The next Ipperwash?

Interview with Inspector McLean
The Regional News This Week
February 28, 2007

New Haldimand OPP Inspectator Dave McLean has lectured new recruits on ethical standards after working in the OPP's professional standards bureau in Orillia and is a local community member with lots of experience and ties. But McLean is short on details surrounding Ipperwash and his experience there in charge of a public order unit. He says that  Caledonia is a different animal entirely and that the main role of the OPP is to maintain the peace. The Regional News had the chance to sit down with McLean and ask him a few questions with spring on the horizon and aspirations for a better year ahead.

1. You mentioned before that you had experience in Ipperwash. How much did your appointment have to do with that experience?

I don't feel that it really had any input in my being appointed here. One of the factors that they certainly looked at was first of all my experience – 30 to 31 years as a police officer.. me being familiar with the community, community issues… Certainly for 22 years of my 31 years policing experience I lived in Haldimand County. My original posting was Cayuga at the time, March of 1976. My original posting was the Cayuga detachment which was the old building on Highway 3. I became a very active part of the community, dealing with local minor sports and service clubs… All that, I feel is very important and the police community must interact at every opportunity with the business community and even local students in whatever possible way we can.

2. Where do you feel the frustration in the community stems from right now?

One of the initial concerns that I had was the lack of communication that was going on between the police and the community. And we're doing our very best now, certainly most recently with the appointment of Commissioner Fantino, to try to address and speak openly to the community in regards to what we are doing. And I think that has helped somewhat, but at the same time we are not in a position to answer a lot of the questions the public has. We have to keep in mind, and Commissioner Fantino has indicated over and over again, the OPP does not have a seat at the negotiations table. It's our purpose out there to maintain the peace until such a time that a long lasting resolution can be extablished.

3. Wht year did you go to Ipperwash, how long were you there fore and what did you do there exactly?

I believe Ipperwash was 1995. I was in charge of a public order unit and emergency response team. That would have been about 16 officers including myself and my direct responsibility was to report to the site manager… We were there as long as we were required.

4. How would you as an officer rate the quality of the job and what it brought to you as a professional?

A lot was learned from Ipperwash from not only the police community, but all communities. And what is very, very important is that the OPP maintain neutrality and are very sensitive to the issues facing both communities. And I think that takes me back to my point again that we're trying to stress through the media and through any consultation that we have, that our purpose is to maintain the peace. And as Commissioner Fantino has indicated on several occasions as well, it's not the OPP's position to take land, it's not the OPP's position to hold land. Our position here is ensure that the peace is kept in Caledonia. The frustrations for a long time for both communities have been very great and of course we are doing the very best we can to ensure that no one gets seriously hurt or injured, and that includes people from both communities.

5. In your opinion, what was the main issue in Ipperwash?

Of course the issue was the occupation of the army base up there and I can't go into that in a lot of detail.

6. Were you there when Dudley George was shot?

I was off-duty as that time.

7. Do you have any opinion on that incident as a police officer?

No I have no opinion. All I can say it's an unfortunate circumstance and that's about all I can say.

8. Do you feel natives are treated differently than non-natives by the OPP?

No.

9. Were the frustrations for police in Ipperwash similar to those for officers in Caledonia due to the job that they do?

Our officers are very well trained and versed on their responsibilities, so officers that are at the check points now are making patrols in Caledonia and are responding to calls for service. The regular officers are up there on a day to day basis as well as the officers as part of our special teams – the special order unit and so on. They are very well versed as to what their responsibilities are. And you know, frustrations are not expressed at all. They have a job to do and are given their task and their orders and they do the best they possibly can. There is some frustration when we have to deal with things like the flags. It's not productive, it's nothing but counter-productive. I really that by someone putting up a flag or taking down a flag that someone doesn't get seriously hurt. We cannot be there at all times… and I just don't want to see anyone get hurt over the flags. The flags that have been put up by both communities are very valued to both communities and are of value to us in our particular community. As the OPP has indicated, we cannot tolerate the mischief makers… and we just don't want to see anyone get hurt and disrupt the fragile peace we are experiencing in Caledonia.

10. Do you draw any similarities between Caledonia and Ipperwash?

They are separate entities and you have to look at them as such. The frustrations raised by the members of the Six Nations community and the frustrations raised by the residents of Caledonia are clearly two different locations and clearly two different issues.

11. Do you feel a sense of accomplishment now that you are no longer in Ipperwash? Do you feel a sense of closure or sense of resolve?

I can't really answer that question. Ipperwash, and we are reminded often, there are still a number of issues between the community up there and the government negotiators. I can't speak to it. It was an assignment I was tasked with and we went there and we performed our duty and we've left and now we have to do Caledonia and go back to what our purpose is – keeping the peace – ensure that everyone in the community is safe, including our officers.

12. What changes can Caledonia expect now that Inspector McLean is in town?

Former Inspector Haggith did a tremendous job. I've been asked to come in and oversee the Haldimand detachment in his absence, but what I think the community can expect is someone that will continue to support the community… Haldimand County comprises of approximately 45,000 people and we have several major communities… I will be meeting will all the Chambers of Commerce from around the county and in my short address to them, I will be making myself available to the business community. Constable Paula Wright will be educating them on the different programs we have so and so forth to assist them and protect them and allow them to carry on and contact us directly if they have any concerns. They have to trust us, that we will respond and do the right thing. The most important thing is they have to tell us. We cannot find out five days or a week later that something happened last night because there's a perception that they can't trust us.