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DAL: ‘i the AIR Weste: WED | THURS FRI 23 | 24 25 SAT 26 et 6 nei ghb< Advertised prices in effect at your neighbourhood Castlegar Safeway store. Quantity rights reserved Some items may not be exactly as shown ‘ ote Retry “INVOLUNTARY CONFINEMENT- Staff Sergeant Doug Hall conducted private interviews with staff members regarding the condition of the build- ing and how it affected morale and job performance. Both were affected in a negative way. Inside the office at the Castlegar and District RCMP sta- tion. This somewhat swayed view can be seen by look- ing at the mirror in the front office. Story Sharlene Imhoff Photos John Van Putten words that describe the Castlegar and District RCMP station, and the functions it now serves for the 16 RCMP members, seven auxiliaries (volunteer officers), 10 part-time guards and matrons, and three office clerks who work there. “This is likely the worst building in the whole Kootenays, possibly the whole province,” said RCMP Staff Sergeant Doug Hall. “It's been far from adequate and is no longer conducive to an RCMP office atmosphere.”” The building was constructed in 1957 to serve the needs of a detach- ment of four. It also contained small living quarters for the residing sergeant and his family, consisting of three bedrooms, a kitchen and din- ing area, and one bathroom. In 1957, the four RCMP members served a Population of 1,600. At the time, female RCMP members were unheard of, and accessibility needs for the disabled were never considered. Today, the building remains inaccessible for anyone who uses a wheelchair. Growth and mounting police needs, required the living quarters be renovated into further office spaces fifteen years ago. Since then, the building has not changed, though an increased staff has been hired to handle a greater workload. The result? Cramped spaces for office workers, a filing system which requires the use of an outside garage, jails which are no longer con- ducive to meet the needs of the system, and a generally depressing atmosphere for RCMP members who have little confidence in their sur- roundings. Inappropriate versatility should not have to be the norm at any polic- ing station. Yet, in an age where RCMP members are made to follow Strict procedures under policing Feu inappropriate, inactive, inadmissible. Four loaded to the general public. “If we have someone making a big commotion in here, anyone who walks through the front door can hear exactly what's going on,” explained Garrett, a 10-year veteran of the office Smith, who's desk is against a wall which is the back of a cell, had her own story to tell “If prisoners are violent, and start banging on the wall, my clock falls down on to my computer key board,” she said with a grin. Looking serious, she added, “The staff here are great people to work with, but the environment around us is less than desirable.” Realizing the affect the condition of the building was having on staff members, Hall conducted independent interviews with each one and came to an unsurprising conclusion. “The conditions of this workplace are hampering the morale of the staff members.” On October 17, residents of Castlegar will be given the opportunity to change the situation through referendum. City councillors Jim Chapman and Kirk Duff are promoting the ref- erendum vote as much as possible—and they have to. The last time a referendum was held in the city, a mere 22 per cent of the population exercised their right to vote. The referendum surrounded the need to repave City streets. It was defeated by a close margin, The need for change in Castlegar has arrived af a very good time, according to Kirk Duff. With the Celgar Expansion Project under full swing, the city’s industrial tax base has increased by $40 million, mean- ing capital projects the city desperately needs to have completed can be seriously considered. Still, Castlegar guidelines, the building in Castle- gar has been providing staff with only a basic, makeshift operation. Almost every room serves as more than one use. Often, officers must play “musical offices” to provide sufficient space for common pro- cedures, “There are no interviewing rooms, sO we give up our offices to allow suspects, who are detained, some time with family ‘This Is likely the worst building in the whole Kootenays, possibly the whole province.' — STAFF SERGEANT DOUG HALL who have been asked to spend very little money by their elected officials in the past, are now faced with a city council that wishes to utilize the industrial tax base of Castlegar to it’s greatest potential. It also means change. “Péople aren't used ‘to having major projects done in this communi- ty. The last major accomplishment in Castlegar Detachment Castlegar was the aquatic centre,” said Chapman. members, their lawyers, or with the investigating officer. We shouldn't really be doing this because these areas are not secure.” Confidentiality, an essential element in police proceedings, might be compromised without officers even realizing