Recent events have highlighted the antics of several of the Canadian Human Rights Commission's current and former investigators - Internet pseudonyms, wireless bandwidth theft, entrapment and so forth. All of which begs the question: How do these people get recruited, and aren't there any standards, checks or balances in the process?
To help answer this question, let's consider another of the CHRC's investigators. Sandra Kozak is the investigator assigned to perhaps the highest profile case du jour, that of the CIC's complaint against Macleans magazine. We know lots about Dean Steacy, and way more than we would wish to know about Richard Warman, but what of Sandra Kozak?
Rewind to April 1996, when Sandra Kozak was a constable with the Carleton Place Municipal Police Service. She was also in a relationship with a local man - we'll call him Mr. X. That April, X was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property and criminal harrassment. He already had other convictions for theft and assault. Following the arrest, Kozak's relationship with the criminal came to light.
An investigation ensued and Kozak was charged with discreditable conduct on Tuesday July 2nd, 1996. The charge alleged that between January 12 and June 12 of 1996, Kozak's relationship with X was likely to bring discredit to the force. Between April and August of 1996, X was additionally charged with four breaches of undertaking in relation to the original harrassment charge. Kozak continued her relationship with X throughout this time. On August 16, 1996. Kozak pleaded not guilty to the charge of discreditable conduct.
The hearing into the charges began on Monday January 20, 1997. The Ottawa Citizen ran an interview with X and Kozak the following day:
On Monday morning, [X] and Kozak talked as they waited for lawyers to return to the hearing. While he was being interviewed, she grasped [X]'s arm, saying "He's a good guy. Really."On January 30, 1997, Sandra Kozak resigned from the Carleton Place Police Service after reaching a financial settlement and an agreement for the discreditable conduct charge to be dropped. The next day, she was more talkative with the Ottawa Citizen:
[X], who works for a local car dealership, said he can't understand why his relationship with Kozak has become such a big deal. "Everyone's made mistakes," said [X], 27. "Sandra has helped straighten me out... (The Carleton Place police) should see this as a good thing." Neither Kozak nor any of the lawyers involved in the case would comment. - Ottawa Citizen, January 21, 1997 page C5
One day after resigning from the Carleton Place police force under a cloud of scandal, Sandra Kozak will begin her quest to return to the law-enforcement ranks. "I'm going to be looking at any other policing opportunities," said Kozak, who hopes to remain in Eastern Ontario. "It's what I want to do and I'm not going to let this get in my way."So Kozak may have found that those charges might have made a career in policing more difficult.
...
But it may be difficult for Kozak to catch on with another force. Applicants undergo an extensive background check and the charges of discreditable conduct would inevitably come up, even though they have been dismissed. "(The charge) is definitely something we would consider when we assess a candidate's application," said Staff Sgt. Richard Murphy of the Ottawa-Carleton police.
Kozak says she will continue to live at her Perth area home and will continue her relationship with [X]. - Ottawa Citizen, Friday January 31, 1997, page D4
In fact, one would think that it would make any career in law enforcement more difficult - after all, surely even quasi-judicial agencies would be looking for sound judgement, not people who would place themselves in conflict of interest situations by becoming close to either complainants or the targets of their agency's investigations.
That this is not the case at the CHRC should come as no surprise in the light of what we have learned about that agency this year. They don't seem too fussy about what their people do on the job, never mind before they're even hired.
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14 comments:
CHRC - Its the blind leading the gangster loving blonde.
Being charged with discreditable conduct would make her a perfect candidate for the HRC job.
Mercy, you got to laugh at the discreditable antics of the HRC's.
It is a good thing they are going to be dismantled in the near future.
See, sandra was a victim of discrimination when the police force decided her utter lack of judgment was an impediment to her doing her job. Naturally, she's suited to understand the way it works at the chrc, plus you don't need judgment at the chrc.
It just gets crazier and crazier. Kafkaesque is an understatement for what is being gradually revealed about the HRCs.
At what point does the government get in there and try to clean up the mess?
On a related note WK has continued to attack Marc Lemire by referencing a number of supposed racist statements he made on various web sites.
I commented on Kinsealla's blog(which he has censored) that the methods in which the HRC operates(and had admitted to in the last hearing)leads me to believe that it was probably the HRC who assumed Lemire's identity and posted those racist comments themselves.
Horny Toad
Sondra was discriminated against based on "social condition" - she's a victim of her own stupidity.
Sandy Kozak was the investigator on one of the complaint filed against Richard "The Closet Racist, Censor and Homosexual Activist" Warman. The complaint alleged that Warman, by his own admission under oath, posted racist messages on two "neo-nazi" forums - Stormfront and Vanguard News Network.
Sandy Kozak dismissed the complaint stating that, even though there was technically a violation of (now disgraced) Section 13 of the Canadian "Human Rights" Act, pursuing the complaint would not forward the agenda of the Act.
Kozak, at 28 and a police officer, exhibited the judgment skills of your average pubescent tween .... Now she has a hand in determining what is appropriate behavior in our society ??
No wonder we have this mess.
I think the Corgis deserve a big juicy bone for digging this one up !!
Sandy Kozak was a fine police officer during her time with the Carleton Place Police. She displayed poor personal judgement when her chosen profession came into the mix, and she did pay the price for that severely. As a former resident of Carleton Place, with no ties to either the Police Force or Ms. Kozak, this thread only confirms to me that reading 'facts' on the web should lead to much more in depth research prior to coming to a conclusion based on the 'facts' provided.
Anon: My intent with this post was not to criticize Ms. Kozak, but to highlight that, once again, the CHRCs just don't live up to any kind of standard when it comes to who they hire and what they allow them to do. They claim all kinds of powers of investigation, search and seizure, prosecution, judgement and sentence. Yet they have no standards, no rules, no accountability. They are a dangerous loose cannon, a law unto themselves and this must be stopped.
Sandy is a complete idiot. Her corrupt past is nothing but a resume enhancement to be able to work at the CHRC. Just like that closet homosexual named Richard Warman.
Where's the fairness here? The original article made its point about the hiring practices of the HRC. Fine.
It bothers me that you guys, in the name of free speech and good government, can hide behind an alias and attack Sandy, whom I remember as a pretty good kid when she was my student in Smiths Falls.
Lighten up on the invective, or have the courage to use your own names.
Rod Croskery
Unbelieveable! Marginal people operating an unaccountable,corrupt,illegitimate entity hampering the free exchange of ideas in a (supposedly) free country.
"Lighten up on the invective, or have the courage to use your own names.
Rod Croskery"
buddy, the way this country works is if you tell the truth with your real name, you will get fired, be jailed, fined, and smeared by the media.
I have been watching this happen for over 25 years.
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