Delay demanded for halfway house

By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff Jul 22 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/

There is growing demand for a proposed halfway house to be delayed. Some Vernon council members say it’s difficult to make a decision on a facility for parolees because the RCMP and Correction Services Canada aren’t being forthcoming on the Bill Abramenko murder case. “People want answers,” said Coun. Jack Gilroy. Seventy-five-year-old Abramenko died in 2004 in his South Vernon home. The individual who has been charged with the death was missing from a halfway house at the time of the incident. Correction Services Canada has refused to release internal reports into the incident because of the pending trial, and now the city is getting the same response from the RCMP.

“I have been advised not to disclose any information at this point in time in an effort to protect the integrity of this investigation and prosecution,” states Insp. Steve McVarnock in a letter that appears before council Monday. “I am also advised that there has been a civil suit filed against many agencies including the RCMP in this matter. I fully understand the anxiety that the lack of disclosure is having on all concerned parties including the family of Mr. Abramenko. It is my wish that the family members of Mr. Abramenko be provided with this information in due course as part of their closure.” McVarnock goes on to say that policies about unlawfully at large suspects has been revised to reflect current protocol.

“With the addition of a dedicated RCMP liaison officer that supports Correctional Services Canada and the local RCMP detachments, I believe we have improved upon our planned response contingencies for future such occurrences,” he said. Corrections Services Canada has indicated a new halfway house will not proceed if city council disapproves. And Coun. Juliette Cunningham would like the entire process placed on hold until after the trial so reports can be released. “Halfway houses serve a purpose but it’s too soon to expect the community to support it without these questions answered,” said Cunningham. “They won’t get any support without that information revealed.”
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Don Quixote Note:
Hopefully Inspector McVarnock will be asked to table the policy that reflects the current protocol with reference to 'unlawfully at large suspects'. If this protocol indicates that a full media release for 'UAL's ' from a halfway house is required immediately upon notification then it might be another step forward towards a starting point for public involvement in a future halfway house decision. The Protocol changes and their dates would indicate what had been done to protect the public since the Abramenko murder from the RCMP perspective.

This together with a legal commitment by the halfway house to not only forward UAL's names and info to the RCMP but to make an immediate release to all media outlets and to publish on their own website and other websites such as Crime stoppers would be fundamental steps that must be undertaken before any future public input should be entertained.

These steps might not change the council decision to wait for the full release of the RCMP and Corrections Canada report after the trial(s) but without them they are definitely spinning their wheels.