Criticize photo radar program, get framed by cops?

[Zim Hosein]

Criticize photo radar program, get framed by cops?

When a Canadian journalist dared to write a column criticizing the photo radar program used in Edmonton, Alberta, the local cops apparently decided to get even.

Staff Sgt. Bill Newton looked up the name of journalist Kerry Diotte in an ostensibly official-use-only police database, found Diotte's license plate and home address, and asked his colleagues to look out for Diotte's BMW convertible, according to a report Wednesday in the Edmonton Sun. (Diotte is a columnist for the newspaper.)

The cops tracked down Diotte in a bar and planned to nab him on drunk driving charges. But he took a cab home instead. Now Sgt. Newton is -- appropriately, it seems -- facing a disciplinary hearing.

Criticize photo radar program, get framed by cops? :Q

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Dumb rednecks exist north of the border too, you know.

- M4H

 

[frankgomez75]

HA! HA!

 

[PokerGuy]

I firmly believe that people in a position of power (for example, an officer with access to personal information) should be held to a higher standard when it comes to abuse of power. The cop should be thrown in jail for a few years to make sure that other cops don't similarly abuse theirs. 99% of cops are good, but all it takes is one.....

 

[Vic]

Not surprising in the least. A roughly similar event happened here in the Portland area a few years ago. Several cops lost their jobs, and the lawsuit cost the city of Tigard, OR a tidy sum.

 

[Bootprint]

I hope the officer loses his CPIC privileges for good.


More info on the Edmonton police, including this event.

 

[tami]

there's a saying about most cops being corrupt themselves...

 

[mwtgg]

What a douchebag.

 

[mugs]

That's not what framing someone is. Framing someone is making it look like they committed a crime he didn't commit. They were trying to catch him committing a crime they thought he was going to commit.

 

[jalaram]

Bad cop, no doughnut for you.

 

[MazerRackham]

Them Dukes them Dukes!!!!!

 

[Bozono]

That's prowling moreso than framing. The Edmonton poloce force are mean sonsab!tches though!

 

[Bootprint]

From another website,

"On Nov. 18, 2004, seven city police officers staked out a downtown bar for more than four hours during an informal gathering sponsored by the local chapter of the Canadian Association of Journalists, of which Diotte is president. Ignasiak attended because he is active in the local Liberal party.

The police stakeout came to light because a Sun newspaper reporter monitoring a police scanner on that evening heard comments relating to Diotte. Rayner subsequently ordered an internal investigation, despite calls from the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association and others that an outside force be called in."

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: tami
there's a saying about most cops being corrupt themselves...

And there's a saying about stupid people believing sayings to be true.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: mugs
That's not what framing someone is. Framing someone is making it look like they committed a crime he didn't commit. They were trying to catch him committing a crime they thought he was going to commit.

This is true. They didn't frame anyone, but they horribly misallocated resources for a political target.

 

[CanOWorms]

I thought that they were trying to catch him driving home after having a drink while he wasn't actually drunk and claim him as drunk. It isn't a very informative article.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I thought that they were trying to catch him driving home after having a drink while he wasn't actually drunk and claim him as drunk. It isn't a very informative article.

If he wasn't drunk it wouldn't go anywhere. It's not like the courts are going to just automatically convict. It would be a PR nightmare.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: tami
there's a saying about most cops being corrupt themselves...

And there's a saying about stupid people believing sayings to be true.

:Q

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I thought that they were trying to catch him driving home after having a drink while he wasn't actually drunk and claim him as drunk. It isn't a very informative article.

If he wasn't drunk it wouldn't go anywhere. It's not like the courts are going to just automatically convict. It would be a PR nightmare.

It would probably be a pretty big hit to his career if he was even charged. Bad PR nightmare for him considering his profession, club, and politics.

 

[DAGTA]

Originally posted by: PokerGuy
I firmly believe that people in a position of power (for example, an officer with access to personal information) should be held to a higher standard when it comes to abuse of power. The cop should be thrown in jail for a few years to make sure that other cops don't similarly abuse theirs. 99% of cops are good, but all it takes is one.....

99% ???!!! Where do you live that you have so many honest and good cops? I'd guess the average to be closer to 50%.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I thought that they were trying to catch him driving home after having a drink while he wasn't actually drunk and claim him as drunk. It isn't a very informative article.

If he wasn't drunk it wouldn't go anywhere. It's not like the courts are going to just automatically convict. It would be a PR nightmare.

It would probably be a pretty big hit to his career if he was even charged. Bad PR nightmare for him considering his profession, club, and politics.

As a journalist he has immediate access to the media. The police are already villanized by a large segment of the population due to the nature of the job itself, so all it would take are claims of misconduct with even the slightest shred of truth to get people to decry abuse of power, let alone what would happen if those claims were completely truthful.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: DAGTA

Originally posted by: PokerGuy
I firmly believe that people in a position of power (for example, an officer with access to personal information) should be held to a higher standard when it comes to abuse of power. The cop should be thrown in jail for a few years to make sure that other cops don't similarly abuse theirs. 99% of cops are good, but all it takes is one.....

99% ???!!! Where do you live that you have so many honest and good cops? I'd make a completely uneducated guess based on my personal feelings toward those in authority for the average to be closer to 50%.

Fixed for clarity.

 

[acemcmac]

wow, that's so so so wrong

 

[brxndxn]

Originally posted by: DAGTA

Originally posted by: PokerGuy
I firmly believe that people in a position of power (for example, an officer with access to personal information) should be held to a higher standard when it comes to abuse of power. The cop should be thrown in jail for a few years to make sure that other cops don't similarly abuse theirs. 99% of cops are good, but all it takes is one.....

99% ???!!! Where do you live that you have so many honest and good cops? I'd guess the average to be closer to 50%.

I'd say about 8% here in Gainesville... But that 8% is just assuming since I haven't encountered any of the 8%. I've been in two accidents that weren't my fault.. both reports were filled out with errors on them. I've seen cops pick fights with drunk people leaving a bar at 2am. I got pushed by a cop for no reason when he was breaking up a party. I got 15mph added to the actual speed I was going on my speeding ticket (making it cost $200 more).

Oh ya.. On my way to the Gators v. Tennessee game, I saw cops going up to the Tennessee fans (walking) and making them pour out their beers. They left the Gator fans alone. Everyone tailgaits all over UF's campus before the game... but there is an open container law.. so the cops just enforce it for the away team. That's pretty sh!tty if you ask me. Ya, they're retarded Tennessee fans.. but it'd be nice to let them get drunk just like everyone else..

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: bradruth

As a journalist he has immediate access to the media. The police are already villanized by a large segment of the population due to the nature of the job itself, so all it would take are claims of misconduct with even the slightest shred of truth to get people to decry abuse of power, let alone what would happen if those claims were completely truthful.

I actually just read the newspaper article (I didn't see the link before) and it seems that they thought he was a habitual drunk driver.