Family slams police actions in Crowshoe case
Calgary police criticized over handling of missing teen later found slain
The family of homicide victim Colton Crowshoe say First Nations people are treated as “less than worthy victims” when they are the casualty of crime.
“If swift action was made Colton’s life may have been saved, but it wasn’t. This failure in the justice system is typical for First Nations,” the Crowshoe family said in a blistering statement aimed at the Calgary Police Service’s handling of the young man’s case.
“First Nations are seen as less than worthy victims. The Calgary Police Service failed Colton and our family along with many others in similar circumstances.”
The statement came a day after the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) took Calgary police to task for its handling of missing-persons cases, including the 2014 disappearance of Colton Crowshoe.
The 18-year-old was last seen leaving a house party on July 3, 2014, and was reported missing to police three days later by family members. It was their treatment by investigators that prompted allegations of racial profiling and bias against police, whom family members claim dismissed their pleas to treat the First Nations teen’s disappearance as suspicious.
They also called out police for waiting until July 22 to issue a media release, two days before the teen’s body was pulled from an Abbeydale storm pond — a death later ruled a homicide.
ASIRT’s findings released Thursday called into question Calgary police policies and practices in place in 2014, and highlighted problems they said went far beyond the Crowshoe investigation.
Susan Hughson, the body’s executive director, said Crowshoe’s case was “beset by a series of assumptions, errors and oversights by CPS personnel,” and several missing-person policy protocols were not followed.
“As a result, there was minimal investigation of the missingperson report, no followup or file continuity, no accountability or file ownership, a failure to document relevant new information and, most importantly, no police-initiated communication with the family,” Hughson said.
However, after reviewing 26 missing- persons files opened around the time of Crowshoe’s disappearance, it was concluded that racial bias didn’t play a role in the case.
In several of the examined cases, Hughson said the investigation concluded that established protocols weren’t consistently followed, “regardless of whether the subject was indigenous or Caucasian.”
Calgary police responded to ASIRT’s conclusions in a statement Thursday, noting that the department has made notable improvements since Crowshoe’s disappearance.
These changes include clearer guidelines for officers and investigators, introducing an accountability framework, and stronger communication with family members — a deficiency specifically mentioned by ASIRT.
“Prior to the disappearance and death of Mr. Crowshoe, we were already in the processes of reviewing our practices around how we manage missing-person files,” the police statement read.
“As a result of that review, a number of changes have since been made to improve the process.”
While Crowshoe’s family said they are pleased Calgary police have made changes to policies regarding missing persons, the family still feels race played a part in Colton’s case.
“Colton Crowshoe, along with every First Nations male within Canada, have a target on their back,” the family charged in the statement.
“The Crowshoe family and countless other First Nations families know the truth and the hidden racial profiling behind the Calgary Police Service.”
The Calgary police commission said it hasn’t had an opportunity to review ASIRT’s findings, said commission chairman Brian Thiessen, although he said the board is aware of the changes already put in place.
“The commission looks forward to receiving a report from the CPS which details these changes, the results of the ASIRT investigation, and any additional lessons that can be learned,” he told Postmedia in a statement.