Forsaken the report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry : executive summary

British Columbia. -- Missing Women Commission of Inquiry. (Author). Oppal, Wallace T. (Added Author). Canadian Electronic Library (Firm) (Added Author).

Summary: Most of us never have to be concerned about being forsaken. We havepermanent homes, we have family doctors, we have jobs where we workdaily with others, we have children who rely on us, we have medication ifwe are sick, we are not victims to extreme violence, we are not engagedin any activity that would cause us to hesitate to notify the police of ourpresence. But imagine you have none of these things. You don’t know where youare going to sleep tonight. You do not have access to regular health care.You have no employer. You don’t know where your children are or if theyare safe. You worry you could get deathly sick at any moment. You areconsumed by fears about your physical safety. You are afraid to contact thepolice. In these circumstances, you are largely on your own, easily forsaken. Thatis the story of the missing and murdered women. They were forsakentwice: once by society at large and then again by the police. The patternof predatory violence was clear and should have been met with a swiftand severe response by accountable and professional institutions, but itwas not. To paraphrase Maggie de Vries, sister of Sarah de Vries, one ofthe victims: there should have been mayhem, searches, media interest andrewards; but these responses only trickled in over the course of many years.

Record details

ISBN: 9780991729975 (print)
Physical Description: electronic
electronic resource
remote
1 electronic text (172 pages) : ill., digital file.
Publisher: Vancouver, B.C. : Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, [2012]

