Brad Sallows
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Parts of Victoria, maybe. But the greater Victoria area, and all of the Saanich peninsula plus the communities west of Victoria, are decent.
Victoria is facing a public-safety crisis
- Thread starter daftandbarmy
- Start date
Parts of Victoria, maybe. But the greater Victoria area, and all of the Saanich peninsula plus the communities west of Victoria, are decent.
daftandbarmy
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Absolutely agree. The chaos is restricted mainly to a few blocks in the core of downtown.
Meanwhile, Victoria Police are hiring. Looks like the danger pay is being handed out 'up front'
Victoria police offer $20,000 hiring bonus, seek 12 new experienced officers
The department wants to hire 12 experienced police officers to work in patrol and respond to 911 calls. Currently, about 35 of its 249 officers are unable to work on the front lines, Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said Tuesday.
“We need officers now,” said Manak. “We are serious about getting experienced officers hired at the earliest possible opportunity. It will be faster than having recruits going to the police academy, which takes eight or nine months before they’re actually deployed.”
The chief knows he doesn’t have to sell people on the advantages of living in Victoria or elsewhere on southern Vancouver Island, even though it’s one of the most expensive places to live in Canada. Manak hopes the $20,000 bonus will give anyone who has thought of moving here or wants a career change the incentive to apply now.
“We thought $20,000 would get people’s attention. If they are considering relocating, that amount would be sufficient. We felt anything short of that might not be competitive,” said the chief.
Victoria police offer $20,000 hiring bonus, seek 12 new experienced officers
Department says it is in urgent need of more frontline officers
www.timescolonist.com
medicineman
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20K gets you a downpayment on a small shack IIRC right?
daftandbarmy
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Jordan River…In Sooke, yes
medicineman
Army.ca Legend
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Port San Juan...maybe.
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Youbou…
daftandbarmy
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Colin Parkinson
Army.ca Myth
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The place where men stare at goats
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…and the goats stare back.
daftandbarmy
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He was probably from Victoria....
www.vicnews.com
Woman hit with bicycle after confronting cyclist on Langford sidewalk
Suspect was arrested and released for future court date
Woman hit with bicycle after confronting cyclist on Langford sidewalk
Suspect was arrested and released for future court date
www.vicnews.com
daftandbarmy
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Holy crap....
File: 21-46927
Victoria, BC – Officers arrested a man with a history of random assaults yesterday after he struck a woman several times through her open vehicle window while she was driving on Cook Street.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23rd, Patrol officers responded to a report that a woman was attacked by a pedestrian while driving on Cook Street. The woman was driving southbound on Cook Street, approaching the intersection at Johnson Street, when she encountered a man in the middle of the crosswalk. The man did not have a walk signal.
The woman proceeded slowly around the man and he again moved in front of her vehicle. The woman opened her vehicle’s window and asked the man to move out of the way, at which point he reached into her open window and punched her several times. Thankfully, nearby construction workers came to the woman’s aid and pulled the suspect away from the vehicle, despite his resistance. The construction workers held on to the suspect until police arrived.
Officers arrived on scene and took the man into custody without further incident. The woman was not seriously injured and did not require immediate medical attention.
Officers transported the suspect to VicPD cells where he was held in custody to await a bail hearing.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Victoria man, faces recommended charges of assault and mischief. He is the subject of 15 previous criminal convictions for assault, many of which are random and unprovoked incidents.
This incident remains under investigation. If you have information about this incident, please call our Report Desk and (250) 995-7654, extension
Man Arrested After Random Assault On Motorist
Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2021File: 21-46927
Victoria, BC – Officers arrested a man with a history of random assaults yesterday after he struck a woman several times through her open vehicle window while she was driving on Cook Street.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23rd, Patrol officers responded to a report that a woman was attacked by a pedestrian while driving on Cook Street. The woman was driving southbound on Cook Street, approaching the intersection at Johnson Street, when she encountered a man in the middle of the crosswalk. The man did not have a walk signal.
The woman proceeded slowly around the man and he again moved in front of her vehicle. The woman opened her vehicle’s window and asked the man to move out of the way, at which point he reached into her open window and punched her several times. Thankfully, nearby construction workers came to the woman’s aid and pulled the suspect away from the vehicle, despite his resistance. The construction workers held on to the suspect until police arrived.
Officers arrived on scene and took the man into custody without further incident. The woman was not seriously injured and did not require immediate medical attention.
Officers transported the suspect to VicPD cells where he was held in custody to await a bail hearing.
The suspect, a 42-year-old Victoria man, faces recommended charges of assault and mischief. He is the subject of 15 previous criminal convictions for assault, many of which are random and unprovoked incidents.
