Jennifer Allan of Vancouver Cop Watch
You may remember back in June when I covered the story of how Vancouver Cop Watch’s Jennifer Allan hoodwinked Bill Good on CKNW. Jennifer told Good that Cop Watch’s purpose was to politely observe the police, and to build positive relationships with them. I spoke with Jennifer after that, and she told me that there were some people at Cop Watch who acted negatively towards the police, but that she wasn’t one of them. Then, three weeks ago, I found video of Jennifer teasing the VPD with doughnuts.
Last night Jenn wrote a couple of comments on my article about the doughnut fishing. The first one was quite telling:
“Out of all these revolutionaries,I was asked to hold the doughnut stick and pose with the cops,because they didn’t have the guts to do it them self. I am not even a revolutionary type person,but I agreed because I know where to draw the line.”
I explained to her that it didn’t take guts to to that- the proper word was gall. And, surprisingly, she came back with a comment that left me thinking there was some hope for her- at least, the last sentence did:
“Sorry if this offend people,that wasn’t my intention.”
But, today, I found a most disturbing video of Jennifer in-action. And, if I ever had any doubts that Cop Watch was a negative influence on relationships between the police and the people of the DTES, I don’t any longer. This video is deeply shameful, insulting and the opposite of how Jennifer described her work to Bill Good that day.
Vancouver Cop Watch has become a bad joke…
The video is of Cop Watch member Terri Williams being detained by the police. Jennifer is filming and making comments in the background. The police approach Terri as she is smoking in a park, they came up to her and asked for identification. Jennifer was interfering, and they warned her not to impede their investigation. In response she said:
“You’re impeding in a copwatch investigation right now!”
The police then asked Terri for her name and identification again, and Jennifer gave her some of the worst advice possible:
“You do not have to give the police your name, your address or nothing- it’s your right”
Terri made the mistake of listening to this advice, and ended up being detained and handcuffed by the police. Considering Cop Watch is supposed to be there to help people, it was sad to see Jennifer’s advice having the opposite effect. Terri didn’t feel very happy about this situation either- you could tell when she asked Jennifer:
“Did you set me up for this?”
I’d have probably asked the same thing if I was in that situation, and someone gave me such bad information. Jennifer explained her view on why Terri was being arrested saying:
“Right now the police are targeting a copwatcher, this is Terri, she is a vancouver copwatch member. The police are targeting her because He was oppressing first nations women, giving them tickets”
So, this gives us a god view of what Cop Watch is really about- they aren’t simply filming and observing the police, they are actively trying to impede their investigations. I’m surprised they didn’t arrest them on the spot at that moment.
Then, Terri asked Jennifer if she was going to call her a lawyer. Jennifer’s response won’t go well with the voters in the next election:
“I will, I’ll call David Eby”
David Eby is the head of the BC Civil Liberties association. He’s recently announced that he is resigning at the end of the year with the intention of being the NDP candidate for Vancouver’s Point Grey riding. Eby is famous for his cop hating activities- they got so bad at one point that the police union featured him on the front page of their website. The people of Point Grey should take note of how Eby has been promoting what Cop Watch has been doing- long after they have been exposed for this sort of activity, and after their co-founder was arrested for forgery.
