Buddy Tavares, the man [allegedly] kicked brutally in the face by RCMP thug… I mean constable Geoff Mantler, has filed a lawsuit against Constable Geoff Mantler, Mantler’s female partner, the Attorney General of BC and the City of Kelowna.
Fantastic! If there is any common sense left in our justice system, this lawsuit should be a slam-dunk, especially considering that senior RCMP members apologized to Buddy Tavares personally.
Now I have to say that the thug, Geoff Mantler, [allegedly] kicked Buddy Tavares in the face because even though it was caught on video for the whole world to see, the thug cop has not been convicted of the crime in court.
Yet.
When the case first made national and international news, Constable Geoff Mantler was initially placed on what I like to call a “paid vacation.” Once the Abbotsford Police Department completed their investigation and recommended charges against Mantler, that paid vacation was converted into a suspension without pay, like it should have been in the first place.
What’s shocking about cases like this is that Geoff Mantler is one of the very few who have actually been placed on an unpaid suspension. There are currently a number of RCMP members on paid suspension that have been collecting paychecks and even raises for NOT going to work for over three years.
As bizarre as it sounds to me and perhaps you, Geoff Mantler is actually going to plead not guilty in court later this month. Apparently this pathetic excuse for an RCMP constable (and for a man) actually believes he did no wrong.
Everyone on the planet is ashamed of Geoff Mantler’s actions except, it seems, for Geoff Mantler himself. This isn’t the first time (or even the second) that he’s been accused of using excessive force against civilians. He absolutely disgusts me.
His denial of reality also tells me the RCMP is in desperate need of revamping the RCMP recruiting process, as I wrote about the other day.
The current RCMP recruitment process, if judged by recent news stories, would seem to go something like this:
- Are you willing to beat the shit out of someone for making rude comments about police? If yes, please continue with questionnaire.
- If an inmate talks back to you, is that cause to beat him so severely he has to be sent to hospital? If yes, please continue with questionnaire.
- Are you willing to lie in court to cover up your violation of the Charter Rights of a civilian? If yes, please continue with questionnaire.
- Are you willing to drive drunk, even doing so kills an innocent civilian? If yes, please continue with questionnaire.
- Do you believe cheating on your wife with a street prostitute is a good idea? If yes, please continue with questionnaire.
- Will you use the CPIC database for your own personal ends even though doing so is a violation of the RCMP’s own rules? If yes, please continue with questionnaire.
If you have answered YES to all of these questions, please report to RCMP DEPOT in Regina immediately.
We’ve had so many cases of RCMP misconduct surface recently that the issue would appear to be systemic, not just a series random thug cops.
My favourite RCMP Poster-Boy for everything wrong with the RCMP is, of course, Corporal Monty Robinson. He epitomizes everything that is wrong with the RCMP. He killed two men. He lied about killing the first one in court. He was [allegedly] drunk when he killed the second man, and then ran home to pound back a couple shots of vodka so he couldn’t get nailed for impaired driving. He refused to cooperate with investigators.
To top off the obscenity that is RCMP Corporal Monty Robinson, he’s been on a paid vacation for the past three years. He’s even getting pay raises while he doesn’t go to work. How’s that for disgusting?
Robinson, sadly for us all, is not alone though. There is a long line of men wearing the RCMP’s uniform that should never have been allowed near the service.
The list of morally-bankrupt RCMP members seems endless… Constable Geoff Mantler, RCMP Constable Shyamal Ramlu, RCMP Constable Gerry Rundel, RCMP Constable Bill Bentley, RCMP Corporal Monty Robinson, RCMP Constable Kwesi Millington, RCMP Sergeant Douglas Smith, RCMP Constable Todd Glasman, RCMP Constable Matt Wright, RCMP Constable Nick Sharma, RCMP Constable Desmond Sandboe, RCMP Constable Andy Yung, Constable Allan Douglas Roberts (illegal search) are just the ones that come easily to mind.
One commenter on a story of RCMP misconduct said,
“BC seems to be the RCMP’s dumping ground for bad cops.”
It’s hard not to agree with that comment. BC does seem to have a much higher proportion of RCMP misconduct than any other province… a topic I’ll be writing about more in the days to come. I’ve found some interesting research that shows how atrocious the RCMP is at getting rid of their bad apples.
Excellent story Christopher,
I hope the litigation process strips Mantler of assets and becomes so wearisome as to send a very clear message to other RCMP officers that the tactics of the high spirited,jackboot loving, Germanic law enforcement officials of 70 years ago have no place in Canada today…nor at any time.
Personally, I think Mantlers’ neighbors should be informed as to their residential proximity to a potential killer. In the same manner as the RCMP would inform a neighborhood should a pedophile or killer move in……reciprocity is a good thing…..and life is a two-way street.
Thanks for your kind words, Don! I too hope that Mantler loses everything in this case. He absolutely has earned that and prison time to boot.
The only point I would make is that Geoff Mantler is absolutely NOT an “officer”. He is a constable, the lowest rank in the RCMP.
Recruits doing their training at the Depot in Regina are called “Cadets”. After 7 years of service a constable is eligible for the rank of Corporal. It is only after serving time as a Corporal that they can apply to become a Commissioned Officer.
Sorry to be nit-picky on that point, but it annoys the crap out of me that everyone calls them RCMP “officers” when they are not.
