Cdn-Firearms Digest Wednesday, February 20 2008 Volume 11 : Number 231 In this issue: Cops warn women- The Vancouver Province Captors insisted victim smoke pot- The Vancouver Sun Cops hunt for alleged thief, parole runner- The Vancouver Prov. Shot man treated- The Vancouver Province Police dogs are chomping at bit for Olympics- Head of Taser inquiry not afraid to take unpopular stance- The Sun Victoria, Vancouver site of military exercises- Canwest News Vancouver follows New West's lead- The Vancouver Province Vancouver police seek jewel robbery suspect- The Vancouver Sun OOPs! Vancouver police seek jewel robbery suspect- Vancouver Sun Halifax tops in violent robbery- StatsCan says-The ChronicleHerald ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:39:07 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Cops warn women- The Vancouver Province Cops warn women http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=14edf9d2-781e-4ec7-9ea4-3e3db9b43753 The Province; News Services Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Police are warning women to be vigilant after a sexual assault in an apartment complex. A man followed a 22-year-old woman into her apartment building in the 1000-block Comox Street shortly after 4:30 a.m. Saturday and sexually assaulted her. The suspect is described as dark-skinned with a slim build, five feet seven inches tall, aged 20 to 30, with short, curly hair. © The Vancouver Province 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:51:45 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Captors insisted victim smoke pot- The Vancouver Sun Captors insisted victim smoke pot http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=a09b3462-812d-4a15-a921-c0d70955de8d A little levity at kidnapping trial Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 VANCOUVER - A 24-year-old man kidnapped at gunpoint almost two years ago recalled Tuesday how he smoked marijuana with his captors toward the end of his eight-day ordeal. "They were smoking marijuana and they asked me if I ever smoked marijuana and I said no," Graham McMynn said during his second day of testimony at the trial of five men who are accused of kidnapping and unlawful confinement. "They asked me if I wanted to try some and I said no," he said, adding they later insisted he try smoking some pot, so he did. "Did you inhale?" asked prosecutor Richard Cairns. "Yes, and I actually coughed and got laughed at," replied McMynn, prompting laughter from the public gallery at the trial, which began Monday and is expected to last four months. It was one of the few moments of levity during the testimony of McMynn, who recalled his days in captivity in great detail. He was kidnapped April 4, 2006, a few blocks from his parents' home in the wealthy Southlands neighbourhood of Vancouver. He and his girlfriend, who both attended the University of B.C. at the time, were on their way to school when a silver Honda blocked the path of McMynn's car. Two men armed with guns told McMynn and his girlfriend to get out and McMynn was ordered to get into the back seat of the Honda. One armed man took away the cellphone of McMynn's girlfriend, who memorized the licence plate of the car. It was found abandoned blocks away, at the spot where McMynn was transferred to a minivan. During the Crown's opening statement, the prosecutor said up to 400 police officers worked on the massive investigation, which used extensive surveillance and culminated in police raids on more than a dozen homes in the Metro Vancouver area. Police rescued McMynn from a Surrey home on April 12, 2006. He was relatively unharmed, with only a few scratches on his face. Charged with kidnapping and unlawful confinement are Jose Hernandez, Anh The Nguyen, Joshua Ponicappo, Sam Taun Vu and Van Van Vu. They remain in custody and have pleaded not guilty. McMynn recalled Tuesday that when he was first kidnapped, he was driven a short distance to a garage attached to a home, where he was held in a walk-in closet for the first three days. His hands were handcuffed behind his back, his ankles bound and duct tape wound around his head to cover his eyes. He recalled hearing a man with a high-pitched voice answer his cellphone outside the closet. "He opened the closet door and said 'On your knees,' " he testified. Why, McMynn asked. "I have to chop off your hand," the man replied. "Then he laughed about it," McMynn told B.C. Supreme Court Justice Arne Silverman, who is sitting without a jury. The witness recalled he was transferred to two other homes. He said his eyes were covered by duct tape so he never got to see his captors, but he got to know them by their voices, including one man who sounded like he was speaking Vietnamese to a woman at the second home where he was held captive. He said he was fed McDonald's takeout food at times and home-cooked meals of teriyaki chicken, pork and rice at other times. Once he was allowed to sit and listen to a Canucks hockey game as his captors watched it on TV, he said. He also recalled that one of his captors said they were going to ask for a $10-million ransom He said the leader of the group of kidnappers said McMynn was targeted because there was a Ferrari and Mercedes at the family's home. "He asked how much my dad would be willing to pay," McMynn recalled. He said he told the man if he was asking for a $100,000 ransom, his dad would definitely pay that, but if the ransom demand was $1 million, his dad would have to figure