EPS Abuse Edmonton Hookers?
Cops 'n Hookers
On February 3, 2004 CBC's documentary program 'Disclosure' aired an episode examining allegations that Edmonton hookers were coerced to provide sexual favors for on-and off-duty Edmonton Police Service members back in the early '80s.
The program interviewed retired vice-cop Vern Colley, who said he had heard rumors of impropriety amongst 'Edmonton's finest', but nothing concrete. Complaints had been made about several police officers by Edmonton hookers and Colley was told to investigate.
Colley spent six months talking to the women who told them they had been sexually abused and robbed by cops. Colley wrote up and submitted a report to his superiors who told him to 'drop it'.
"I was told to cease and desist the file and that's exactly what I did. The message was: 'you're messing with the wrong guys.'"
Word got out that Colley had been investigating fellow officers and he was shunned by his colleagues.
To make matters worse, fifteen years later, a fellow cop accused him of assaulting a suspected car thief. Charges were dropped, but Colley had had enough-he retired in 1997 with his reputation tarnished.
However, when he left, he took with him the file he had been keeping on his investigation into the hooker allegations-'File H-316'-and had kept it under lock and key since leaving the force. In the file were the statements of nearly two dozen women levelling accusations against Edmonton cops.
'Disclosure' interviewed then-Chief Bob Lunney who denied ever seeing the file. He should have seen it, considering it named nine officers as possible suspects-three of whom are still on the force today-one being recently-retired Chief Bob Wasylyshen.
Wasylyshen joined the Edmonton Police Service in 1971, and in 1983 was a sergeant on the tactical squad and went on to become Chief-of-Police in 2000. When he was asked to do an interview on 'Disclosure', Wasylyshen declined, but instead, sent a statement denying any misconduct allegations.
While the 'Disclosure' investigations failed to turn up any proof of misconduct by Wasylyshen, neither was it able to uncover any evidence that the allegations against the nine officers were ever investigated.
Whether or not the allegations are true or false, EPS insistence that they be permitted to do their own laundry is obviously not conducive to upholding good community and policing standards, and should be given short shrift.
One of the reasons I bring up this story is because of a semi-personal connection to it.
In 1978 I was a custodial supervisor at Edmonton's Municipal Airport and, late one night, we were treated to a visit by two of Edmonton's 'finest', accompanied by two hookers. One of the cops was nondescript, but the other one had stripes and a waxed, handlebar moustache (probably why I remember him 27 years later).
After they had a few words with the Airport Manager on duty that night, the manager left and returned carrying a cardboard box full of miniature liquor bottles they serve on airline flights. With cardboard box and girls in tow, the cops retreated to an upper area of the terminal that functioned as a locker-room/office for the cops, and remained there for some time.
When I asked the Airport Manager what was going on, he said with a smile, "Oh, just a little hanky-panky." And that's where the matter rested. I remember thinking at the time the situation was a little bizarre-a pair of uniformed cops apparently consorting with hookers-but decided to let it pass.
After all, these cops could very well have been working feverishly at the business of good policing, and felt that interviewing the hookers in an ambience of soft lights and hard liquor would be more productive than at a police station. I confess, I am still a bit mystified by their apparent comradery with the ladies, though.
I make no claims about who these cops were, or what they were doing with hookers at two o'clock in the morning armed with copious draughts of Jack Daniels in a secluded area of the Municipal Airport. Nevertheless, when their conduct is questioned, having the police investigate themselves really is having the foxes guard the henhouse.
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