Police union: enough is enough, give secure parking to city cops
Man tried to rob officer in broad daylight outside police HQ Sunday morning
The attempted robbery of a police officer leaving work should be enough reason for senior brass within the Winnipeg Police Service to create secure parking for city cops, says the Winnipeg Police Association.
On Sunday morning the officer was walking to his vehicle when a man came up to him demanding the plainclothes officer give him money while reaching into his waistband.
The WPA said the man took off when the officer identified himself as police, and the suspect, who was identified on security camera footage and was wanted, was later arrested.
WPA president Moe Sabourin says the association has been pushing for secure parking for members for years, but says safety for cops has gotten worse ever since the police service moved from the Public Safety Building in the Exchange District to its new downtown headquarters.
The police association wants officers working downtown to be able to park in a secure parkade only for police and said officers who park on the street or in nearby surface parking lots are being targeted.
"We've had members go back out to their car and written into their paint with keys or whatever is 'pig' or 'you're going to f---ing die,' so those aren't just damages, those become intimidation tactics."
Vehicles 'deliberately sabotaged'
Sabourin also said police officers have "had vehicles sabotaged where lug nuts are removed or loosened just enough to create the likelihood that the wheels are going to fall off."
In November, a police officer was stabbed after finding someone breaking into his car outside police headquarters.
Since 2008, Sabourin said the police association has documented over 100 incidents where an officer was targeted while going out to their vehicle after work.
"It's getting to the point where it's ridiculous and unfortunately somebody's going to lose their life and then where's the liability going to lie on the city and on the service?"
Sabourin called out Mayor Brian Bowman and Winnipeg Police Chief Danny Smyth for refusing to address the lack of secure parking for cops in a news release late Monday afternoon.
They've essentially created this problem because safe, secure parking was on the table at one time.- WPA president Moe Sabourin
"This is something that Mayor Brian Bowman and WPS Chief Danny Smyth have known about for years, and yet they refuse to address it."
In response, the mayor's office said Bowman continues to have discussions about improving safety near the new police headquarters and downtown Winnipeg as a whole.
"It's unfortunate that the previous administration didn't think of this when the decision was made to purchase the new police headquarters. The current City Council and Winnipeg taxpayers continue to be burdened with additional costs and problems resulting from the decisions made by the previous administration with respect to this building," Bowman's spokesperson Jeremy Davis said in an email.
Sabourin said secure parking for officers in old warehouse space at the back of the police headquarters was initially going to be part of the new HQ but said the city later quashed those plans.
"They've essentially created this problem because safe, secure parking was on the table at one time."
The police association has made public calls for secure parking for police officers before and Sabourin said the issue has been one for as long as he can remember.
He said officers who park at the east or west district stations have access to secure parking that's fenced in and only accessible by cops.
Safe-walk program available
The Winnipeg Police Service said in a statement Tuesday the well-being of its officers is paramount.
The service said workplace safety and health officials reviewed the force's safety measures in 2016 and were satisfied that reasonable steps were taken to reduce the chance of violence on officers while they are going to and from their cars to work.
A police spokesperson said a safe-walk program is available to officers and members of the public.
The association is still raising its concerns with provincial workplace safety and health officials, Sabourin said.
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