out how to raise that much cash. McMynn recalled the leader suggesting his dad could sell his business. McMynn testified he heard his captors playing cards at one point, making bets of $400 or more. He recalled one of the men was losing money, forcing him to bet his cellphone and a diamond earring. "I asked if they had so much money, what were they doing kidnapping me," McMynn recalled. "They said they weren't betting their own money, they were betting my dad's money." He was told by his captors that people are kidnapped for two reasons -- money and revenge. Those kidnapped for revenge, he recalled being told, should run because they get hurt, but those kidnapped for money are usually released. "They said they had kidnapped people before," McMynn testified. One of his captors said his group was contracted to kidnap McMynn and hold him, and another group would be making the ransom demand. But no ransom demand was ever made, despite two emotional public appeals by McMynn's parents for the kidnappers to call the family on "line 2." McMynn recalled after the kidnappers saw his father's appeal on television, they kept asking him for the number of the family's second phone line. "I don't think they ever wrote it down because they asked me numerous times," the witness told the court. McMynn is expected to continue his testimony today, with Jacqueline Tran, who was in the car with McMynn at the time of the kidnapping, scheduled to be the next witness. nhall@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Sun 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:36:52 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Cops hunt for alleged thief, parole runner- The Vancouver Prov. Cops hunt for alleged thief, parole runner http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=e7b6066f-f77c-4190-8040-55754ccbffb4 The Province; News Services Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 RCMP are looking for Michael James Peters, 26, wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for parole violations and in Kelowna for theft over $5,000. He fled on foot yesterday when Kamloops police tried to arrest him. He is described as five feet 11 inches tall, 186 pounds, with a medium build, brown eyes and short, brown hair. Peters should not be approached by the public, police say. © The Vancouver Province 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:41:26 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Shot man treated- The Vancouver Province Shot man treated http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=dffe7344-52ae-4680-bba8-39a6abed2cd7 The Province; News Services Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 A 44-year-old man is being treated for gunshot wounds after a shooting in Surrey. The man was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his lower body following a shooting at a basement suite in Newton at about 11:30 p.m. Monday. RCMP called the shooting a "targeted event." © The Vancouver Province 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:03:54 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Police dogs are chomping at bit for Olympics- Police dogs are chomping at bit for Olympics http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=7c00a20f-e1ed-4d89-8354-62d3ec196eec Image & Caption RCMP Const. Claudio Maurizio and his dog Racer put on a demonstration yesterday in Richmond showing how police dogs are being trained to search out explosives in anticipation of the 2010 Olympics. - -Wayne Leidenfrost, The Province Susan Lazaruk, The Province Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 So anxious are Riggs and Racer to get to work, their enthusiasm has to be restrained as they happily bound to their next assignments. All they get paid in return, and all they want, is a game of tug with the boss and, of course, plenty of praise. In a sense, the perfect employees. "There's a good sniffer dog, there's a good boy," says RCMP Const. Claudio Maurizio after Racer sits erect and motionless after sniffing out explosives planted in the cars of RCMP brass at the Vancouver 2010 Integrity Security Unit in Richmond. Maurizio tosses a soft chew toy to Racer and he explodes into an energetic frenzy, prancing away with the toy in his jaws before stopping to whip it back and forth. The team, led by the RCMP and including members of the Canadian Forces and the West Vancouver and Vancouver police departments, yesterday was showing off their German shepherds' acutely attuned sense of smell -- over a thousand times more powerful than a human's. The dogs are an important part of the "preventative approach" to security during the Olympics. The RCMP are preparing more dogs for 2010 and they and their handlers are training in Olympic venues during construction. The shepherds, bred by the RCMP at a facility in Innisfail, Alta., need 85 days of training to become police dogs and another 15 days to be trained to detect explosives. Candidates for police-dog work need high energy and drive and almost all are male, said handler RCMP Const. Luke Rettie. "They really want to please their handlers," he said. The dogs are rewarded, usually with a tug toy or a ball and play time. "We want the dog to do it because it's fun and not because he has to," said Rettie. The dogs live with their handlers and are, to a degree, family pets, but they live outside. "You won't see my dog lying at the foot of the bed or in front of the fire," said