Undercover exn

-T usually leave the cur
and thrust of book
reviews to those better
equipped to analyze the

- world of literary
endeavors.

_ Despite the books on
crime and such sent by pub-
- fishers hoping for a
__ favourable plug, I tend to
avoid using this space to pick
‘or pan another’s work.
+ One deliberate divergence
was a column written in
these pages almost two years
ago about former Vancouver
cop, Gary Cameron, whose
- Shots Fired, in my view,
stands alone as a realistic arek
into the world of policing the
mean streets and a “must

read”. for anyone who actual-’:

ants to know what 2
s‘life is really.about.
er the past few.weeks I
d to illuminate: the
roblem of Organized crime
understand the

crime and
punishment

analysis, were more con-
cerned with the politics of
their positions than going
after the bad guys.

The book, published this
summer, begins with a quote
that sets the tone for the
story being told. The quote
underlines what, in my view,

hampers the cops who are in”

the thick of the battle with
organized crime.

It begins, “The galleries
are full of critics. They play
no bail, They fight no fehts
They make no mistakes
because they attempt noth-
ing. Down in the arena are
-. the doers. They make many
- mistakes because they
attempt many thin

Tc ends with, “ he man
who makes no mistakes tacks.

*boldness.and the spirit of
adventure: He never tries
anything new. He is a brake ”

‘on the wheel of progress.” |

‘The story Murphy unfolds
is how he, as a police officer
in, Toronté’s National Crime *

through the world of orga-.
nized crime —- from Toronto
to. New: York City, from

bombings to contract, mur-. .

‘In.the process, Murphy,
loped a friendship of
sorts “Not th the bosom buddy

+ petty. p
ever-increasing. bureaucracy,
Murphy. chronicles hov
‘ more ‘trust and
respect than the people. head-.

police sections tasked
with: fvestipating organized

ght
urphy and his andling of:
iby'as an ‘informant, many
ciminal convictions: were

‘ing the righ

SE

spiracy to commit murder,
counselling to commit mur-
der, arson, counsel to com-
mit extortion, robbery and a
host of other offences.

Seventeen separate mem-
bers of the Commisso family
were convicted and sen-
tenced to a collective 92
years in jail.

Not a bad job one would
think. But, as Murphy illus-
trates, the senior manage-
ment of the RCMP were
bent out of shape because he
conveniently ignored some
policy and decisions made by
those who hadn't a clue.
Decisions that put at risk the
life of the very person with-
out whom the RCMP would-
n’t have had a chance of con-
victing the Commissos for
jaywalking.

Most street-level members
of the RCMP harbour no
illusions about the quality of
their leadership.

Many high-ranking offi-
cers-in the force have never
made an arrest or prosecuted |

finish. Instead of working

_. their.way up through the
_. ranks, the path to high office .
*is one of higher learning,

litical correctness an "kiss.
tasses,

But in his book Murphy
takes the common knowl-

" edge one step further. He has

identified a singular connec-
tion which explains; to a ©
degree, the reasons our...
national police force has been
remarkably ineffective in the

fight against organized crime.

me leave you with the:

_ words of retired corporal

Mark Muphy i in the epilogue

"of his boo!

“¥ feel that many police

. officers who rise within the
-ranks of. the RCMP. do so_
; because of their Masonic

connections, not their perfor-
ance as a police officer. In
my opinion, some iack th

‘ability to fight crime, espe

cially organized crime and

drug -related crime.
‘commissionied “
at I know ‘never «

rt, :
ducted:an investigation and
¢ had an-informant. I:
can only think they went to
the top. because they were"
weil conncered.”.
Murphy concludes, “I
my opinion the network of
masons’ placed in positions 9}
wer. throughout the:
RCMP and other. sxgani

2 Explains quite a fof
n't it?

‘an investigation from start to:

yet

veege iinet

Wednesday, November 3, 1999 ~ North Shore News - 7 ©

Calling for causeway | referendum

Dear Editor:

Beautiful Stanley Park has
again become the focus dur-
ing our boring Vancouver
municipal elections.

The widening of the
causeway and the aquarium
importing another whale are
controversial issues that the
unpopular park board chair,
Alan Fetherstonhaugh, is
stonewalling despite strong
public interest.

Vancouver residents
should have a say on what
happens in Stanley Park.
Why not just hold a cause-
way referendum and a whale
referendum and get it over
with?

Let’s sec what
Vancouverites really think
about keeping whales in cap-
tivity and having a wider
highway go through Stanley

|
{
i
tegaty
| SITENCE
“The Kare - its a standand
i sahute ut sports events. Now
you Gan be a parca’ the biggest -
wave in Cataate « the
"2 Minute Wave of Sil
Jase stand io stlence.
i you are. te VD a
LL November in vour home
vt Cane eae and pull be pace
of 4 wave that moves actus,
the naen, Help The Royal -
- Canadian Legiva mark tbe |,
netifice uf Canada’s war dad.
Mark the end ay a cenuny
of wars ing special way
your triends or coworkers can,
Toake this “Wase of Silence”
heppen, Tun off the neise >.
and earn on the silence on
Raumembsrau: Day 1999,

Park. . How
could this be?

Doug Imbeau

complicated
Vancouver

Cit, Lube & Fiiter
ly warranty” 21 pt. Safety check. 15 minutes - FAST!
Includes up to 5 litres of 1Ow30 Quakersiate

1362 Marine Drive 980-9115
n-Sat 8:00am-G:00pm, Sun. 9:00arn-5:00pm Expires Nov, 10/99

Vote fora
Positive Change
Vote for
Experience &
Vision...

Vote

Rod Claric for city! Mayor r

Web hitp://go.to/RodClark' ‘Tel: 986-558 1:

“ recognition’ for cholce rare teas has: increase

fo find user eae

the world’s ‘most celebrated tea paraphernalia, in many instances i was
who made us aware of these ite S. a