David Eby (with Ellen Woodsworth) at VANDU
When I began writing about Cop Watch I was attacked by their members. One of their members, Ann Livingston (who leads the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) funded Vancouver Network Of Drug Users) made an absurd comment online that I “only go after women”. I have an ongoing complaint to VCH about this issue- but, it seems that Cop Watch hasn’t learned their lesson yet. Jennifer Allan tries the same attack on the arresting officer:
“It’s realy sad, Paul Ballentine is now targeting women! Well paul, you must feel like a big man now- harassing a woman”
This is one of the problems with Canada’s radical left. They are so determined to try and win their battles at any cost that they cheapen real incidents of gender based harassment by using it as a weapon whenever they can. Next Jennifer decides to accuse the officers of being thieves:
“Don’t steal her money either. I know how much money she has on her, when she comes out if she doesn’t have all her money I’m gonna fucking charge with theft”
But, that wasn’t enough for Jennifer. Soon after she accuses the police officers of gender based harassment she decides to insult Ballentine with a racist comment:
“paul doesn’t know who he’s actually arresting. That’s because he’s an uneducated cop, but then again he’s white, so what do you expect”
At this point, Jennifer really starts to get out of hand- she begins threatening the police:
“don’t worry Teri, I’ll take him on if he touches you”
“don’t worry, I’ve got a record for assaulting cops, I love it”
“Don’t worry, if he touches you I’ll knock his ass out. Arrest me, please, I’ll dare ya”
Then, after Ballentine warns her that she is crossing the line, Jennifer responds saying:
“I don’t listen to what white pieces of trash have to say”
Once they finished searching Terri, and verifying her identification, they released her from the handcuffs and let her go with a ticket. If you watch the video you will see that the police were entirely reasonable during this incident – despite all of the hate, accusations and racist abuse thrown at them. The officers involved deserve to be commended for their behaviour.
Jennifer Allan needs to make a public apology for her behaviour, and should consider resigning from Cop Watch. After watching this video, it is obvious that she is not living up to the ideals she stated she was on her appearance on the Bill Good show. And, her bad advice didn’t work out so well for Terri Williams.
I’d also suggest that David Eby make an apology too. He has been deeply involved with Cop Watch, even after I showed the world what they have been up to. He’s since given them a training course on how to be a legal observer, but it doesn’t seemed to have worked. Rather, the people of Cop Watch feel that they can act with impunity because he is there to rescue them.
This is not the type of person who the people of Point Grey want to see representing them in the provincial Legislature….
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They can act with impunity because this is Canada. As someone who has spent time living in Latin America and Asia it is insulting to see Canadians trying to create problems with the police where it does not exist. There are instances of police abuse in Canada and there are ways to deal with them. That is what seperates us from most countries. Because in most countries anyone who acts like this woman did would end up with at least a few broken bones. Oh, and no way to sue the police, no civilian review and no civil rights lawyers. In most countries you cannot sue the police because they hurt your feelings with a comment about hairy legs or because they prevented you from being able to go to a major protest and be an attention whore.
All you are doing is taking this “cause” and turning it into a joke. Anyone without a pre-existing anti-police bias will see this video as an example of fine police work under difficult circumstances.
Jennifer Allen needs to wake up. Society does not have a lot of tollerance for police brutality. Society also does not have a lot of tollerance for those who assault or advocate assaulting the police. She responds to the police statement about a police investigation saying the police were “imedeping a cop watch investigation.” Where does this “cop watch” get their mandate from? Who gave them this authority? The police get their mandate and authority from the people. Who gives you authority Jennifer?
Author
That’s my thought exactly. I saw the police do some horrible things when I lived in Russia & Hungary. Particularly in Russia it would have been hard for anyone to get justice after being the victim of police violence. We are so lucky here in Canada that the police are so much more tame than the rest of the world. It really angers me when people poke and prod at the police- they are taking us closer to what could be much worse…
The police didn’t get there mandate from the people, they got it from fed, and we know from most of the problems we have today, that even they do not know what mandate they are trying to enforce. Youre right police brutality is no different from being raped, the only question ignorant people seem to ask is was she dressed like a slut.
p.s this is in no way support of VCW, I think they are having an identity problem, When they started they were all buddy buddy with the police, which pushed a lot of hardcore anti-police people away. So who knows they might actually just be a bunch of snitches
Whats the point in comparing us to other countries, I thought we were Canadians, not Amercans not Europeans, but Canadians, Comparing us to other countries is a cop out to actual change.
Author
I have to disagree with you on this- benchmarking against other countries helps us better understand our own selves. Personally, in my fantasy world, everyone would be required to live abroad for at least one year. Having that knowledge of the contrast with other countries would go a long way to helping us understand our own country…
agreed… I guess it’s to what we keep comparing… lot of different histories, movements, religions and theories have shaped different societies.