Content descriptions

General Note:	"November 19, 2012." Issued as part of the Canadian Electronic Library, Documents collection, and Canadian public policy collection.
Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references.
Formatted Contents Note:	VOLUME I – THE WOMEN, THEIR LIVES AND THE FRAMEWORK OF INQUIRY: SETTING THE CONTEXT FOR UNDERSTANDING AND CHANGE -- PART 1: INTRODUCTION -- Report Overview -- PART 2: THE CRISIS OF MISSING AND MURDERED WOMEN -- PART 3: THE WOMEN -- PART 4: THE WOMEN’S LIVES -- Part 4A: The Downtown Eastside Community -- Part 4B: Conditions of the Women’s Lives and Their Vulnerability to Violence -- Part 4C: The Disproportionate Number of Aboriginal Women -- Part 4D: The Survival Sex Trade -- Part 4E: Social Marginalization and Individual Vulnerability -- PART 5: LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR THE INQUIRY: POLICING DUTIES, STRUCTURES, PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS -- Part 5A: Policing Within an Equality Rights Framework -- Part 5B: The Structure of Policing in British Columbia -- Part 5C: Missing Persons Investigations -- Part 5D: The Challenge of Stopping Serial Predators -- Part 5E: The Commission’s Definition of Misconduct and Approach to the Issue of Jurisdiction -- VOLUME II - NOBODIES: HOW AND WHY WE FAILED THE MISSING AND MURDERED WOMEN -- Introduction and Overview -- PART 1: THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ANDERSON ASSAULT AND THE CROWN DECISION TO STAY THE 1997 CHARGES AGAINST PICKTON -- Ms. Anderson’s Courage -- The Commission’s Mandate with Respect to the Stay Decision -- Preliminary Issue: The Destruction of the Crown File -- The Assault and the Investigation -- The assault -- The investigation -- The Prosecution -- The Stay Decision -- The Story of the Missing Women Begins with the Anderson Assault -- PART 2: OVERVIEW OF THE INVESTIGATIONS -- PART 3: CRITICAL POLICE FAILURES -- Part 3A: Poor Report Taking and Follow Up on Reports of Missing Women -- Reporting -- Initial Investigation -- Follow-Up Investigation -- Recording and File Reviews -- Communication with Family Members or Reportees -- Inter-Jurisdictional Cooperation -- Overall Assessment and Conclusion -- Internal Audit of VPD Missing Persons Unit -- Part 3B: Faulty Risk Analysis and Risk Assessment -- Part 3C: Inadequate Proactive Strategy to Prevent Further Harm to Women in the DTES -- Part 3D: Failure to Consider and Properly Pursue All Investigative Strategies -- Failure to Employ an Aboriginal-Specific Investigation Strategy -- Restricted Involvement of Family Members, Community and Media -- Lack of Follow Up on Tips and Mismanagement of Informants and Information Sources -- Limited Use of Other Investigative Avenues: Surveillance, Undercover Operations, Search Warrants and Forensic Evidence -- Delays in Pursuing a Suspect-Based Strategy and Failure to Confirm Or Rule Out Suspects -- Overall Conclusion on Investigative Strategies -- Part 3E: Failure to Follow Major Case Management Practices and Policies -- Part 3F: Failure to Address Cross-Jurisdictional Issues and Ineffective Coordination Between Police Forces and Agencies -- Part 3G: Failure of Internal Review and External Accountability Mechanisms -- PART 4: UNDERLYING CAUSES OF THE CRITICAL POLICE FAILURES -- Part 4A: Discrimination, Systemic Institutional Bias, and Political and Public Indifference -- Part 4B: A Want of Leadership: Supervision and Management Issues -- Part 4C: Limited and Outdated Policing Systems, Approaches and Standards -- Part 4D: Fragmentation of Policing -- Part 4E: Inadequate Resources -- Part 4F: Police Culture and ‘People Problems’ -- Part 4G: Unsupported Allegations of Conspiracy and Cover-up -- VOLUME III – GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: BUILDING THE WOMEN’S LEGACY OF SAFETY TOGETHER -- PART 1 – WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A LEGACY FOR THE MISSING WOMEN -- Introduction and Overview -- Taking Action to Directly Address Women’s Vulnerability to Violence and Serial Predation -- PART 2 – BRIDGING THE GAP FROM 2002 TO 2012: OVERVIEW OF POLICE REFORMS AND CURRENT INITIATIVES -- PART 3 – LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR EFFECTIVE CHANGE: ACKNOWLEDGING THE HARM AND FOSTERING HEALING AND RECONCILIATION -- Assessment of Harm -- Restorative Measures -- PART 4 – RENEWING OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUAL PROTECTION OF THE LAW -- THROUGH PRACTICAL MEASURES -- Equality in Policing Audits -- Establishment of Positive Duties -- Legislative Recognition of the Duty to Warn -- Specific Recognition of Duty to Aboriginal Peoples -- Prosecution -- Measures to Facilitate the Participation of Vulnerable Witnesses -- Police Orientation, Training and Discipline -- PART 5 – LISTENING, LEARNING AND RESPONDING: STRATEGIES TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST MARGINALIZED WOMEN IN THE DTES AND OTHER URBAN AREAS -- Transforming the Police-Community Relationship in the DTES -- Measures to Foster and Support Community-Police Initiatives -- Elements of a Comprehensive Strategy to Protect Vulnerable Women -- Community liaison function and positions -- Voluntary identification databases and warning systems -- Law enforcement strategies that prioritize harm reduction -- Structured discretion regarding enforcement of warrants -- Legislative protection for exploited women -- Monitoring high-risk offenders -- PART 6 – STANDING TOGETHER AND MOVING FORWARD: STRATEGIES TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST ABORIGINAL AND RURAL WOMEN -- Missing and Murdered Girls and Women in Northern British Columbia -- Strong Community Commitment to Collaboration and Action -- Contextual Factors -- Overview of Northern Consultations -- Transforming the Police-Community Relationship Along the Highway of Tears -- Components of a Comprehensive Strategy to Protect Aboriginal and Rural Women -- Ensuring Safety During the Rural-Urban Transition -- PART 7 – FOSTERING INNOVATION AND STANDARDIZATION: A FRAMEWORK FOR BEST PRACTICES IN MISSING PERSON INVESTIGATIONS -- Overview of Current Trends -- Provincial Standards for Missing Person Investigations -- Best Practices in Missing Person Investigations -- Fostering Innovation -- Working with and Supporting Families and Other Reportees -- Weighing the Merits of a Civilian Operated Missing Persons System -- PART 8 – ENHANCING POLICE INVESTIGATIONS OF MISSING PERSONS AND SUSPECTED MULTIPLE HOMICIDES -- Missing Persons Legislation -- Provincial Standards for Major Case Management and Electronic Case Management -- National Support Systems -- PART 9 – COMMITTING TO A REGIONAL POLICE FORCE IN GREATER VANCOUVER -- PART 10 – FACILITATING EFFECTIVE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL RESPONSES TO CRIME -- Multi-Jurisdictional and Multi-Agency Major Case Management Standards -- Regional Crime Fighting -- PART 11 – ENSURING POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE -- Accountability Themes -- Toward Empowered Community Oversight -- PART 12 – ASSURING THE WOMEN’S LEGACY: IMPLEMENTATION, CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION -- PART 13 – SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS -- A. Conclusion -- B. Summary of Recommendations -- Restorative Measures -- Equality-Promoting Measures -- Measures to Enhance the Safety of Vulnerable Urban Women -- Measures to Prevent Violence Against Aboriginal and Rural Women -- Improved Missing Person Policies and Practices -- Enhanced Police Investigations -- Regional Police Force -- Effective Multi-Jurisdictional Policing -- Increase Police Accountability to Communities -- Measures to Assure the Women’s Legacy -- GLOSSARY.
Additional Physical Form available Note:	Also available in PDF format for downloading: http://celarc.ca/cppc/235/235955.pdf.
System Details Note:	Mode of access: World Wide Web.