Date: Thu, May 6, 2010 at 4:13 PM
Subject: Re: Reports of Slander and Mischief
To: Hector LEE
Cc: info@gitanmaax.com
Dear Hector Lee:
Thank you very much for your response.
Your reported impression was the same as mine until I was advised by "Melanie" who is the manager of Ksan Campground, that Police Officers came twice to the campground and had interviewed her. What offended me was how she reacted to them, or what she herself added to the matter, and I cannot know which of the two is the case, but she said to me that I must not "bug" other patrons of the campground. I have a civil issue with the Band, as you see in my Nomination Memorial, and there is a history going back to an arrest by your predecessor in command, Vince Brown, where I was staying here at the campground after being told there was no charge for Band Members, which was a widely known policy, but it was not being extended to me and the then manager was treating me with hostility, and told me Police Officers told her to have her staff remove my tent. This leads me to suspect both Melanie and your officers of being biased and prejudiced against me and thereby interfering with me in my rights and thereby harassing me.
I am struggling to stand on my rights and it is not a simple matter because other Band members, and these employees have naive ideas about the tenure of this land, which they transfer from their concepts of Certificates of Possession. They assume that because the Band is a corporate entity, and they are hired by that entity, and I am a mere individual, that I must be acting in an impertinent way and should be treated as a trespasser if I ask for my rights and request that they grant me some concession as a Band Member. The Band keeps the hostility up by not responding to me about this or about my application for my lot of land on which I could reside while completing my permanent residence.
I have provided the manager with a letter setting out my claims and she has responded with a threat to have me "removed by the proper authorities" at 6 pm today. I ask you to intervene before that time. I am in peaceable possession of land I own and claim to own, by my rights under the common law, with a reasonable claim of right. I believe it is your duty to keep the peace and I know that neither my person nor my property can be moved or removed without the "proper authority."
The important thing right now is to clarify the process and avoid arousing personal animosity. I think you could play a role in that by attending a conference involving the Manager, the Band Office and myself. I request that immediately.
As for Peter and the threat made by Sonny, I am well acquainted with the guile that is used in these kinds of matters and I am acting to intercept an assault that is based on a rumor. Sonny and the others I named in our earlier meeting, and my letter, are looking ahead to the fishing season at Kisgegas and so am I. They will create issues at the canyon and trouble can break out. I will not allow myself to be threatened, harrassed or injured, and make this complaint so you are aware of my fear and of my intention. I can't decide for you what steps the law requires of you at this time, but I do know that officers tend to support the larger majority when such things are developing.
On the matter of the Mayor, she too is guileful and would have told her niece to call the police and have them investigate me. The characterization of my normal actions as "suspicious behavior" was unreasonable and obviously provocative. The police should not have used it in their discussion with me, when the incident occurred in broad daylight. This is the very harassment I told you I will not endure and look for you to moderate.
My recourse is to gather the facts, including your response and your actions, and apply to a JP or a judge, for civil or criminal remedies. Those remedies will include directions and injunctions and possible Peace Bonds. My Police Commission complaint already has a file number and is in process so it will reflect this present matter.
The manager and the Band have the same recourse and I trust you will correct me or them with any other written documentation that can be provided to us all.
I will relay your email to Peter who is sleeping in my Motor Home these days and he may contact you.
Thank you for your help, I appreciate it very much,
Chief Kitsilano,
jamey
On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 3:22 PM, Hector LEE
Hello Mr Sterrit,
I reviewed your below correspondence and have reviewed the file. I have not spoken to the officers involved as they are on days off. I understand that a suspicious circumstance was reported (ie. you were suspected of trespassing on someone's property). Cst. CANUEL appears to be the one who was assigned the file and Cst. FLETT was the back up officer. The complainant in this case advised he believed it was you who trespassed on his property and was not sure what you were doing or why you were on their property. Our officers simply attended to your location to confirm your identity and you obviously provided an explanation in which they were satisfied with. Our file /investigation was concluded as such. If you have other information for me as to the conduct of the officers, then you must relay that to me so I can deal with it. If you feel you must make a public complaint, you are well aware you are well within your right to do this as well.
I will not be addressing this with Mayor Alice Maitland as you are requesting. She is not the complainant in this matter and the fact that she may be related to the complainant does not involve her as far as I am concerned.
As for Sonny's threats to Peter; are they threats against you or was Peter threatened? Please clarify this. If Sonny threatened harm to you through Peter, then Peter needs to be the one to provide us a witness statement so we can determine the nature of the threats and whether it meets the criteria/threshold for a criminal charge approval. If Peter is the victim and was threatened by Sonny, again Peter would need to contact us and provide a statement as to the nature of the threats.
With respect to your land claim, I can only re-iterate that the claim process should be initiated through the courts. Perhaps the Gitxsan Treaty Office could provide you assistance in that regard?
Sgt. Hector LEE
NCO i/c New Hazelton Detachment
No comments:
Post a Comment