Law students stand behind embattled detective
A group of law students has come to the defence of a veteran homicide detective whose guest lecture in their class prompted an official complaint to Edmonton’s police chief.
On Wednesday, second-year University of Alberta law student Caitlin Dick said Staff Sgt. Bill Clark — a senior officer in the city police homicide section — should be suspended over comments he made during a Nov. 1 class on policing law.
Dick claimed that Clark used derogatory language to describe defence lawyers and criminals, said he sometimes delays lawyers’ access to their clients depending on whether they’re “respectful,” referred to a victim’s race and expressed support for the death penalty and lowering the age of criminal responsibility.
But 14 students who also attended the class said in a letter sent to Postmedia Saturday that they found the lecture “extremely valuable and informative.”
They wrote that Dick’s summary of what happened is largely accurate, but that it leaves out context around Clark’s remarks.
“This isn’t a personal attack on Ms. Dick,” said fellow student Taylor Chartier, adding she respects her classmate’s views and thinks she is a “valued and important part of the university law community.”
“But I do think she was misguided, and I think that the potential consequences to the staff sergeant warrant us speaking out,” he continued.
Acting police chief Kevin Brezinski has ordered an internal Professional Standards Branch (PSB) investigation into the allegations made by Dick.
“He is concerned by the comments attributed to a member of the Edmonton Police Service,” city police spokeswoman Cheryl Sheppard said Thursday.
The three-page letter, signed by seven named students and seven others who did not identify themselves, said there was no malice in any of Clark’s comments.
They said his statements about defence lawyers were clearly in jest, and that he explained biases and how they have negatively affected him during his 30-plus year career in law enforcement.
Clark also allegedly told the class about an ongoing feud with defence lawyer Tom Engel, who is now representing Dick in her complaint.
The students said Clark’s alleged comments about delaying lawyers’ access to clients were accurate, but that this is not a violation of Charter rights.
While the Charter guarantees an accused person’s right to speak to a lawyer on the phone, they said Clark went on to discuss how many officers will facilitate in-person visits for lawyers with whom they have working relationships.
The students said Clark did refer to a victim as East Indian, but that it was among a number of “biographical features” he mentioned in the case.
“Any of these factors in isolation may appear to be discriminatory,” they added.
As for claims Clark called criminals “maggots,” the students felt that he came by his opinions honestly.
“He said that while he recognizes he should change his vocabulary, he has seen so much trauma and pain caused by criminals that he finds it difficult to update his wording,” the letter reads.
“He was admitting his biases and discussing the challenges that tunnel vision can create in police work.”
The students have sent copies of the letter to the police chief and several media outlets.
Two students offered to speak to investigators during the PSB proceedings.
They also sent a letter to the faculty ’s vice dean, supporting school instructor Malcolm Allan’s decision to invite Clark to the lecture. Allan is a former city police inspector.
Dick said Saturday that she stands by her characterization of the detective’s comments and still thinks they were inappropriate.