Rettie. slazaruk@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Province 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:14:09 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Head of Taser inquiry not afraid to take unpopular stance- The Sun Head of Taser inquiry not afraid to take unpopular stance http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=fdca0b31-7d77-42fb-92d9-f262f6dc3b29 But retired judge will need federal authorities' cooperation to initiate changes Ian Mulgrew, Vancouver Sun Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 British Columbia Attorney-General Wally Oppal has turned to a former Court of Appeal colleague steeled to controversy to fulfill promises to review Taser use. Thomas Braidwood, a retired justice who now works with MacKenzie Fujisawa LLP, is unlikely to disappoint his former bench-mate. Braidwood and Oppal sat together in 2004 -- just before the attorney-general turned to politics -- on a case that is surprisingly pertinent, given last week's sentencing in the Lee Matasi case. With Braidwood and now retired Justice Mary Southin concurring, Oppal wrote that a man convicted of a particularly vicious home-invasion killing deserved to serve at least 15 years in prison before being eligible for parole. Michael Troy Pelletier, who was 21 at the time, had received the mandatory life imprisonment and 10-year prohibition on parole eligibility for stomping an 81-year-old woman to death. The Oppal-Braidwood-Southin panel upped that and its decision remains a benchmark for sentencing in heinous second-degree murder cases. Just as that case was at the centre of a public maelstrom, so the use of Tasers has become an emotional cause celebre in the province. Braidwood graduated in law from the University of B.C. in 1956 and was called to the bar in 1957. He practised in Vancouver, was appointed to the B.C. Supreme Court in 1990 and the Court of Appeal six years later. He stepped down in 2005. Braidwood has been involved in plenty of notorious cases, including the extradition battles of former Nazi camp guard Michael Seifert and fugitive Thai banker Rakesh Saxena. He is most renowned, however, for his mid-1990s role as the judge in the gangland murder trial that produced rogue juror Gillian Guess. It was the longest Canadian murder trial in its day and cost a small fortune to mount. It ended in acquittals. But three thugs accused of the 1994 underworld hit were ordered to face a new trial because Braidwood failed to question Guess after he learned she was flirting with one of the accused killers during lunch breaks. Guess was sentenced to 18 months for obstruction of justice over the affair, which became fodder for global tabloids. Braidwood also upheld the anti-marijuana criminal law in a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada (which supported his ruling). He is used to being in the spotlight -- and he's not afraid of making unpopular calls. If the Taser should be banned, Braidwood is capable of saying that. Back in 2002, he reduced by six years the 13-year prison term handed a Prince George woman convicted of being a teenage sex offender for drugging and videotaping children. She was only 17 and 18 at the time she sexually assaulted four children, who were aged four, nine, 10 and 15. In Braidwood's opinion, appropriate attention was not given to her age or the fact she was a first-time offender. Not a popular view. His Taser inquiry should be completed by the end of June. But its impact may be muted -- only about 30 per cent of B.C. police officers (some 2,500) can be compelled to follow its recommendations. Victoria can't dictate policy to the 6,000 federally regulated Mounties who police most of B.C. New Democratic Party law-and-order clarion Mike Farnworth raised the expected and real concerns. I have little doubt that if the province bans Tasers, the RCMP will comply. Still the level of the force's participation in the inquiries is a worry. In terms of Braidwood's subsequent report into the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport -- how will other federal bodies such as the Canada Border Services Agency respond? After he delivers his Taser report, Braidwood is to "provide Mr. Dziekanski's family and the public with a complete record of the circumstances of and relating to" Dziekanski's death. He can make recommendations if warranted. I'm not sure how his focus will differ from the coroner's inquest set for May 5 to 16. We'll have to wait and see. Regardless, Braidwood requires full cooperation from the feds on both issues. Let's hope he gets it. imulgrew@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Sun 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:17:02 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Victoria, Vancouver site of military exercises- Canwest News Victoria, Vancouver site of military exercises http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=97545e00-2d74-42d8-ae10-d900006f8ce8 Canwest News Service Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 VICTORIA -- A week-long training exercise off Vancouver Island started at CFB Esquimalt yesterday, bringing together hundreds of military, police and government officials as part of the largest counter-terrorism exercise ever held in Canada. The training event, named Sea Barrier, is running in conjunction with another military training exercise in Vancouver called Initial Thunder. Both simulate a fictitious global-warming conference, called WarmEx 08, which comes under a security threat, said Lt.