NEWS photo Terry Peters NORTH VANCOUVER RCMP officers Sharon Smith and Corry Pyne alr their work-related griev- ances in a meeting this week with North Shore News reporter Anna Marie D'Angelo. Constables raise weapons, communications concerns From page The officers were quick to point out that no one Joins the force to become rich. Insp. Jamie Graham, second in charge of the North Vancouver detachment, said the detachment’s upper brass were “actively pursuing” the federal minister to introduce a ranking structure that could bypass salary freezes for all federal employees. The RCMP, who are not unionized, are ruted as fed- era] employees by Ottawa. “Our goal is to try and pay members what they are worth and what they ere told they would be getting,” said Graham, who lives in Delta. He added that the force was investigating the possi- bility of getting a relocation allowance for a Lower Mainland transter. But he added, “1 don’t hold my breath waiting for that.” - The officers said saiaries have not been an issue “before because the federal government had kept the national police in the top-four salaries of major police forces in Canada. But, according to the North Vancouver officers, the _- RCMP is currently at number six in wages among the ; country’ $ major police forces. -_ |, Besides the wage problems, safety issues are a major source of stress for local police. The RCMP's standard-issue .38- calibre special Smith and Wesson revolver is-increasingly coming up short in comparison to the weapons packed by crimi- nals in the Vancouver area. ’ A new weapon was approved last year, but RCMP members are still waiting. Giie constable said the Jatest word was that new weapons are not expected to be issued until next sum- mer, Said Const. Mike LeGault, “Our weapon is unsafe to use to do the job.” The recent Metrotown shooting, the group claimed, was ample evidence that police can't wait until next year to be outfitted with semi-autumatic weapons. During the Metrotown shoot-out, an officer with just two years” experience had to spend precious tite reloading while a convicted murderer pumped out 15 rounds at a police car. The police officer was only able to shoot off six bul- lets before having to reload his gun during the robbery. Graham said supervisors are aware of the concerns @ Business ® Crossword @ Classified. @ Cocktails and Caviar. Bob Hunter % insights wu. EB Horoscopes ws. cseseseeeceeeneee 36 seseseeeeeneeneneesenes 6 about getting new guns promptly. He said a 9-mm cartridge semi-automatic pistol will likely take about three years to phise-in at a cost of $500 for each of the RCMP’s 16,000 members. Graham said budget constraints and training for a new gun affect the time all officers would be strapping on new weapons. Const. Sharon Smith said safety concerns go beyond the gun issue. She said not all officers at the detach- ment carry pepper spray. Droplets of the spray can subdue an otherwise unco- operative suspect with one push of an atomizer. Suid Seaman, “It is one of the best things .. due someone .... It avoids choke holds.” But Graham said that instituting the use of the spray requires an investment of money and training time. He said it was being phased in slowly because of liability concerns. Graham added that communications in the detach- ment needed to be improved and that supervisors were currently taking steps to solve the problem. Meanwhile, Seaman said “99.9%” of the members love their job. “We are proud to be in the force,” he said. LeGault said all RCMP had the chance to work at police forces in their home province, but decided to apply to the national police force. Const. Mare Boland, the member representative for the detachment, said everyone understands that times are tough, but the RCMP is not solely responsible for the deficit. He said members in North Vancouver are frustrated by their situation. “We ure not used to talking about this issue beyond among ourselves. We have tended to suffer silently,” said Boland. Lower Mainland RCMP officers are becoming more vocal about their concerns. They have had two rowdy meetings in Surrey with RCMP brass. Wednesday's talk with the News was the first time front-line police officers have talked publicly about their work concerns. Said Graham, “The breed of RCMP officers hired nowadays is very much different today.” He said many members are university graduates and most members may not be buying into the paramilitary tradition prohibiting questioning or criticizing authori- .to sub- BD Sports we ecceeeeteereeeee 25 B Travel @ Vintage Years. 37 @ What's Going On Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Number 0087238 CALE US: 983-2208 riot response Officers dealt with ‘animais,’ says N. Van ambulance chief A NORTH Vancouver man who coordinated medical response Tuesday as rioters trashed property and each other in downtown Vancouver has nothing but praise for the police response to the violence. By Misael Becker News Editor The use by the police of riot squads and tear gas is being criti- cized by some, bul said Tim Jones, North Vancouver unit chief with the B.C, Anibulance Service, “have nothing but respect for the , police. They did a good job. The police knew wha kind of animals they were dealing with.” Approximately 70,000 peaple gathered in the West End Tuesday night after the Vancouver Canucks lost the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals to the New York Rangers, Jones begun his shift at 6 p.m. as one of four paramedics equipped with bicycles. The cycling paramedics were teamed with Vancouver City Police bike squad members, who were assigned to protect the ambulance service workers, Their area of coverage centred at Robson and Thurlow streets. The bike squads were to assess situations and call for ambulance support or cancel it. Said Jones, “What was hap- pening prior to the riot was that we had a lot of calls that did not require an ambulance, yet they were Code 3 emergency response calls. We had people passing out from alcohol and they were not, emergency cases. The 9-1-1 oper ators were getting extremely busy with these kinds of calls.” From the beginning, ambu- lance drivers were having diffi- cully assisting people in the area. Corridors were established ini- tially for emergency vehicles to travel, but they were claimed by the masses. / During the first 90 minutes after the game had ended the bike squads handled about a dozen medical assistance cal!s each. Jones witnessed a young man fall from wires suspended above Robson Street at Thurlow. The incident proved pivotal. “Things were getting out of control there. People were climb- ° ing lamp standards,” Jones said. Near to him a girl was hit with an object. It crushed a cheek bone and shattered all of the teeth in her face. “| grabbed her and brought her down to a police car. We came back up. and { noticed this fellow climbing a high wire and every- body was looking the other way and I saw him actually fall," he said. As Jones informed a police sergeant, a police team on the other side of Thurlow called the incident in. The police bike squad and about 20 other officers THIS WEEK’S QUESTION: Do you think tolls should fund a new First Narrows crossing? formed a V and attempted to drive a wedge through the crowd to clear a way for the injured man. As the police pushed through, the crowd shoved back. Some struck at the police. Continued Jones, “What also was happening then was there was some guy with a big Swiss horn, you know the kind they sit on mountainsides with. This guy starled getting people into a fren- zy with this horn. And also there were something like war drums and it was bonk, bonk, bonk — that was driving people. “it was unreal. The crowd was reacting to the drum beats and it was getting them into a frenzied state.” As Jones tried to reach the injured man he was confronted by one man who blocked his way, but then said, “You're not a pig, you're OK.” Jones found the fallen man unconscious. He had suffered a closed head injury. An arriving ambulance was rocked by the crowd, A crush ‘of “(Police) did a good job.” - North Vancouver unit chief Tim Jones. people closed in as Jones attempt- ed to assist the man. “We had to get him out. I think that incident sort of triggered _ everything. The police were pro- tecting us, and the crowd was. going after the policemen. Whoever was in charge of the police saw that his.men were in trouble,” Jones said. Prior to the escalation of vio-- lence Jones rernembers seeing groups of young toughs. “Their intention was to terror- ize other groups of young people. You could see it,” he said. Before the night ended Jones and fellow paramedic Ross Halaway would be iear- gassed and pipe-bombed. Jones worked through to 7:30 a.m. helping to coordinate ambu- lance response at the scene. Many of the walking wounded were treated in B.C. Transit buses, “Most of the people down there that night were there for a good time, but some guys were nothing but what we call the one percenters, the low life. They brought it on.”