injusticebustersblog

Beleaguered Saskatoon Police Chief Russell Sabo, originally uploaded by Sheila Steele.

Yesterday I blogged that Saskatoon was without a chief. This is true, but it does not have to remain so. Saskatoon can still redeem itself, but it will have to do so quickly.

I have not been impressed by Russell Sabo's performance and I haven't hesitated to voice that opinion on injusticebusters. I made a really biting cartoon about him after he lied to Richard Klassen about the investigation of Superintendent Dueck -- and I stand by that cartoon.

However, I do not want to be part of the school of piranhas which now heads towards the chief slavering to consume his flesh an bones. The old guard, led at least spiritually by former Chief Dave Scott, would like to restore Saskatoon to the days when cops were cops and could leave drunks at the edge of town to freeze, lie to inquiries with impunity and promote the likes of Dueck from corporal to superintendent as a reward for prosecuting and defaming innocent people.

It would seem that there are forces who would like to see Deputy Chief Wiks (on leave pending an appeal of the slap of the wrist he received for lying to the media about the Stonechild investigation) or some other member of the existing police force installed as chief. Some of these forces would be from the Downtown Partnership, which provides regular advertising revenue for the local media and was successful in ousting Mayor Jim Maddin after one three year term.

The truth is that Maddin was not given a chance and that Chief Sabo, who Maddin helped bring in to a town badly in need of some outside blood was not given a chance, either.

Jim Maddin knew the Saskatoon Police Service was riddled with problems and chose to retire after 25 years and seek another career in politics. He had (and still has) support of the west side where crime and poverty have been allowed to flourish. But his hands were tied by a Board of Commissioners owned by the Old Guard. They pulled a fast one on him and renewed Chief Dave Scott's contract, allowing him to carry on his corrupt practices until finally, he was in a position to fire him and begin the painful process of finding a new chief.

In hindsight, it becomes pretty clear that Sabo was brought in without adequate preparation. As nearly as we can tell, he didn't have a single friend on the force and had to take certain leaps of faith about who he could trust.

He was given an executive assistant who had worked for Scott and many chiefs before him. She turned out to be a snake in the grass, complaining she was harassed because of some old-school chivalry (compliments of a quasi sexual nature) which, apparently her assignments with the previous chiefs hadn't prepared her to handle.

Sabo might have had a chance if he had brought with him a sergeant he could trust, who could have eased him into the treacherous waters of this city. But he didn't. He was on his own and once Maddin was gone, he was bereft of support.

Saskatoon could save its face and its skin if, instead of turfing Sabo (as the StarPhoenix is now suggesting it should) it renewed his contract and provided him with a body-guard. A good one. Smart and trained, who would be his shadow, his eyes in the back of his head, someone who would make it possible for him to do his job. Maybe two. Whatever it takes.

This would be much less expensive than the dollars the City paid out in higher insurance claims after Dueck was found to have maliciously prosecuted the Klassens and Kvellos, or the claims collected by John Popowich.

Renew his contract and then let him have what he needs to do his job.

# posted by Sheila Steele @ 5:34 PM Post a Comment