Pickton – Can an inquiry help?
I can’t even begin to express the sadness I feel for the victims of Robert Pickton and their families. As this tragedy unfolded from discovery of evidence through to the court process, it seem unfathomable that it could take so long for police to get and prosecute this man. Years go by and still we are hashing through the truths that emerge about the case and subsequent blunders/miscommunication between two police forces.
The voices grow for an inquiry as we seek more answers. We want to show our respect for the women who lost their lives; to act and speak on their behalf. To implement protocol and accountability to prevent future breakdowns. To deal with the frustration and feelings of helplessness that comes from an injured system.
It goes without saying it is hard to find closure in this when we are talking about so many lives; whether we assign 26, 49 or 100 it was one death too many. There is no doubt in my mind he (and maybe others) were able to continue killing because of the way we as a society view these women. They are disposable, living a high risk life with multiple issues and we are simply not prepared to appreciate, empathize or look deep into their existence and our role.
They stayed under the radar of police and news worthiness because it wasn’t a series of women in my neighbourhood disappearing on their evening stroll. Thankfully, eventually the media played and plays a role in keeping this top of mind. Why am I thankful? Without that spotlight, featuring the families and organizations that aim to expose the inequities of justice, we the public would go on to the next tragedy and these women would fade even further from our view and consciousness.
Can an inquiry help? I believe it can. Providing, concrete steps are taken to ensure understanding and compliance with recommendations.
Inquiries can be time consuming and expensive but those are not good enough reasons to silence this particular issue. We have a responsibility to get to the bottom of this, we can not trust that this was only one bad situation that won’t be repeated. Yes, the Vancouver Police Department has some openness, maybe the RCMP will come around to examination of the facts but we the public must exercise our due dillegence! Many lives were lost on their watch, it was a mass murder of women.
These mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins may have lacked the self esteem and ability to advocate for a better life. Abandoned, abused, abusers or survivors it is important we do right by them once and for all. As I sat at one social gathering a few weeks back, the topic of Pickton came up. One guy said, “He did us a favour.” Briefly proceeding to say “those women deserved it.” As he went to continue his venom I turned around and said “I don’t agree with you!” “They didn’t deserve it, I have met with women who have lived and worked on our streets, they don’t deserve this!” I chose not to continue dialogue with this man, it is a waste of breath. The use and abuse on women continues because of attitudes such as that.
I want justice for each of these women. If it can not be in the form of a voice in court or a sentence increase, then at least let us here the truth and implement change that addresses not only the systemic breakdown but gives rise to a new way of supporting women to not need or be lured into the survival sex trade. Prosecute Johns heavily and put a magnifiying glass on the street pimps and traffickers that make women vulnerable to people like Pickton. Give answers, tell me what went wrong and fix it!
What do you think? Should there be an inquiry and what would you hope comes from it?
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“Be careful what you wish for….” that is a very well known and oft used phrase.
Public Enquiries are becoming very common both here in the U.K. and in Canada
Our own recently concluded and emormously costly, CHILCOTT Enquiry into the causes and events that lead us into the recent disastrous IRAQ WAR, is just one example.
CANADA’s long running AIR INDIA ENQUIRY is yet another….Positive changes and outcomes from these costly and time consuming exercises are limited. COSTS run into the billions or millions of Dollars and/or Pounds.
Is anybody really held to account?
Accountable agencies may implement some changes,such as the VPD Missing Persons Unit, Profilers and Analysts numbers and systems will increase.
Apologies will be given.
The reality is that people on the lower strata of society are always the ones who have suffered and been killed, throughout history.
Frontline soldiers and body bags, still, often come from the poorest and highest areas of unemployment of most countries.
People with alcohol/ drug habits, or are homeless, are more likely to become victims of violence.
Are Public Enquiries the answer?
A resounding NO!
Instead, let us turn our energies into fighting the causes of drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, ANGER and VIOLENCE.
I find that working in those areas is time consuming but such efforts are so much more rewarding in the long term than any Government Committee could ever be.
Thank you for your thoughts regarding the effectiveness of inquiries. The Government has announced the full inquiry and the VPD and RCMP are behind the need to have questions answered. Yes, the debate begins on what this inquiry should and shouldn’t do.
The Braidwood Inquiry looked at the death of Mr. Dziekanski and in so doing exposed the role of tasers, procedure breakdowns from police to airport authorities. It was determined to be successful in revealing truths and changing policies but maybe that was because it had clearly defined goals that appeared to be considered with time in mind.
There is a call for a more broad spectrum approach with Pickton’s inquiry but not to rehash the case. However, I agree with you time and money needs to be put towards the underlying causes that place anyone, especially these women, in poverty, addiction and other situations.
They are in such vulnerable positions to be exploited, picked off and unprotected by those paid to protect and investigate. It would be costly and time consuming to open up the causes in an inquiry, I know, but it is the “what if” scenarios playing out in my head. What if the police departments truly changed policies, procedures and worked cooperatively with each other in support of all missing persons? What if it makes the police listen to the public when they bring to their attention consistent information? What if it could produced an opportunity for the families to feel something remotely positive came from the deaths of their loved one? (As we know there is never a full sense of closure) What if it expanded and allowed for implementation of checks, balances and real services that address the underlying causes that force women into the sex trade in all its forms?
I’m willing to have money spent to see if any one of those things comes to see the light of day but the skeptic in me asks the same question as you did “Is anybody really held to account?” ….I guess we will soon find out.
The difficulty with this “Missing Women Enquiry” is partially that its scope is far too broad ranging and multi jurisdictional.
The majority of the original players are either no longer there, moved on, or long retired, making actual change and accountability, next to impossible.
In addition to it being a highly emotively charged issue.
Families want solutions and answers.
The Government has responded with this Enquiry announcement.
Problems? You Betcha!
Just some of them being…
Attempting to alter entrenched attitudes, assumptions and perceptions.
Breaking down strong Institutionlised territorial barriers between VPD and different RCMP detachments.
Involvement of U.S. Green River Task Force, who were looking at possible links to their 60 murdered women cases, who had similar profiles, all during the same time period, but a different convicted killer.
Events will be and are being viewed through the 20/20 Hindsight glasses and the “Would have/Could have/ Should have/view finder.”
The Braidwood enquiry was an easy and almost clear cut case compared with this one.(In summary…Young in service officers, Little supervision, Taser protocol breaches, poor assessment & responses?)
On the plus side, in major cases, we now have far more Analysts, high grade DNA collection/retrieval, profilers and VICLAS type systems , which all help to bring about speedier pattern identification and aid court conviction rates, (i.e. the recent Ipswich Prostitute Murders.)
I not only fear that your B.C. Treasury Funds will be severely financially impacted, I can more or less guarantee that this “Enquiry” will only give the appearance of achieving something, without actually doing something.
Another case of “Smoke and Mirrors”, perhaps, as a result of public clamour?
Thanks again, that really is interesting. I guess we will have to see what transpires. Like most things I lean toward hope for change while keeping a cautious eye on the drama that has and will unfold. I guess it comes down that sense of helplessness, maybe all these inquiries just serve to make us think that someone listened, as you say “smoke and mirrors.” Regardless, it is off and running.