Commission asks LPS to examine concerns over ‘Wanted Wednesday’ posts
By Tim Kalinowski on May 28, 2021.
LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com
The Lethbridge Police Commission is instructing the Lethbridge Police Service to examine the concerns of citizens after a petition to ban ‘Wanted Wednesday’ posts signed by 545 petitioners was formally presented to commissioners during this week’s public meeting.
Chief of Police Shahin Mehdizadeh addressed the petition, and acknowledged the concerns expressed by those signing the petition about the sometimes racist or demeaning comments posted by members of the public who view the posts.
“The racism is totally inappropriate, but unfortunately even in the year 2021 (there are those) who take liberty at making those comments, and putting them out on social media,” Mehdizadeh told The Herald. “It’s very inappropriate. I wish there were laws around that so we could stop it, but unfortunately we don’t. From my perspective, any time individuals like that have come out on social media, those comments, many of our good citizens actually have come to shame them. Or at least stop that behaviour by making their own comments about the fact this is not appropriate.
“If you take Wanted Wednesdays out of social media, I can guarantee all those racist people are still going to be finding other venues to make those comments. I don’t believe the racist comments are as a result of Wanted Wednesdays. These individuals live to put those comments out through whatever venue, and I don’t believe we need to stop what we (at LPS) are doing just because they are behaving in that way.”
Mehdizadeh also confirmed the LPS did monitor the comments and does remove the most offensive ones when they see them.
But to both the commissioners and The Herald Mehdizadeh defended the usefulness of the program in engaging the public in finding individuals who have been charged with committing serious crimes.
“We are not putting the names of people who owe the government $50, or a fine, or whatever,” he said. “These are people who are a risk to the community, and we want our citizens to know where they are, and we can get some control on apprehending them and making sure they do not victimize more citizens.”
The petition was created by Lethbridge resident Paul Butler, who disagreed with Mehdizadeh’s categorization of the types of individuals featured in Wanted Wednesday when he spoke to the newspaper earlier this year.
“Some of the people are clearly no danger to society,” Butler said at the time. “They are extremely vulnerable, and I would actually be a little bit worried about the effect of having their pictures publicly circulated, so people can make horrible comments about them, would have on their lives which are already somewhat challenged. I really just think there is a lack of compassion, a lack of understanding, a lack of empathy.”
Butler went on to describe the Wanted Wednesday posts as being the “antithesis of community policing.”
Commissioner Belinda Crowson felt that the posts might indeed fulfill a valuable policing purpose, but also agreed with Butler’s and other petitioners’ comments about racist or demeaning comments appearing under the posts.
“One of the concerns I have heard expressed is not even so much the Wanted Wednesday as it is the comments that come on it from other people,” she said. “It sort of becomes an avenue for some people to attack, to have racist comments, etc. Those are the concerns I have had a lot. If it is going to be used selectively, is there an opportunity to shut off the comments and have an email or some other way you would get comments back from the public? Rather than being right on the post?”
“My commitment is if there is a way for us to get the info, and shut down those comments, and still get the same value from it– certainly we will look into it,” Mehdizadeh said, before reminding commissioners that it is a common problem of social media in every realm of public discourse.
Newly appointed Commissioner Doug Thornton said regardless if this is true, he wanted more information on what the LPS is doing to deal with these specific concerns about Wanted Wednesdays.
“I have only heard media reports on this subject, and I must say my initial reaction was not particularly good,” he stated. “The Chief has explained it is an important part of enforcing the laws, but I would like to consider moving this topic and having further discussion at our meeting of June 30.”
Commission chair Robert van Spronsen concurred.
“I, for one, would like to have more information about the statistics in terms of how useful is it? Is it really doing what you think you are doing? Because I think the concerns I heard expressed are valid concerns. But if it is that valuable, let’s talk about it.”
Mehdizadeh said later the LPS was always open to thinking about better ways of doing things, and the Wanted Wednesday feature was no exception.
“We are always open to modifying things to better meet the needs of the community,” he confirmed. “This is certainly a concern of 500 plus citizens in this community; so we want to make sure moving forward we are still tweaking things to address their concerns. But at the same time being able to operationally do our job to keep this community safe.”
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These criminals are what they are, be it white, black, FN, or whatever. Bottom line is they are criminals, wanted criminals, who in many cases are a risk to society. WANTED WEDNESDAY helps to get them off the streets. Nothing racist about the program.
