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A6 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, April 7, 2006 OPINION Matter of trust Reixni rivilations thar Halton Regional Police Deputy Chief Mike Kingsîon lied ahouî havîng a universiîy degree on four occasions since 1999 makes us question whetbcr ilie punishnient fit his crimes'. Up until lasî week. ihe 29 year veteran of i lalions force gave us nu reason to consicier hlm anyihing oîhcî than a inodel offîcer who had wurked bis wav up ilie tanks of the service wiih good old fashîoned liard work. Had n noî heen for a Icîter suhmiued lu Uic regions police services hoard i 3 monîhs ago, we might still beireve thar. The Ontarro Civilian Commission on Police Services bad this lu say about Kingston's actions: The first misrepresentaîion in 1999 set the stage for a series ofdeceics. Each instance ut deceir huili on the previous one. Each was an ethîcal breach that, over lime, became more difficuit 10 undo without consîderable usk." We stili believe Chiet Eau Algar and the police huards assessmenî ut Mike Kingsîon as a good police offîcer, we lusi arent sure if we eau trust the deputy chiet aller he perpetrat cd the same lie four limes in lcss than six ycars Thats an enormous indiscretion lu overlook trois Haltons thirci hîgh- est ranking police officer. We tiud iî disîurbiug the ouly îhîng prevenîing Kiugsîon from a demotion or suspension is that the police service is ru the midst ut replacing the reîirîug chief and cani affurd ru he withouî Issu ut ils mcîsî senior offîcers simultarîcousîx Equally disîurhiug is ihe slap un the wusi of lusI vacairuri lime the depuîy chief reccived for bis Ires. We docîhi an curry level constable would have survived ihe s.rmc invesilgaliori wiîh his carcer inlaci In a profession buili on puhîju trust, perception is reairîx' Kiugstou's lîghî senlence gives ihe appearance of a police servrce unwillrng lu do ihe rîght îlîing - deniote a senîoî oflicer found lu have repeatedix made a mockery ut ihe serv- ice and dishonoured tue unifomo more wastïi Lhcunwtsedecisionofan police offîcers? Whaî message docs il send lu the puhlic? by bis plans 10 seek financial reimbursement for the courses hes îaking ru order 10 complete thc degree he lied about. for the mysîerious letter that exposed hîs the depuîy chief sard he mîghr have chiefs job, which uudoubîedly would have led to more lies. Readers Write Senci us yuur letters tu maftonW@haftunseaich oern ut drup them off at 875 Mam St E Garbage reduction initiatives needed DEAR EDITOR: ibis picture, wouldn'r you sa~? lis jusi Looking for ways lu reduce the untair. quautiiy of irash going w landfîll A v. hile back we rook o upon our requires Innovative ihinkiug coupled to selves lu look ai ail ihe was s we could tax reducîîon iîîcenrîves, nol increased generate iess garbage for disposai. untairîiess and rnorc tax increases Thougb ir was more expensîve b our- in the lasi 10 years or so, my taînîlys seives. we feu it was a good idea, as fi garbage oulput has been reduced hy wouid heip save our environmeni and over 90 per cent, yeî otîr cosis for use iess iandtîil space. garbage disposai - via our taxes - We shopped seleciivciy cuîîing hack have gone up weli over 500 per cent, on ail over-packaged produets, and Something is dreadfuiiy wrong witb * see REGION on page A7 ~I1j~ ~Zanabîaîî Qljampion MltoesCom s yN~' spaporh r 1860 875 Mam St E Milton Ont L9T 3Z3 905-878-2341 Ectîtonai Fax: 905 878 4943 Advertismg Fax. 905 876-2364 Ciassified:905-875-3300 Circulation 905-878-5947 Publisher: Ian Oliver AssociaIs Publisher HeU Oliver Advertisiug Director Woody McHab Managing Editor Karen Smsth Production Manager Tus Cules Circulatiou Manager Charlene Hall Office Manager 'l'eu Casas The tanadian champion, pubiiîhed enery Taerday anti Fnday ai 875 Main St. t., Milion, Ont, L9T 3Z3 iBox 248), r one of the Meirotand Piinting, Publirhing & Distiibaiing Itti. commun'riy newrpaperr. Ad.re.rgrarops.J rire rorrîrar rfhrrer' îf, vpograph.,, e,, ithar p srrofreadrsrrg 0065 .porby theerroar'e-rgerrrrr~rraasoraoIeaIIîopeîîî.,q,0 ta~,~I rrsbosagao, r.tlneoaosesfrfadarrorrreerpp 0e pa.d n or erapp,, 00e rare Thepablsherrerernesrierqhrrr naraîor.eae.ereerdere CCAB Audited Rer'oqnrzere le, xceiirqnr b, (V'flr2 Oearo (amrrar,5 A '~"~'~"~ Neespapeer Assorarror Caradae Coerrroray N..jli'"' Neesspapees Assocraror ~U Suhss,'ban Nesospapers ~ of Amena Aroundtown The Canadjan Champion is a proud media spotisor foi To be a hero or to be a fool - that's the question Hero or foot? Sometimes it~s a fine litre, parucuiariy wbeu people choose to take mat- ters into their own hands upon witnessing a crime. lu tIse past two weeks lu Miltou, there bave been two cases ofmen ~vho have jried to restrain alleged cnminals until police amved. lu one case It worked out well, lu another flot as well - although il didu'î have the disas- trous cousequeuces la could have hatI. in the firsî mcideuî March 25, a passerby saw a man beiug bit wiîb a basebail bat at a local park. As the victms was fleemg tIse scene, the wituess cbased one of the suspects, tackled hlm to the grouud and beid hlm until police arrived b arrest hlm. lu the second lucident, reported in this paper, a man was returuiug to bis vebicie Monda7 afîer walking bis dog wheu be noticed someone lu the mîdst of breaking luto it. TIse man, understandably upset, cou- er, but it could've heen a kuife or a gun." fronted the suspect and gralihed hoid of hlm. People oken don't tbink clearly lu the heat He let go wbeu the suspect begau swinging a of the moment, he said, heuce the sometimes screwdriver at hlm, trying to break uuwise actions. Couple that free. The suspect fled antI police witb someone who's angry St are iuvestigatiug. tIse injustice being done, and Now, i'm ail for heiping your w you've got a poteutialiy danger- feilow man. But tbere's a Urne and ous situation. a place for tbinking of your own " The beat ding to do is take a safety. lu the firsî incident, the vlc- good look at wbaî~s happening tim bad already been released by so you're a good wltuess, aud de suspect and was no longer îu dieu cati police, Hodgson said. danger. lu the second, the suspect -* - - lu a case wbere someones in was figbting to proteet bis dauger, you need to calmly Trailblazer, not a person. assess the situation to determine if you couid A chat witb Haiton Regional Police Det. be of beip. Ask yourself questions like, is he Sgt. Peter Hodgson confirmed what I already bigger than me? is be armed? knew. "We neyer recommeud îryîng to Even lu those cases, olten the hest îbing to apprehend someone. You dont kuow if do la yeli for belp. they're armed. lu this case la was a screwdriv- Don~t take it from me. Take it ftom police. 50 5 h ng e Be Fund UNITED WAY h o 0F MILTON TYSUCTION ~ YYMÇA Showcase Milion ~ ~ (A Aeard