This incident remains under investigation. If you have information about this incident, please call our Report Desk and (250) 995-7654, extension
Man Arrested After Random Assault On Motorist
Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2021 File: 21-46927 Victoria, BC – Officers arrested a man with a history of random assaults yesterday after he struck a
vicpd.ca
Man Arrested After Random Assault On Motorist
Date: Wednesday, November 24, 2021 File: 21-46927 Victoria, BC – Officers arrested a man with a history of random assaults yesterday after he struck a
vicpd.ca
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Defund the police, they said…
Let everyone out on bail, they said…
Get rid of institutional mental health facilities, they said…
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Who’d a thunk…
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Sounds like they can just hang up on you now.
B.C. 911 operators can now hang up on callers waiting for ambulances | Globalnews.ca
A new call transfer process announced by E-Comm allows its 911 operators to hang up while their callers wait to be connected with an ambulance.
globalnews.ca
daftandbarmy
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Sounds like they can just hang up on you now.
B.C. 911 operators can now hang up on callers waiting for ambulances | Globalnews.ca
A new call transfer process announced by E-Comm allows its 911 operators to hang up while their callers wait to be connected with an ambulance.
That should be well received (not).
daftandbarmy
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Wow... this is horrible...
Katrine Conroy received minor injuries and was treated in hospital after encountering an unknown person as she was walking in the area of the B.C. legislature between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
Victoria police are looking for witnesses and additional information after Forests Minister Katrine Conroy was knocked down and injured Tuesday night.
She received minor injuries and was treated in hospital after encountering an unknown person as she was walking in the area of the B.C. legislature between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
Police say someone might have helped her afterward and they would like to speak to that individual.
www.timescolonist.com
Police seek witnesses after forests minister knocked down near legislature
Katrine Conroy received minor injuries and was treated in hospital after encountering an unknown person as she was walking in the area of the B.C. legislature between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
Victoria police are looking for witnesses and additional information after Forests Minister Katrine Conroy was knocked down and injured Tuesday night.
She received minor injuries and was treated in hospital after encountering an unknown person as she was walking in the area of the B.C. legislature between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
Police say someone might have helped her afterward and they would like to speak to that individual.
Police seek witnesses after forests minister knocked down near legislature
Katrine Conroy received minor injuries and was treated in hospital after encountering an unknown person as she was walking in the area of the B.C. legislature between 8 and 8:30 p.m.
www.timescolonist.com
Colin Parkinson
Army.ca Myth
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Nice to see they are democratizing violence and ensuring it's not limited by class.
daftandbarmy
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Survey says.... OMG:
Victoria police officers and staff report 'toxic' work culture
The study found low levels of morale and high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder among the force's officers.
A majority of officers and civilians employed by the Victoria Police Department describe their workplace as “toxic,” “negative” and “micromanaged.”
That’s the finding of a 186-page study, funded by both the police union and senior management, that looked into the well-being and mental health of Victoria police officers and civilian staff, and examined the department’s ability to respond to their needs.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak and union president Len Hollingsworth released a joint statement Wednesday, encouraging all staff to read the report while they review the recommendations.
“We welcome the information gathered in this report, as it will inform ways in which we can improve our workplace culture and help our people meet the challenges of our current operational environment … Gathering honest reflections from our team is a critical step in developing strategies to support the health and well-being of our staff,” they said.
The study found low levels of morale and high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder. Twenty-two per cent of officers and 24 per cent of civilians report clinical symptoms of PTSD. About 50 officers are on leave for various reasons. Patrol shifts are struggling to meet minimum staffing levels.
The study found the workplace culture is characterized by lack of trust and little communication between senior management and officers, “and a senior management team that is preoccupied with external events and stakeholders to the perceived detriment of the officers.”
Bullying and harassment are not the sources of stress, the researchers concluded.
“For many officers, the dynamics of life inside the building are more challenging than those faced on the street,” the study found.
Decision-making is not transparent, and rumours and stress surround impending decisions into which the rank-and-file have little input, it says.
“They also feel their opinions do not count in the organization and there will be consequences should they speak up and express their views. This includes disclosing mental health challenges.”
Both civilian employees and officers generally spoke favourably of their direct supervisors and were most likely to disclose their mental-health issues to them.
Officers identified workload, internal politics, lack of support from councils, the demands of frontline policing and police oversight as the top five stressors. Officers and civilians want to improve communication with “distant” senior managers.
A significant number of officers said the department was “an unhealthy environment” and their mental health wasn’t valued.
Staff say they often feel as if they are treated as a “resource” rather than a person. In addition, officers who are away from the department on leave often feel isolated and forgotten.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said the police board was very concerned when it learned that officers don’t feel they have the support from the department that they need to do their jobs.
“I’m glad, and the board is glad, that the chief and the union are going to take joint action to make VicPd a healthier workplace when it comes to taking mental-health issues and stress-related injuries seriously, providing the supports that are needed,” said Helps, co-chair of the police board.
“It’s probably a bit of a wake-up call for the department, for the management, for the union and for the board. The only thing you can do after getting survey results like this is take the recommended actions and make the workplace better.”
The mayor said she supports the creation of a disability prevention and return-to-work co-ordinator, which the union has requested.