Living in Italy for a bit did open my eyes a little to corruption, but it always seems so different, because of how the society itself acts.
… and whats the “standard” that we are really benchmarking against? or is this what the real argument is about? “standard”
Author
I believe that the standard should be based on community expectations. That said, to look at policing in other places will help us better understand how to define that standard. From what I saw in this video, the police were living up to Canadian’s expectations. They were fair, polite, and they didn’t take the bait…
So much anger in her.. It’s clouded any chance at rational thinking or behavior.
Author
Indeed, there’s a lot of anger there. When I interviewed her she told me that she had a family member who got killed by the police in the NWT. So, I’m guessing it is related to that. Such a sad situation…
she’s stupid, isn’t she?,her grammar is pathetic,too
Greg is right. We like to think we are all worldly in Canada because we have a “multicultural” society. The reality is we only boarder one other country. You realize how provincial we actually are. These hardcore “anti-police” people are really no different than hate groups. They are ignorant and narrow minded. Targeting a group because of who they are instead of what they are actually doing. They go into these situations with pre-conceived notions and not by actual actions. That is why 90% of what we get are general, vague statements about rights being violated without specifics.
But, if you want to pretend Canada is alone in the universe we can play that game. If the police are even half as bad as VCW and the more extreme Copwatch Vancouver then how are they allowed to do what they do? Why do the totalitarian police not stop them? Why do they allow themselves to be humiliated by people with donuts and fishing line? Why do they not just arrest these people, throw them in jail and throw away the key?
The biggest complaint most Canadians actually have of the police is that they are apathetic and do not take action when needed. Not police brutality. That is the change Canadians need.
Author
Yeah, I think that the fact the police didn’t arrest Jennifer Allan, after all of her abuse and threats, is a testament to how good we have it here in Canada. In Russia they would have beat her to a bloody pulp about five minutes into the situation…
hmmm like the police target the counter culture? Thats ridiculous to call “anti police” groups hate groups. I guess MADD and the rest of them fall into that group. “Relax man” not everyone is shoot first ask later. What would you do about corruption within the VPD? or I guess by what your saying it does’nt exist and they should have a free pass? Look at the complaint commission? do we not hold them to a higher “standard”? or are they just average citizens?
Author
I’d call a group like Vancouver Cop Watch a hate group- without hesitation. Listen to the words that Jennifer was using towards them, the racism, the anger. And, Jennifer is one of the more mild members of VCW- many of them are much worse…
would the police be considered a hate group for using similar methods in escalating tensions?
but then again any group that wants to bring violence to another group can be considered a hate group. Police hating “gang members”, drug users, prostitutes, pimps, ect… without going into race creed and religion.
or I guess we can just say that any group that forms in opposition to another as a “hate group”
Author
I’d define a “hate group” as a group whose main purpose is to hate. Cop Watch appears to be that to me- there’s not s single instance where they’ve demonstrated that they are adding value to the equation….
I wont disagree but I just feel if that’s the label alot of groups can be classified as such. I’ll agree being that person who has talked alot of BS around the police, its useless and selfish.
… give “police brutality victims” a support system.. and “maybee” they wont form “anti police” groups ( that is an assumption and maybee )
There are genuine good cops as well real sick o bad cops, most of them will admit that themselves I am sure. I think a cop probably sees an average of 7 decomposed bodies in his/her career and that has a profound impact on anyone’s psyche. Truth is who the hell else is out there dedicating themselves to finding missing or murdered children which never seems to end in this world of ours?… it’s the good cops and they should be respected for the thankless and difficult work they do in situations of extreme chaos and injustice. The bad cops ought to be made accountable for wrong doings though like anyone else but that process seems rare due to a combination of misplaced loyalty, abuse of power and public naivete.
Author
Back at Occupy Vancouver I gave a speech about how police violence only occurs because the people let it happen. The concept was that if the general population stood-up and spoke out when real police violence happened, then it would probably happen a lot less often. Two undercover cops exposed themselves when I said that and looked at me nodding in desperate approval. The good cops want to see the bad ones taken care of.
