimidation and bully
tactics.
"There was a whole atmosphere of intimidation" in the office,
Murphy told the committee.
"He did everything in his power to influence what was going to
happen," Murphy also said.
A legislative committee reviewing B.C.'s police complaint process
has heard testimony that Morrison would rather socialize with police
than investigate complaints of misconduct.
"The commissioner routinely makes the assertion that he is
credited with having more power than a Supreme Court justice," Murphy
said. "I hope that statement sets off alarm bells."
Committee chairman John Nuraney said Murphy's testimony about
back-room deals with police was "disturbing."
"What we may want to do now is seek some kind of guidance from
the legal counsel as to what are the parameters of our mandate and what
is it we can do at this stage," he said.
During the hearing, Murphy agreed with Nuraney when he suggested
she was accusing Morrison of gross misconduct.
"I urge this committee to also make recommendations relating to
the need for integrity on the part of the commissioner and all his
staff," she said.
Testimony is scheduled to continue until May, followed by a
report in August, but Murphy's testimony could alter the process,
Nuraney said.
Morrison, a former Crown prosecutor, has been invited to testify
before the committee, but a date has not been set.
He has described the current controversy as a personal attack
made by former colleagues. He issued an earlier statement saying he was
confident he would be cleared by his own staff.
He was appointed as the province's first police complaints
commissioner in 1998.
Morrison could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Two police cases have fuelled the allegations against Morrison.
One involves an aboriginal man who froze to death after being arrested
and released by Vancouver police and the other concerns a Vancouver
police detective permitted to take sick leave and retire before facing a
disciplinary hearing.
Morrison ignored repeated recommendations from his staff to hold
a public hearing into the December 1998 death of Frank Paul, Murphy
said.
Paul was intoxicated and barely mobile when taken to Vancouver
jail cells by two officers. Later, the officers tried to take him to a
detox centre, but when he was refused Paul was left in an alley in
Vancouver's downtown east side, where he died, the committee heard.
After closed-door meetings between Morrison and police brass, a
junior officer received a one-day suspension and the senior officer was
suspended for two days, Murphy said.
She also accused Morrison of misleading and manipulating the
media in a case involving retired Vancouver detective Murray Phillips.
When it was reported last October in the media that Morrison and
police lawyers worked out a deal that allowed Phillips to avoid a
disciplinary hearing by retiring, Morrison told Murphy to deny the
allegations even though Morrison was part of the deal, Murphy said.
"He authorized me to use the phrase, 'we are morally outraged,"'
Murphy said.
She said Morrison told her give solicitor general Rich Coleman
the brush-off if he calls for advice or information on cases.
"
'You just tell the solicitor general this case is closed,'"
Murphy said.
Morrison hired lawyers he wanted and ignored financial inquiries
from the government, she said.
Murphy said his stock response to government inquiries was, '"Are
they telling me I can't hire the lawyer I want?'"
Outside the hearing, Murphy said she will report for work Friday.
She said she was relieved to be able to testify before a
government committee monitoring her work place.
"This type of process, and I know it's been referred to as a
whistle-blower type of process, but what I find interesting is that
what's happening right now is not blowing the whistle on government,
it's blowing the whistle to government," Murphy said.