“With mental-health injuries, the more support people have, the more they feel supported, the sooner they can return to work and that takes some of the stress off their colleagues. This survey will hopefully make this position come to reality pretty quickly.”
Helps says she wholeheartedly supports the officers and the police department. She advised those who don’t feel supported by council to “block out the comments they hear from individual councillors” and look at council’s record of endorsing and supporting the police budget each year.
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins said there are many things in the survey the police board has to take a look at.
“I know the chief and senior management are working with the union on how to move things forward. The board wants to understand all of the steps and what we can do,” said Desjardins, who co-chairs the police board with Helps.
Clearly, the officers have been under a lot of stress as front-line workers during COVID and dealing with significant challenges in Victoria, she said.
The Mental Health and Well-Being Project was prepared by Curt Griffiths of Simon Fraser University’s school of criminology, Eli Sopow of University Canada West and Joshua Murphy of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s department of criminology.
Seventy-nine per cent of officers and 47 per cent of civilians responded to an online survey, answering questions about workplace culture, stress and stressors, stigma and psychological health.
Victoria police officers and staff report 'toxic' work culture
Victoria police officers and staff report 'toxic' work culture
The study found low levels of morale and high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder among the force's officers.
A majority of officers and civilians employed by the Victoria Police Department describe their workplace as “toxic,” “negative” and “micromanaged.”
That’s the finding of a 186-page study, funded by both the police union and senior management, that looked into the well-being and mental health of Victoria police officers and civilian staff, and examined the department’s ability to respond to their needs.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak and union president Len Hollingsworth released a joint statement Wednesday, encouraging all staff to read the report while they review the recommendations.
“We welcome the information gathered in this report, as it will inform ways in which we can improve our workplace culture and help our people meet the challenges of our current operational environment … Gathering honest reflections from our team is a critical step in developing strategies to support the health and well-being of our staff,” they said.
The study found low levels of morale and high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder. Twenty-two per cent of officers and 24 per cent of civilians report clinical symptoms of PTSD. About 50 officers are on leave for various reasons. Patrol shifts are struggling to meet minimum staffing levels.
The study found the workplace culture is characterized by lack of trust and little communication between senior management and officers, “and a senior management team that is preoccupied with external events and stakeholders to the perceived detriment of the officers.”
Bullying and harassment are not the sources of stress, the researchers concluded.
“For many officers, the dynamics of life inside the building are more challenging than those faced on the street,” the study found.
Decision-making is not transparent, and rumours and stress surround impending decisions into which the rank-and-file have little input, it says.
“They also feel their opinions do not count in the organization and there will be consequences should they speak up and express their views. This includes disclosing mental health challenges.”
Both civilian employees and officers generally spoke favourably of their direct supervisors and were most likely to disclose their mental-health issues to them.
Officers identified workload, internal politics, lack of support from councils, the demands of frontline policing and police oversight as the top five stressors. Officers and civilians want to improve communication with “distant” senior managers.
A significant number of officers said the department was “an unhealthy environment” and their mental health wasn’t valued.
Staff say they often feel as if they are treated as a “resource” rather than a person. In addition, officers who are away from the department on leave often feel isolated and forgotten.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said the police board was very concerned when it learned that officers don’t feel they have the support from the department that they need to do their jobs.
“I’m glad, and the board is glad, that the chief and the union are going to take joint action to make VicPd a healthier workplace when it comes to taking mental-health issues and stress-related injuries seriously, providing the supports that are needed,” said Helps, co-chair of the police board.
“It’s probably a bit of a wake-up call for the department, for the management, for the union and for the board. The only thing you can do after getting survey results like this is take the recommended actions and make the workplace better.”
The mayor said she supports the creation of a disability prevention and return-to-work co-ordinator, which the union has requested.
“With mental-health injuries, the more support people have, the more they feel supported, the sooner they can return to work and that takes some of the stress off their colleagues. This survey will hopefully make this position come to reality pretty quickly.”
Helps says she wholeheartedly supports the officers and the police department. She advised those who don’t feel supported by council to “block out the comments they hear from individual councillors” and look at council’s record of endorsing and supporting the police budget each year.
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins said there are many things in the survey the police board has to take a look at.
“I know the chief and senior management are working with the union on how to move things forward. The board wants to understand all of the steps and what we can do,” said Desjardins, who co-chairs the police board with Helps.
Clearly, the officers have been under a lot of stress as front-line workers during COVID and dealing with significant challenges in Victoria, she said.
The Mental Health and Well-Being Project was prepared by Curt Griffiths of Simon Fraser University’s school of criminology, Eli Sopow of University Canada West and Joshua Murphy of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s department of criminology.
Seventy-nine per cent of officers and 47 per cent of civilians responded to an online survey, answering questions about workplace culture, stress and stressors, stigma and psychological health.
Victoria police officers and staff report 'toxic' work culture
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