“A Lenonlnsocial

A recent incident which-. occured in our province prompts me to write the following article regard- ing the policeman and the execution of his duty.More specificallyjlnn going to deal with the implications of the use of force by the

, policeman, meaning reaction of the public, the news- paper, "The Evening Pat- riot" and the Attorney . Generals department. Finally I will state my own assessment of express- ed attitudes and my own opinion as to what extent we the public are respons— ible for the actions of policemen.

Finally, the incident itself. Reports indicate that the Summerside town police,suspecting'the driver of a vehicle to be impaired, indicated to the driver that he was to stop. Not only did he fail to stop but he ran at high speed. The events which followed are history.— Now lets look at this situation intelligently. Impaired driving is a criminal offense. Yes, that's right. It ranks right up there with the biggies, murder, robbery etc. The fact the more

Responsibility

people drive while im- paired than murder or- rob doesn't'lessen the seriousness of the crime. However, if I interpret the reaction of the Attorney Generals depart— ment and the "Evening Patriot" correctly, crim- inal offenses vary in de- grees of seriousness. The attitude expressed seems to be, shame on the big bad policeman for shooting at such an un— significant criminal as the impaired driver. What ’. we seem to say is that it's okay for a person who is in all probability incapable of walking a straight line, to get into his car and drive, thereby, endangering life and limb. Yet, let the

\ policeman try to enforce the law and he is denied by his ultimate bess, the Attorney General's department. It re- minds me of the tape recorded voice of Mission Impossible which says should you or any of your men be caught the Secretary, in this case, the Attorney Generals department, will disallow all knowledge of your actions. Of course Mr. Bennett did not voice an out and out denial. but his

Student Union Meeting ’3 Minutes“

A synopsis of Student Council Meeting Minutes

Article XI, Section C, Pg.4 of UPEI-SU Constitution should read "The Speaker is not a member of Council.

The Centennial Commission has approximately six to eight,hundred dollars‘ available for Centennial ‘Projects.~The President invites Council members and the general student body to submit proposals whiCh could take advantage of this opportunity to r combine Student Employment 'and Community Service.

Motion: The Student Union purchase used headliner for Cadre, if in good condit— ion, for a sum of $400. Motion carried

TWo members of the UPEI-SU Mary MacKenzie and Tom 2 Kusack, have been chosen by 5 Crossroads Canada to part-' icipate in a work visit to Africa.

Motion: UPEI—SU give the sum of $25. each to Mary MacKenzie and Tom Kusack, UPEI students chosen to represent Crossroads Canada Motion carried

Motion: Activities invol- ving the SU, in the form of Pig & Whistles be utilized

Motion: Students Association funds of $50. to finance party at the end of this academic year.

Motion carried

— Motion: UPEI—SU be paid $75. a week for 16 weeks, beginning

May lOth‘and ending August

30th 1973 and the UPEI—SU~ pay for two full summer courses the President plans to take.

Motion carried

The Council accepted the appointment of the follow- ing Committee Heads and members proposed by the Personnel Board: ‘ Cadre‘Stan Dalton Editor

in order to donate the amount of $800. to the Progress Fund. Motion carried

Give International

The President of

in Chgaf effective Mar. 8/73.

tudent Judicial Committee

.Bill Simmons-Chairman

Bill Sugget— Vice Chairman Scott MacDonald-Member Charlie Mills— "

Paul Roderick— "

Ken MoNeill- "

vacant three pOSitions Winter Carniygl Committee Mitch Cattiny Co-Chairman Charles Thompson Co-Chairm Guy Desaulniers Member Bill MacIntyre "

Bill Simmons "

THE CADRE, APRIL 3, 1973, PAGE 11

departments action in setting up an enquiry because the

rpolice used force empowered

to them by the law, serves a a denial. So, if the police— man's actions fall under scrutiny why should the po- liceman stick his neck out

to enforce the laws of a boss who won't sanction his act- tions. Furthermore, why should the general public have any regard for the auth—

: ority of a policeman who, it

would seem, can't be trusted by his own boss not to abuse his authority. The implicat- ions of any instance of the use of force by policemen are no simple matter to under—

'stand.I feel the above inc-

ident clearly demonstrates the refusal of we, the people, to accept responsibi— lity, I think it's time that we got our values straight. If we did this with re-

gard to this situation we would reiize that We-

the people, are ultimately the guardians of the law. Since it isn't practical for everyone to be a policeman we appoint people to do the job. Yet, because these are our laws, made for our pro- tection, which we all would enforce, were it practical to do so. we must share all responsibility for his act- ions with the policeman.

But what do we do. What we have done right here in our own situation, or perhaps

it would be better to say what we the public have all- owed the newspaper and Attorney Generals Dept. ’tdmdo is make a scapegoat of the policeman by deny— ing that in acting as he

/did, that he was acting on

our behalf or with our con- sent.

What kind of people are we when we express the opinion, or allow the opinion to be expressed for us that a policeman rightfully execut- ing his duties is a greater threat to public well—being than is the criminal who by his very action or actions tramples on our laws and en- dangers our safety. Yes if one is to read the editorial page of the Evening Patriot of March 26, 1973, this is exactly the opinion implied. It ranks as a dark day in— deed when the supposedly responsible newspaper will take it upon himself to re- sort to sensationalism and will display the twisted type of reasoning which I have describes above. Example: "The whole purpose of keeping impaired drivers off the road is to reduce the dangers of driving, it does not seem sensible that the police resort to shoot- ing to nab such impaired drivers."

The defense rests.

-Herb Morrison