The misplaced loyalty is a big problem obviously- one that I have no idea about how to fix. I think it is up to the people to do that. But, if groups like VCW, and people like David Eby, go around crying wolf all of the time, they drown-out the real incidents of police violence.
To me, that is as bad as the police violence itself. Let’s hope, at next year’s election, that the people of Point Grey know better than to put a dangerous man like David Eby into office. His cheap political stunts are a danger to us all…
hear hear……
to bad it will never happen…
they will all keep playing games…
and btw, there are many other groups who are dedicated to doing the same job the police do, just without the same tools. And its hard to say that job is thankless or bad, the vpd turns down alot of applicants, they haven’t had to experience the harsh budget slashing of other government offices, and being a cop is a very well paid job in van. in comparison. http://www.scribd.com/doc/91445175/2011-VPD-Remuneration
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090721/dq090721a-eng.htm
you are right about there being many groups dedicated to helping find missing children without the same tools. The difference with police is the impact of investigations which involve looking at disturbing material. I heard one detective say police who work in special victims unit sex crimes can last five years max. Dedicated work that involves dealing with images, information and material involving child rape, murder and torture in order to help solve crimes that often go unsolved is unfathomable to the psyche and heart. These ‘good cops’ don’t trade in their minds and let their hearts be broken for the supposed excellent cash either…
The good cops do want to see the bad cops taken care of. This is part of the reason VPD, like every police department in Canada, turns down a lot of applicants. Most of those turned down are turned down because the police brass do not feel they can be trusted not to abuse their power in some way. They may get a lot of applicants, but not a lot of good applicants.
At the same time there are some doing good work educating people on their rights when it comes to the police. Take Davin Charney for example. I am not a big fan of some of his clients. However, he does do good work helping to educate and represent those disadvantaged in society in dealing with the police. And you will never see him telling someone on the street they do not have to show their ID to a cop or threatening a cop with violence.
There are anti-police groups like Vancouver Cop Watch and Copwatch Vancouver though that are like hate groups though. They see anyone in a uniform and pre-judge them as such. Much like the way the KKK pre-judges anyone they see with dark skin.
agreed but that same judgement is also used by the police when profiling an individual, guilty by association. To say the police aren’t a gang, would break the definition. This goes to both sides groups/gangs/clubs inc. copwatch and other various organizations doesn’t really matter. So society would have to change to stop labeling groups, because history proves, labeling just leads to all sorts of stupid BS. Yes! this means that groups of cops/gangsters/lefties/radicals/religious/ultra’s ect… have good people in them, but can you change a label.
Jennifer Allan of Vancouver Copwatch is an absolute, total twit.As an ex-copwatch member, since March 2015, I can honestly say that Vancouver Copwatch serves no other useful purpose than to harass Police at large, cause unwarranted problems for many P:C’s who are doing what they’re supposed to bve doing in enforcing the law/s as we know them to exist,and, sadly, from the behaviors I have seen demonstrated by Ms. Jennifer Allan herself it is painfully evidant that she believes she and other VCW members are somehow exempt from the laws and reasonable dictates the rest of us are required to live by.They don’t even come remotely close to realistically addressing genuine problems re: REAL cases centering around Police brutality, nor other serious misdemenours committed by the same handful of reprobate cops, time and time again-it’s just all about fun and games with them,ie’ harassing the Police without any genuine justifiable cause,and Jennifer’s actively and on-going attention seeking campaigne-hey!!! ,as long as she’s in the limelight of things, she’s happy!!And, naturally, this-at any cost to anyone or anything!!
What, I ask myself, has VCW accomplished in the course of the last 2/3 years? My answer is this, a big fat zero-they just get stupider and stupider as time marches on………total waste of energy and time,the street type mentality put into collective practice by it’s members totally sucks, bigtime.
Jennifer Allan should be so ashamed of herself, she is, after all, a soildier with the Salvation Army!!!Try comprehending THAT one!
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