Some of what I see on Facebook are posts outlining what is the truth, which has nothing to do with being a racist nor are the posts based on racisms. You only have to look at what the “Professionals of this city say” to avoid identifying a problem based on FACTS not racism and you can see what I mean. Racism continues to rise in this city because residents see daily, the attempts by those in charge to be Socially Acceptable and/or Politically correct rather then face the fight you face!
Lets take the example of the Drug Problem in Lethbridge. Every highly paid Tom Dick and Sally never identifies it as an Indigenous problem. Why? Facts ignored, they do not want to appear to be racist. So they ignore the solutions that stare them in the face and instead dance around the problem!
Why is it important to call a spade a spade? Well we had “Whitey” in all his/her glory once again attempting to solve an indigenous issue. We had “Whitey” stating that the mix of white vs Indigenous was 55/45 when asked about Addicts in this city. Everyone knows that “whitey” was actually stating the people that use ALL of the services this person managed even though she was asked about Drug Addicts. Why? Because she did not want appear to be racist, so best to distort the info, be Politically correct, and ignore the problem?
One only has to watch the Hamilton Carpet videos for a week to realize that the Addicts were Indigenous and were in excess of 95% of the people that walked into the SCS.
I have said from the onset that if Lethbridge “professionals” are so stupidly sensitive that it defocuses them from a solution because they are embarrassed to publicly state the problem, then we are screwed!
So when YOU cannot say out loud what the problem is because you are afraid you might be called a racist, then people on social media will fill in the blanks for you. So in your attempts to be Socially Acceptable and Politically Correct you develop a racist community! That is how its done, and you are doing it!So you get a barrage of people setting you straight, which you then identify as racist, not the truth? Or does truth matter anymore?
Perhaps my incessant rants on this board have finally woken some people up. I note a new organization operating out of the ARCHES building on 6th avenue (even though they should not be) announced firstly they were all Native People. So at least “whitey” is being kicked to the curb and someone is identifying and addressing the issue.
I do not know the ways of the Indigenous, nor do I know their Medicines, Beliefs, and trusts. I would never pretend I do! But, we sure have A LOT of Pretenders in Lethbridge that quickly drop their “whiteness” to garner a big paying “Non Profit” job as a “pretending knowledgeable Indigenous person” as soon as help is needed.
So if you want Lethbridge to be less Racist start by making sure the Professionals in this region can call a spade a spade without fear of reprisal for stating FACTS!
You do that and you will soon see there will not be a large group rushing to correct these so called Professionals every time they open their mouths! I am not a racist, I speak in truths, if that truth appears to be racist, then you don’t understand the problem EITHER!
We have a drug problem, its predominantly Indigenous, now go out there and FIX IT before someone fires you for your paranoia and your attempts to be Socially Acceptable and Politically correct and NOT do the job you are paid to do!
If the Addicts were 95% white, I would want whitey doing his thing, if they were 95% Pakistani, I would want Pakistani’s to be in charge. Its pretty easy, it doesn’t make you a racist to say it either. Only real Racists won’t say it because “ya gotta be Socially Acceptable and Politically Correct! People will help and support you once you stop trying to garner politically correct “likes” on social media.
Believe it or not, the residents of Lethbridge are pretty smart, they can easily identify when YOU are not identifying the problem, pretend you have, and then pretend you have a clue what you are doing, when you clearly do not! When this is repeated day in and day out, you get what you sow! You get really p*ssed off people, watching the “Politics of dancing around the real issue”, while claiming “shingle” brilliance and demanding a raise in your “job for life”, all at the same time!
(insert disjointed U of L Prof comments here!)
Criminals come in all colors, shapes, sizes, ethnicities, races and religions. Stating otherwise is mere folly and shows nothing but ignorance to reality and lack of common sense. Giving the public an opportunity to have the awareness of the local criminal talent pool is not only a positive crime reduction technique but allows the community to have awareness of the criminal elements within our city and hopefully that chance to report any sightings of some of the scurrilous odious characters on the loose who would do more harm if given the opportunity. Only fools and morons would attempt to fabricate and falsely package “wanted Wednesday” in a racist overtone.
The same fools and morons are now yelling, “Racism!” in incidences in which absolutely no racism occurred. Since they have no evidence of racism, they call it “implied racism”. I kid you not.