it “The regular offices, with their paper-thin walls, lack the proper con- fidentiality that a standard interviewing room would have,” Hall said. Space for files has also been compromised. Because RCMP informa- tion on cases may be held for 12 years or more, a build-up can occur quickly. At the Castlegar RCMP detachment, that means making use of a detached garage, which by the way, also contains the evidence recov- ered in arrests, such as cars, bikes, stereos, alcohol or drugs Perhaps the example which epitomizes the condition of Castlegar’s RCMP station most is the jail itself. In 1957, two cells were adequate to hold prisoners. In 1992, such is not the case. RCMP must now allow for four classifications of prisoners: adult male, adult female, juvenile male and juvenile female. Police must ensure that each are separated. Another classification, prisoners who display mental deterioration or aggression, must remain separate from all of these. Due to this separation, the jail can only hold a limited number prison- ers. If, for example, eight adult male prisoners are being held (the max- imum amount), and an officer arrives with a female prisoner, either she or four out of the eight male prisoners must be transported to Nelson. Another major problem—prisoners can only be held at the Castlegar jail for seven days. It would be considered inhumane to hold them longer since there are no showers available to them. “Believe me, some of the people who are brought in here need to shower immediately and not in one week,” said Hall. There is one shower in the building, but because it is located upstairs away from any secure area, prisoners are not allowed to use it “If we take them upstairs to use the shower, we're breaking security rules.” Danna Smith and Terrie Garrett are two clerks who work in the front office. If a prisoner is to be interviewed by RCMP or by a lawyer, the only route to an available office is straight through their work area, which is next to the cells. By having to work next to the cellblock, the condition and odor of By some prisoners when brought in, sometimes covered with their own vomit or urine, is enough to make both women run for open windows. But it’s nothing compared to the time a rotted sewer pipe broke right inside the building, said Smith. “That was gawd-awful!” The cramped quarters also results in the occasional unwelcome noise Duff maintains that economically, residents should realize that “things aren’t that bad in Castlegar.” “There's so much negative talk about what we can not do, because it might cost some money, because it means change. Well, not all change is bad.” Due to the major increase in the industrial tax base, Duff said resi- dential taxes have decreased by two per cent in 1992, and will continue to decrease by another two per cent in 1993 and 1994 If Castlegar's population was under 5,000, the provincial and federal governments would pay for the entire cost of the building. But since the Population exceeds 5,000 the city must contribute financially. The refer- endum on Oct. 17 will ask citizens whether the city can have the authority to borrow $1.7 million to build the new RCMP building. The provincial government, which provides funding for four out of 10 RCMP members, will then pay the city back $46,000 every year for the next 20 years. The city will make yearly payments of $167,000 for the next 20 years. Both Duff and Chapman believe the people of Castlegar, who expect efficient policing services, owe their police department adequate accommodations. “We can't say to the RCMP, do a good job, but here’s a little shoebox to operate out of,” said Duff. If the referendum is passed on Oct. 17, construction will begin this spring. If the referendum fails, a new RCMP building will still be built, though not before a huge ball of red tape has been untangled and cut. Under a new policing between palities and the fed- eral government, any municipality over 5,000 in population is required to provide an adequate facility for RCMP. If the conditions are inade- quate, the senior member of the detachment can submit a type of grievance notice to city hall, requesting that action be taken by the city to improve the situation. The notice is sent annually for three years. If no action is taken, the federal government will simply build a new RCMP station without input from community groups, city staff or indi- viduals, and then give the bill, in its entirety to city hall. Duff is adamant that this can not be allowed to happen. “In three years it’s going to cost a’*heck of a lot more money to build the accommodations.” Staff Sgt. Hall agrees, and hopes that local residents make the most of the upcoming opportunity. If they don’t, he’s prepared to file the first of the three notices immediately after. “It's so bloody old, it’s depressing to work in this thing,” — Constable Larry Oster works through some of the paper work which involves current cases. The lack of space for files means RCMP are forced to use an unattached garage as a place for extra filing space.