-Cmdr. Steve Jakes, exercise director. Teams will practise boarding and searching suspicious boats for illegal arms and cargo. Teams in Vancouver will simulate what happens when illegal shipments of radiological materials arrive at the Port of Vancouver. © The Vancouver Province 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:22:00 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Vancouver follows New West's lead- The Vancouver Province Vancouver follows New West's lead http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=997b7513-07eb-4ca0-94e3-0f5bd1555015 New program for landlords Lena Sin, The Province Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Vancouver landlords are being given a new tool to counter law-breaking tenants. The Crime-Free Multi-Housing initiative follows the success of other cities using similar schemes. "It's really important that high density doesn't equal high crime," Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said in announcing the initiative recently. "Our goal is to create as crime-free an environment as possible." New Westminster was the first city in Canada to employ the program, in 1995. A follow-up study concluded that certified buildings had fewer calls to police. The scheme trains building managers to screen prospective residents and teaches them the legislation available to stop illegal activity. Residents are trained to become the eyes and ears of their buildings. In Vancouver, the training will be conducted by police and the B.C. Crime Prevention Association. A new, full-time co-ordinator will also conduct building assessments and make recommendations on security issues. The city is targeting privately owned rental buildings in the hopes of stemming common complaints about drug-dealing and prostitution, said Coun. Kim Capri. Gerda Suess, a long-time owner of a certified crime-free building in New Westminster, said the key is prevention. The program has made a tremendous difference on her block, which used to have drug-dealing and prostitution, said Suess. "Today, if the needle falls at nighttime in the street, you'd hear it because it's so quiet. That's the difference," she said. Sullivan said he hopes at least a dozen Vancouver buildings will be certified by the end of the year. lsin@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Province 2008 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:27:13 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Vancouver police seek jewel robbery suspect- The Vancouver Sun Vancouver police seek jewel robbery suspect http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=c3648196-4343-4396-9c64-5eb8b54b172e&k=85397 Image & Caption Suspect in Brinkhaus Jewellers robbery on Feb. 15 Vancouver Sun Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 VANCOUVER -- Vancouver police have released a photo of a suspect wanted in a robbery at Brinkhaus Jewellers at 1018 West Georgia Street on Feb. 15. Police said two men walked into the store at 10:45 a.m., one of them brandishing a handgun. Store staff said they were ordered to the floor as the second man began to clean out display cabinets. Employees grabbed the second man and held him for police, but the man with the handgun escaped, a police news release said. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:45:46 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: OOPs! Vancouver police seek jewel robbery suspect- Vancouver Sun Uh....let's try this again, shall we. - -DRGJ Vancouver police seek jewel robbery suspect http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=c3648196-4343-4396-9c64-5eb8b54b172e&k=85397 Image & Caption Suspect in Brinkhaus Jewellers robbery on Feb. 15 Vancouver Sun Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2008 VANCOUVER -- Vancouver police have released a photo of a suspect wanted in a robbery at Brinkhaus Jewellers at 1018 West Georgia Street on Feb. 15. Police said two men walked into the store at 10:45 a.m., one of them brandishing a handgun. Store staff said they were ordered to the floor as the second man began to clean out display cabinets. Employees grabbed the second man and held him for police, but the man with the handgun escaped, a police news release said. The suspect who fled was white, 35- to 40-years-old, about 5-8, with a stocky build and short brown hair. He was wearing a dark-coloured suit and a red shirt. Anyone recognizing the man is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or the Vancouver Police Robbery Squad at 604-717-2541. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:53:45 -0600 From: News@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Halifax tops in violent robbery- StatsCan says-The ChronicleHerald Halifax tops in violent robbery rate, StatsCan says http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9005607.html By DAVENE JEFFREY Staff Reporter and THE CANADIAN PRESS Wed. Feb 20 - 4:15 PM There may be more gun-toting robbers in Halifax per capita than in any other Canadian city, but police here say they are working on it. Statistics Canada released Wednesday its Firearms and Violent Crimes report based on 2006 numbers, which also showed that nationally, the use of guns by young people in violent crime is increasing. . According to the findings, the rate of robberies committed in Halifax with a gun is about double those of Vancouver and Toronto, the next highest cities. In 2006, nearly 1,000 robberies