Cop Watch vs Waterloo Regional Police

Protest accuses police of abuse

From: The Record, May 2. By Rose Simone

KITCHENER--About 20 protesters led by activist turned criminal lawyer Davin Charney took police to task yesterday in a demonstration against abuse of police power.

While the group chanted "No Justice, No Peace, No Racist Police," in front of court offices in downtown Kitchener, Charney was inside, filing two lawsuits in small claims court on behalf of people complaining about the use of "excessive force" during arrests and also about being detained unlawfully for refusing to identify themselves to police officers.

The event was organized by members of a local Cop Watch group, which monitors and records instances of abuses of police power and helps people file complaints.

Charney said he has had "mixed success" in filing such lawsuits in the past, but even when a case is lost, "just the fact that we brought it forward brings it to the attention of the public," Charney said.

"The police had to get on the stand and explain their actions, and that in itself is a success, even if the judge's decision was against us," he said.

Charney said the difficulty is that the "most vulnerable and powerless" people in the community are the ones experiencing the abuses.

After filing the lawsuits, the protesters proceeded to the Waterloo Regional Police headquarters, where Supt. Bryan Larkin accepted the paperwork.

He said both the provincial government and the local police force have formal complaint mechanisms to ensure that any complaints about police actions are reviewed and acted upon.

Larkin said protests are held around the world on May Day to draw attention to police actions, but "Ontario has always been a very progressive province in terms of police accountability and police oversight."

Larkin added the local police force has strong support in the community and prides itself on working with area groups.

"This is about recognizing and responding to citizen concerns and if there are issues, we take appropriate action."