A tragi I would be remiss if I didn’t take some space to note the passing of Ray Singbeil, Chief Constable of the Port Moody Police Department. Singbeil way on indefinite suspension from his job run- ning the 39-man department following a dizzying amount of internal politicking by the NDP- appointed police board and some members of that departments union. It's hard to sav what drove him to put a gun barrel in his mouth and squeeze his lite away, but it undoubtedly had something to de with the sup- posedly independent review of thar department by retired Justice Sam Toy, a copy of which Singbeil was given just before his death, Ray Singbeil spent most of his career as a Mountic, retir- ing five years ago to take the top job in Port Moody. He took the job with a mandate to “modernize” the torce. Singbeil was the quintes- sential professional as a Mountic. He was a cop’s cop, honest and scrupulous ro a fare thee well, but tough and fair. He believed in the law and what was right and wrong, Now, I don't know the contents of the Toy report. But, I'm sure Singbeil’s rrou- bles had much to do with his sense of right and wrong. He knew it was wrong not to have triailbax Promoting Dear Editor: On reading your headline “Big boxes abandoned” my first thought was, “the peo- ple have spoken.” T hope that in our institu- if crime and punishment any female members on the force, He knew it was wrong not to have minonities repre sented in his stafl! He tried to correct those wrongs, F suspect this initiative was the start of his downtall. The deparunent appears to be dytuncuonal by anvone’s account, The vacuum created by Singbeil’s ouster at the hands of three members of the police board undoubtedly con- tributed to his decision to take his fife. But, no marier how things evolve in the political strugute tor control in Port Moody, Ray Singbeil was considerate to the end. He cook his gun to a motel in Bellingham and did what he thought he had to, there, where no cop he had worked with or who knew him would have the sad task of investigating his death. Singbei! took a cop’s way out. “Eating vour gun” is the leading cause of death for police officers. Unlike too many of the larter day politi- cians masquerading as senior police management, Ray Singbeil was a cop right to the end, The citizens of Port Moody are worse off without Rav Singbvil. So are the rest of us. aud The dangers inherent in poheing are not fimited to the povehological, On Friday, Const. Laurie White was shot in the leg while attempring to exceute a scarch warrant on Ronald Hoag, a sex offender in Kitimat. White was part of the search team and was sent to cover the rear of the residence while the main team prepared toenter at the front. All of this is normal. But the situation quickly became abnormal when nwo shots ripped through the rear door striking White in the leg just below her knee. The high-powered round smashed her lower leg so bad that nine hours of emergency surgery couldn't save it, Ina split second of violence this officer lost her leg and was tucky it wasn’t her life. Her Partner then risked his life by running into the line of fire to drag the wounded officer to a position of safety where she could begin receiving creat- ment for the ugly wound. Thas incident came in the same day as the Vancouver Police Department was forced to explain why it used a heavily armed Emergency Response Team to execute a search war- rant across the street trom the infamous Cannabis Cate. On the BCTV News Hour the evening before, we were power of the people tions, municipality, province and in our country events will never occur that would prevent such a simple but powerful phrase from being uttered. Gift Certificates Custom Duvet & Sham Sets (Selected Fabrics) * Single Double e Queen * King $450 $500 $540 $580 0% Off All Fabric Edward Heel West Vancouver treated to pictures of officers weanng flak vests, carrying Jutomane weapons prepanng to enter the building where they had information thar the dope dealing occupants had semi automatic uns. We saw the unitormed offi- vers scurrying 10 secure the Area of ciuzens poor to the entry tO ensure No Innocent enihans might be Gaught in the middle of a tire Ctht. The neat images were of some addle-brained patheads moaning to the cameras about the “Gestapo tacties” of the police. All the while they were very publich smoking their tet drugs asa challenge ta the police, ‘The television cam- eras were all too happy to cat ital up and flash it on the late news, The next morning, police spokesman Const. Anne Drennan found herself in the position of having to detend against the dopers accusations. Well, they found drugs inside the building. ‘They also found a replica semi-automatic hand- gun. Sure, it coukin’t actually fre a bullet, but until they physically checked it there's no way of knowing. The bottom line is every time a police officer has to go through 2 door, the potential tor violence is there, And being the real world, as opposed to the drug induced fog inhabited by the bone- heads shown on the news cajoling the cops, stuff hap- pens. Ask Constable Laurie White about it, When she gets back up on her four. 999 Another story in the news last week was the successfirl investigation and arrest of a major figure in the Asian orga- nized crime world. Following up an extortion vy West Varnconuer Darks ¥ Recustion | | West Van residents, if you did not receive your Leisure Guide, call 986-1337 for next day delivery or pick one up at your recreation facility or Library. ET Winter Registration Begins: Aquatics: Sat, Dec 5 « Arena: Ongoing Community Centres: Sat, Dec 5 Culture & Heritage: Sat, Dec 5 Seniors’ Centre: Wed, Dec 2 925-7270 Wednesday, December 2, 1998 - North Shore News — 7 o0dy’s chi complaint, VPD's Gang Squad raided Kwok ‘Tam’s Burnaby home on Aug. 5. They seized 2 half pound of raw opium, a couple of semi autematic handguns, almost $80,000 in cash as well as other related evidence to the extortion, Their subsequent investiza- ton fed them to Tam’s Kingsway business, Sunning Auto where, ina Nov 19 raid, they seized several boxes of documents relating to the extortion investigation, Tam, who came here in the late "SOs asa refugee claimant, is, police chim, a king pin in the shadowy world of Asian gangs. But one of the things seized in the raid on “Yam's home surprised even the cvni- cal, street-hardened cops. A nice, framed photograph, lef of Tam the crime boss, smiling cheek by jow! with none other than our own boy-premier, Glen Clark. 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