More than two months after the RCMP and military personnel smashed down the doors in the town of High River following this June’s flood, residents are still wondering, ‘Who’s going to pay for the damage?” The damages range anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 per household, and there are more than 1900 instances of damages or complaints. The RCMP says the province should pay for the damage, and the Premier claims the RCMP should pay for the damage. Who is correct? To find the answer one simply needs to read the law. The RCMP claims they did not receive instructions from any elected officials to break into homes. They claim the provincial Emergency Management Act (the law) grants them additional powers during a state of emergency, including the right to enter premises without a warrant and take property to “prevent, combat or alleviate the effects of an emergency or disaster.” Unfortunately for the RCMP that’s not what the law says! The Alberta provincial Emergency Management Act is quite prescriptive. The Act is the law, and it only grants additional powers to the Minister, the Lieutenant Governor in Council, and the local elected council - and only after a declaration of a state of emergency! [The Lieutenant Governor in Council is in effect the Alberta Government.] As a matter of public record, the Lieutenant Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Doug Griffiths, declared a state of emergency in High River on June 28, 2013. Given that the provincial government (Minister) declared the state of emergency the law specifically states, “If any real or personal property is damaged or destroyed due to an action of the Minister in preventing, combating or alleviating the effects of an emergency or disaster, the Minister shall cause compensation to be paid for it.” It is clear from the law that the provincial government is responsible for the damages in High River. Except for one minor, and yet very important detail! Griffiths and Redford claim they didn’t instruct the RCMP to break into homes, and only Griffiths and Redford had the authority to authorize the RCMP to act. The legislation does not empower the RCMP to act arbitrarily on its own initiative and kick in doors without a warrant. Doors and locks were kicked in. Windows were smashed. Muddied boots prints evidenced the intrusion from room to room, as RCMP and Army personnel seized private property from High River homes. The lawful authority, our provincial government, wants us to believe they didn’t lawfully authorize the intrusion. In order to believe the RCMP is responsible, one has to conclude the RCMP committed more than 1900 unlawful acts of breaking and entering, burglary, vandalism and numerous other offenses. None of this make sense! And it makes less sense when one explores the role of the army. The RCMP readily admits it doesn’t have any authority to instruct the army, and it cannot speak for the army. So who instructed army personnel to assist the RCMP in the numerous acts of vandalisms in High River? The army doesn’t just decide one day, “Hey let’s go to Alberta and help the RCMP break into homes in High River!” The RCMP is looking more and more like a willing scapegoat in this matter. Someone is not telling the truth, and it is looking more and more like a multi-million dollar political cover-up. Griffiths and Redford need to step up and take responsibility for the decisions in High River, or they have to admit there was a historic case of massive looting in High River, right under their noses! Which is it? Albertans need an independent judicial inquiry into the looting in High River. Since Griffiths didn’t authorize anyone to smash in doors, why is Griffiths afraid to call for an inquiry?
Posted on: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:29:51 +0000
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