Christopher
What scares me the most is not knowing how many Geoff Mantler’s are out there with guns on their hips and how often this has happened when there is no cameras around. The RCMP is no different than organized criminal gangs
Not a problem Christopher…..the Devil is in the details….
But as to my point about proximity.
There should be a website started that contains explicit personal information about these cops who are little more than potential killers.
Information such as driver’s licence numbers, social insurance numbers, credit information, banking information, full physical address, mailing address, FAC numbers, a list of weapons owned, access to their RCMP background checks and all information contained therein, levels of security clearances,RCMP employment records, RCMP personnel files complete with performance and disciplinary records,the make, year and model of their personal vehicles, personal insurance policy numbers, current personal photographs including sideshots and photographs of their vehicles and property/residence, a list of habits, hobbies, and pastimes including favorite places to go, a list of their wives personal information,……in other words….acquire this information and then post it to a publicly accessible website making these potential killers as visible as possible…….under no circumstances should the RCMP be allowed to act as a law unto themselves and kill innocent civilians…..the Citizenry must be allowed to closely monitor cops who kill as closely as we would monitor sexual predators….they are one and the same.
(BTW…..this information on RCMP officers is easier to acquire than you would believe….)
Then start a campaign to inform all of their neighbors of their proximity to potential killers. Inform the schools that are attended by the children of these potential killers that there are parents of attending children who pose a lethal and critical threat to young children. Inform women’s groups that these same officers pose a very clear and ominous threat to the safety of women. Illustrate to the general community the extent of the RCMP senior commanding officers and NCO/IC’s complicity in assisting the guilty officers in covering up their crimes….
In other words give as much information to the Public as possible…do not allow the RCMP to continue unchecked in their campaign of murder, witness tampering,evidence tampering, information release, database tampering, manslaughter, theft, and perjury (just to name a few….)
The next step is to begin, collectively, a program of civil action against every one of these rogue officers. Use a process of civil action to strip them of every asset they own, to leave them penniless and destitute. Achieve court judgements that will strip them of homes, pension plans, and all other assets.
Leave them with the just reward for murdering, brutalizing and harassing those citizens they were to protect…..leave them with nothing….
Seek their expulsion from the RCMP. Once kicked off the Force follow them into civilian life and warn potential employers of the threat these officers pose to innocent civilians, educate potential employers as to the crimes these thugs have committed.
Its actually quite easy…..a simple website and the efforts of a few decent citizens……and we will rid ourselves of killers in red coats.
Regards, Don Laird
I so glad that I found this site. Suddenly I don’t feel so alone. I am in the midst of an issue regarding an RCMP constable here in Armstrong who has an interest in protecting a brain-damaged ‘peeping-tom’ for whom she apparently serves as power of attorney. It’s been over 2 months since I first caught him masturbating at my daughter’s window. Since reporting that incident, there have been numerous more. No restrictions have ever been placed on him – in fact he was given an electric scooter – you know the whisper silent kind – within the month of my report and with approval of the RCMP. I’m starting to think I’m crazy in that there has not been a single time during this nightmare that the RCMP have responded in a way that seems appropriate. What is the matter with this picture? Maybe six months of training isn’t enough to do more than deputize thugs,
and legalize bullies…
Just so you know, not all cops are bad. However, those who beat up or kill innocent people should have the book thrown at them. The police should NOT be investigating themselves, as it encourages biases in this system. Rather, I’d like to see an independent 3rd party investigating all claims of excessive force, murder, etc.
> “Just so you know, not all cops are bad.”
I couldn’t agree more, Sara, and I’ve never EVER said that all cops are bad. It’s a point I make over and over again in my articles. That being said, there are a lot of bad ones, and it is those cops that I write about here. The people have a right to know about the bad folks packing badges and guns, and the RCMP sure isn’t about to tell us about them. 🙂
Like you, I believe independent 3rd party investigations are the only way to go, and it was very encouraging to see who BC hired to head their unit. It gives me hope that the politicians are actually listening to us for a change!
A comment…..
Agreed that some of these things which have happened are absolutely horrific….but I would like to put forth another point of view…..I was married to a RCMP officer. I feel that RCMP was detrimental to our life together….and while many of these guys are way to agressive, I would like to suggest as well that sometimes the force themselves are the ones causing this issue….that it is not just a case of picking the wrong guys. My ex husband is a cop, and a great one. He is a caring individual who is committed to crime prevention, community mobilization and the general good. He is the type who would prefer to “talk” the guy into the car rather than pushing him in. He is able to “be tough” when situations warrant, but not for the sake of being agressive…however, the response he received from fellow officers(and I get why people are pointing out that this guy is a Cst. yet he is still a peace OFFICER and that is how they are identified) was to be labelled the “care bear cop” and he was often looked down upon for his assertive yet often compassionate and respectful dealings with the people. This attitude is an organizational one where they want there members to be this agressive force yet they in turn hang them out to dry when they react in that way. I am truly appauled by mantle’s actions and my first response is “who the hell does he think he is” but my second is why is it that someone like my ex gets put down instead of rewarded! I have known alot of good officers but alot of bad….but in an organization that perpetuates the image the good ones get lost. He is (while I hate to compliment him, being my ex and all) exactly who you want to deal with and it is unfortunate that the bad ones clearly tarnish the image of the force as a hold especially those who put themselves in the line of danger everyday and still manage to treat people like human beings…..