Military may patrol bar zone in Barrie
March 4, 2009 - 4:48pm
'Police chief agreeable to having army officers help his squad to curb weekend rowdyism
That's a great reason to put the military on the streets of Canada. Putting an end to democracy and beginning the official police state in Canada.
Protest while there still is time.
From the Toronto Star March 4, page a-16.
link
Well first of all, using MP's to police the behaviour of soldiers isn't quite the impending police state you envisage ThePB. This sort of thing is not new.
I don't get to Barrie much, but i've spent a few weekends in Alliston, and have family there. That's even closer to Base Borden. I hadn't heard that there was any particular problem with off duty soldiers.
FYI, if you want to see IanM's post above just click on quote and it appears!
What happened with that anyways?
I thought it just was my system?!
He He He, that (reposting his) didn't work Papal Bull, seems we have found another glich in the matrix, I think it happened to me, will report what I think the problem is in this thread
http://rabble.ca/babble/rabble-reactions/reporting-tech-issues-rabble-iv
right now.....
This isn't really uncommon to have MPs on hand in the "party" area of towns near to military bases to make sure the troops aren't getting up to things they shouldn't. Remember, there's no such thing as off-the-job in the military.
There you go IanM:
Mar 04, 2009 04:30 AM Gail Swainson
STAFF REPORTER
BARRIE – City police and Camp Borden officers are discussing using joint street patrols to help keep the peace in Barrie's busy entertainment district on peak weekends.
Teaming up with military police to patrol the bar zone is a concept "we wouldn't have any real problems with," Barrie chief Wayne Frechette said in an interview.
"Would extra bodies help us? Sure."
According to its website, CFB Borden trains some 15,000 recruits annually and is staffed by 3,250 military and 1,500 civilians.
Frechette said soldiers from the base don't pose a big problem in Barrie bars and restaurants, but he agreed the sight of military police on foot patrol might help curb rowdyism.
"I think (soldiers) would be less inclined to cause trouble if they knew it would come up with their bosses on Monday morning," the chief said.
The military police would deal only with their own personnel and not civilians in Barrie, he said.
CFB Borden spokesperson Lt. Jennie Jones confirmed that the idea of joint patrols was suggested last month by a Barrie staff sergeant.
"We're looking at it, but it is too preliminary to comment further," she said.
One benefit would be to cement the base's partnership with Barrie police while recognizing their very separate jurisdictions, Jones said.
Barrie officers and military police have teamed up in the past when the situation called for it, she said, such as when a break-in occurred at the local armoury last fall.
Base Borden is located in Angus, about 25 kilometres to the southwest.
As the largest nearby city, Barrie is a popular drinking and dining spot for soldiers on weekend passes.
Joshua Abel, a bartender at Manhattans in downtown Barrie, said he has not heard of troublemaking by military personnel.
On the other hand "if they are in civilian clothes, how would you know whether they were in the military," he said.
Sorry PB, Had to clarify this a little bit. / Post the Article.
In theory this sounds like a good idea. Key word is in theory. What it sounds like is that they are putting a few people in town to round up military personnel who have had a bit too much excitement, its done in a lot of places on the weekends, simply because if you are in the military, or you are reservist on a contract /getting paid, you are subject to the Code Of Service Dicipline and National Defense Act. (In particular pay note to Section 77 - Drunkeness, Section 129 - Conduct Prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and dicipline). Most likely, they will not be armed, or have any sort of jurisdiction over civilians (Legally I don't believe they have any special power, short of of course the Emergencies Act being invoked).
It just makes it easier on the local police to deal with any incidents to deal with Drunk and Disorderly, or Public Intoxiciation, etc by military personnel. It also will be much less of an administrative burden on the Military for the Military Police to collect people and take them back to cells / back to base /etc.
Edit to this : Just reposting to prevent a double post as I can't see the text.
Thanks Refuge.