Inspiring response to a terrible tragedy

I’ve never met Dallas Courchene, but I’d sure like to.

If I did, I would tell him that his clarity of thought, his compassion and his honesty this week during a very dark period of his life is nothing short of extraordinary.

Courchene’s older brother Eric Daniels was fatally shot by police over the weekend after officers say Daniels threatened them with a machete and refused to drop it.

Daniels was aboriginal. And the temptation by some in this city when an aboriginal person is shot after threatening the lives of police officers is to accuse cops of racism, even in the absence of evidence to support the claim.

Not so for Courchene, who is also aboriginal.

In fact, he says he’s grown tired of those baseless, malicious accusations and says it’s time for people to start taking responsibility for their actions.

“My brother was responsible for his actions and he decided to do what he did even though he was drunk or intoxicated,” said Courchene. “I’ve had enough of aboriginals blaming police and saying it’s racism. I’m aboriginal myself and I’m sick and tired of it.”

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A thought provoking article. Perhaps if we as a society decide to take on the same sense of values and responsibility as Dallas Courchene, then Eric Daniels might still be alive. Read the full story here.

Dogs used in search for Highway of Tears victim

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — Police were using search dogs and a backhoe Sunday in their continued hunt for the remains of a young Alberta woman who went missing more than seven years ago along British Columbia’s Highway of Tears.

RCMP were also searching for a mystery man, who they say could help them discover what happened to Nicole Hoar, a 25-year-old treeplanter from Red Deer, Alta., who disappeared near Prince George in central B.C. in 2002.

Police late last week descended on a two-hectare rural lot in the small lumber town of Isle Pierre, about 50 kilometres northwest of Prince George in central B.C. — a property once owned by a convicted murderer.

RCMP Cpl. Annie Linteau said Sunday that police had nearly finished their search at an unauthorized dumping area near Prince George but were awaiting the results of some tests before moving on.

“We’ve completed the search of the [dump] site,” Linteau said. “We’re just following up because there was a vehicle of interest at that location and we’re just continuing to examine the vehicle forensically and determine who the owner is and if there’s any relationship between the vehicle and our investigation.”

Two dogs were searching the Isle Pierre property Sunday while a backhoe was digging in the back corner of the rectangular plot of land.

Linteau said even if RCMP locate Hoar’s remains Sunday, they would likely not publicize the information until materials were analyzed in a police lab. RCMP are still seeking tips from the public on Hoar’s disappearance.

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Some bloggers have commented that perhaps the Highway of Tears is only a part of a larger area, and one or more individuals are kidnapping women across North America. The RCMP and various local law enforcement groups need better financial support to build databases and coordinate their efforts.

Read the entire story here.

Funding doubles for Highway of Tears investigation, but is it enough?

VANCOUVER – An investigative police team probing the murders or disappearances of 18 young women in northern B.C. has increased it budget to $3.6 million this year, up from $2.1 million spent in previous years, police announced Thursday.

The announcement came after members of the E-Pana investigation team spent most of the day Thursday meeting in Surrey with family members of the 18 women who were murdered or went missing along highways in northern B.C. and the Interior.

“The RCMP is fully committed to pursuing each of the identified investigations in order to bring successful conclusion to as many of the investigations as possible and closure to the families” Vancouver RCMP Chief Supt. Richard Bent said in a prepared statement after the meeting.

He assured the victims’ families that the RCMP is committed to catch “the person or persons responsible for their loved ones disappearance or murder.”

18 young women go missing along the Highway of Tears, but how many more cases could be related across Canada? Does the RCMP receive the necessary funding to develop tools in order to properly track and coorelate missing persons across the country?

Read the full story here.

First Nation wants better service from RCMP

The Moosomin First Nation was mentioned in another article, but that story had very different content. There seems to be a lot happening in this tiny community.

Upset with how the search for an attempted murder suspect was handled, leaders on a First Nation near North Battleford, Sask., say they need better service from the RCMP.

The band council wants the RCMP to contact them directly when issuing news releases, so they can ensure the right information gets out to band members, Kahpeaysewat said.

The band also says it wants an increased police presence on the reserve, saying members are struggling with drugs, alcohol and violence.

Responding to the issues raised by the band, RCMP Sgt. Carole Raymond said the force is still working out the practical details of the 2001 policing agreement.

Struggling with the details of an agreement from 2001? It sounds like the RCMP, First Nation, or both parties are not really trying to help the community. Read the full article here.

Banning alcohol in First Nation community

Officials with a First Nation in Saskatchewan say they’re getting tough on crime, with plans to ban alcohol and to cut financial and housing support for anyone involved in drug dealing or other serious illegal activities. Following a rash of violence, the Moosomin First Nation band council agreed this month to establish a “no alcohol bylaw,” says a joint news release issued on Tuesday by the band and local RCMP.

It is about time. See the full article here.