Re The Bernie Smith Initiative

Dear Editor:

Whistling Bernie Smith used to walk the beat in the downtown eastside swinging his baton, and smiling. He diffused innumerable incidents with reckless downtown eastsiders which may have become elevated to violent confrontations. He lived a long and peaceful life.

Now we have overarmed , trigger-happy cops killing mentally ill people who are wielding pencils or two by fours as ‘weapons’. What happened to tackling and wrestling? What happened to their “sensitivity training?”  Why shoot to kill? Why not, if absolutely necessary, shoot to wound and disable?

The Brit police force still does not carry guns. Only special squads do and they killed three last year. How many have Vancouver cops killed in 2014? And now transit cops are killing mentally ill people? My guess is that Bernie would be ashamed of this performance.

Here’s a revolutionary thought: disarm the police. Follow the Brit model and bring in the special squad if necessary. At least, we wouldn’t be sanctioning what is tantamount to murder-by-badge.  Maybe call this new approach: the Bernie Smith Initiative? 

(This letter was published on January 2nd in The Vancouver Sun)