were committed with the use of a gun in Toronto. Halifax had only 116 similar robberies committed in the same year. But because of the differences in population between the two cities, the rate here is much higher — 30.4 for Halifax compared to 18.4 for Toronto. The numbers, however, come as no surprise to Halifax police. “We realized in 2005 that our numbers were high,” said Halifax police spokesman Const. Jeff Carr. “And, we’ve taken a number of steps within the last 12 to 18 months in an attempt to combat those numbers.” Those steps are making life much tougher for criminals. In 2005, the force began Operation Breach to crack down on people who are on house arrest or on curfews. The majority of crime is committed by repeat offenders, Const. Carr said. As well, police statistics show that 70 per cent of people violate their court-imposed release conditions, he said. The force has also put more officers on the beat and beefed up its quick response unit. And, those measures appear to be working. In 2007, the number of overall robberies committed in Halifax was down about 28 per cent and the number of robberies committed with guns in particular was down more than 30 per cent, Const. Carr said. While the force is quite happy with their own stats so far, the spokesman said they are eager to see how they stack up now against other cities across the country. Halifax should get its first peak at new national numbers next July, said Mia Dauvergne, a senior analyst with StatsCan. That’s when the federal agency releases its next crime statistics report, which should include the results of 2007. According to the recent survey, the high rate of robberies with guns in Nova Scotia, which is driven by Halifax, is a recent phenomenon. “Over the previous 10 years, rates have generally been highest in Quebec and British Columbia for this offence,” report reads. Across Canada, the use of firearms in violent crime remained stable for the fourth straight year in 2006, despite government claims that it is on the rise, StatsCan said. The figures were published amid a political furor over an omnibus crime-fighting bill the Conservative government is attempting to push through Parliament. Two of the five measures included in the legislation would have a bearing on gun crime: one to strengthen mandatory minimum sentences for firearms offences, another to toughen bail conditions for those awaiting trial on such offences. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has threatened to force a spring election unless the Liberal-dominated Senate speeds the bill into law by March 1. Police reported just over 8,100 victims of violent gun crime in 2006, accounting for 2.4 per cent of all violent incidents such as assaults, robberies and homicides. Handguns made up nearly two-thirds of all firearms used. The agency says other weapons were more commonly used in violent crimes — knives accounted for 6.2 per cent of incidents and clubs or other blunt instruments were used in three per cent. The rate among youths aged 12 to 17 accused of firearm-related offences — mostly robberies — has risen in three of the last four years for which statistics are available and was up 32 per cent from 2002. In 2006, 1,287 young people were accused of violent offences involving a firearm, or 2.8 per cent of all youth accused of violence; that compares to 1.8 per cent of accused adults. The StatsCan report says Vancouver had the highest rate of violent crime in 2006, followed by Winnipeg and Toronto. Among youth, however, the rates of violence involving firearms were highest in Toronto and Saskatoon. Conservative strategists have long considered gun violence a potential wedge issue in key urban areas, including Toronto and Vancouver, where the Tories must gain seats in the next election to have any hope of forming a majority government. Critics contend, however, that tougher sentencing, in itself, will not solve the problem in the absence of social and economic programs to deal with the root causes of violence. djeffrey@herald.ca © 2008 The Halifax Herald Limited - -- -- RELATED Click here for the report http://statcan.ca/Daily/English/080220/d080220b.htm ------------------------------ End of Cdn-Firearms Digest V11 #231 *********************************** Submissions: mailto:cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Mailing List Commands: mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Moderator's e-mail address: mailto:d.jordan@sasktel.net List owner: mailto:owner-cdn-firearms@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca FAQ list: http://www.magma.ca/~asd/cfd-faq1.html and http://teapot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/Faq/cfd-faq1.html Web Site: http://teapot.usask.ca/cdn-firearms/homepage.html FTP Site: ftp://teapot.usask.ca/pub/cdn-firearms/ CFDigest Archives: http://www.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca/~ab133/ or put the next command in an e-mail message and mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca get cdn-firearms-digest v04.n192 end (192 is the digest issue number and 04 is the volume) To unsubscribe from _all_ the lists, put the next five lines in a message and mailto:majordomo@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca unsubscribe cdn-firearms-digest unsubscribe cdn-firearms-alert unsubscribe cdn-firearms-chat unsubscribe cdn-firearms end (To subscribe, use "subscribe" instead of "unsubscribe".) 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