Website attacking police boss reappears
Jason Fekete
January 6, 2005
For the second time in just over two months, a website attacking the Calgary Police Service's top brass has popped up on the Internet.
Much like its predecessor, the new website -- Code200.com -- claims to represent officers and civilian members of the department who "find themselves challenged daily by the relentless and malicious disregard of its current management."
Code 200, in police terminology, is an emergency call signifying an officer is in trouble.
The language on the new site is less vitriolic but similar to one launched in late October. Dubbed the Standfirm Team website, the earlier posting has since been pulled from the Net after threats of legal action by the police service.
The initial site claimed to represent officers who "find themselves challenged by the relentless tyranny and malicious disregard of its current management."
The new site claims much of its content and criticisms of the police service were pulled directly from a union survey that delivered a scathing performance evaluation of senior officers by hundreds of rank-and-file members.
One of the website's comments, from what's claimed to be a 20-year veteran, says: "While the Calgary Police Service has some individuals that are competent and qualified, they are few and far between. The majority are in positions they are not qualified for and have become a liability to the service."
Several apparent survey comments target Chief Jack Beaton, who is in the midst of negotiating a new contract.
"The chief best be careful in how he is leading and running the CPS, as the optics are concerning," states a comment from an alleged veteran officer.
"I have little respect for our management," another veteran says.
"Some of the senior officers . . . have never even heard of values.
These values are used to keep us in line but are ignored by them at their whim. They . . . disgust me," reads another comment.
The Herald attempted to contact the authors of the website but received no response.
Service spokesman Don Stewart said the department won't comment on the new website because it's largely based on the results of the union survey, which Beaton previously called "faulty" and "flawed."
"The Calgary Police Service didn't comment publicly on the survey results at that time when it was released, and we're not going to be doing so now," Stewart said Wednesday.
Beaton, at the time, labelled the initial website as "mean-spirited and in poor taste" and said "the authors have no regard whatsoever for our members who wear the uniform with pride."
Ald. Craig Burrows -- one of two aldermen who sit on the police commission -- said the new site "is just gossip" until people are willing to put their name on it.
"We live in a world where you can smear without fear," Burrows said Wednesday. "If police are about courage, then come forward."
© Calgary Herald 2005