My Complaint to
Police Complaint Commissioner

Angela Nov.10, 1998.

Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner
Suite 900, 1111 Melville Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 3V6
July 28, 1999


Vancouver Police Dept.

Re: Missing Person - Angela Jardine

Police File # 98.286097

To Acting Chief Constable

This letter is to inform you that I am lodging a complaint under the Police Act.

I am the mother of Angela Jardine. My daughter has been missing since November 20, 1998 from the downtown Eastside of Vancouver.

As a result of her disappearance I find it necessary to complain due to the following circumstances which have taken place over the past several months involving the Vancouver City Police Missing Persons Dept.

The complaints are as follows:

Neglect of duty & poor service:

Part A

No communication from the VPD when our daughter disappeared November 20,1998 -June 17,1999.

My husband and I were never notified by phone or letter by the VPD regarding our daughter's disappearance.

When I finally located the person in charge I inquired the reason for not contacting us and he told me it was because Angela is an adult.

Angela's last given caseworker was not interviewed.

Angela's caseworker informed me as of March 16/99 she had not had a formal interview conducted by either of the two detectives.

Close friends of Angela's were not interviewed.

The belongings of our daughter were not examined.

Angela's room had not been inspected.

January 20/99 I phoned the detective and requested a copy of the police missing person poster of our daughter.

He told me he had not gotten around to making one up yet.

I suggested to the detective I had a recent photo of Angela that was taken Nov.10/98 to use. He insisted he had one somewhere on file.

February 1/99 I called the detective and requested a copy of the missing person poster. The posters were made after I called him on Jan.20/99. He informed me there had been sightings of Angela in the downtown eastside, one at Victory Square and another at a soup kitchen.

February 5/99 I called the detective. I received the missing person posters. The photo was outdated and a poor likeness of Angela.

February 8/99 The detective returned my call. I requested current posters of Angela with her recent photo. He agreed to this. I sent the photo on this day by priority post.

The detective informed me there have been several more sightings of Angela.

March 3/99 I phoned the detective. He told me there are more sightings of Angela. I informed the detective there is another young woman that looks a lot like my daughter. This person is the one everyone keeps mistaking for Angela. I mentioned to the detective that Mark Townsend of the Portland Hotel where Angela resided is knowledgeable about this individual. I asked him if the posters had been updated. He told me no, he had not done them.

March 8/99 I phoned the detective and asked if the posters were done. He told me he hadn't gotten around to getting his secretary to do them up yet.

I asked him if there have been any information regarding the numerous sightings of Angela. He asked me which ones. I mentioned the police sightings, the soup kitchen, all of the ones from the downtown area he continues to tell me about. I asked the detective if he has interviewed anyone close to Angela to rule out misleading sightings. He asked me, like who? I told him Mark Townsend from the Portland Hotel where Angela lived. He asked me Mark who? He told me he isn't good remembering last names. I asked if he interviewed Liz Evans from the Portland yet? The detective told me his partner had already interviewed her. I asked him if Angela's (caseworker ) had been interviewed. She had an extremely close relationship with Angela. He told me yes, several interviews have been done.

During this conversation I asked the detective if Angela was entered into the RCMP ViCLAS database system. He became very annoyed with me and told me if it weren't for all of these sightings everything wouldn't keep getting put on hold. I mentioned the person who resembles Angela, and informed the detective both girls chummed around together, they frequented the same spots.

I asked the detective if I produce this individual would you then take my daughter's disappearance seriously? The detective became extremely irritated with me and demanded I tell him how I would proceed to do this.

(Part B has the detective's comments to this conversation)

The same conversation I ask again when the detective entered our daughter into the RCMP ViCLAS database.

(Part B has his comments to this question)

March 19/99 I called the female detective, the other detective was unavailable. I recently found out the name, address, and phone number of the person that resembles Angela and I phoned to offer this information to the detectives.

This detective told me they had already spoke to this woman. She told me this girl looks similar to Angela, but doesn't know how people would mistake the two of them.

During this conversation I inquired if Angela's dental records had been requested by the police yet. I felt this was a vital part of information extremely pertinent for the investigation. She told me she was sure her partner put in his report to request the file already.

(I had located Angela's dentist after many long distance phone calls and spoke to Angela's dentist personally).

The dentist gave me the last appointment date and when x-rays were last taken of Angela. He did mention to me the police have not phoned or contacted him. I gave the name and phone number of this dentist to the female detective.

(Part B has comments during this conversation regarding this detective).

March 22/99 I phoned the detective if there had been any news concerning all of the sightings. He told me you won't believe this but there are more sightings. I asked him if he had contacted the woman that looks so much like Angela. He told me he just found out about her on Thursday. His partner told me on March 19/99 they had talked to this woman. I asked the detective if Angela's dental records were requisitioned by the VPD yet. He told me no, he just found out about it today.

April 13/99 I phoned the detective if there was any news about the continual sightings of Angela and left a message.


Conduct:

Part B:

I was treated as an impartial party.

Our daughter's case was treated with a nonchalant attitude.

The behavior of the detectives was often discourteous and belligerent.
Their personal beliefs swayed their judgment.

Each time I would speak to the detectives I was met with resistance.

I did have important information to share with them, and was treated with hostility.

I have been reprimanded by the detectives for not keeping them informed of my activities.

Example: March 19/99 approx. 1:15pm I was told by the female detective that I don't keep them informed of what I am doing. I told her I didn't realize I had to call her also. I told her I phone her partner, I didn't realize I had to call her also. I presumed her partner was in charge of Angela's case, and I do keep in touch even though I could not afford long distance calls.

The behavior of the male detective has been intimidating.

This conversation is in Part A -Example March 8/99 10am I felt I had to be condescending to him as he threatened to drop the case. This conversation was in regard to finding the girl that looked like Angela. He had implied I was withholding information as I wouldn't tell him whom I was going to call to find out who and where this girl was. I told the detective I had no idea as I live almost in Alberta, but I will call and make calls until I found someone to help me find this girl to eliminate her from all of these sightings.

This detective started yelling at me to " take the case, take all the cases" , you won't tell me who you're talking to, then you do it all yourself". It was during this conversation I felt it was necessary to console the detective by telling him I realize the heavy caseload you must have, how overworked and frustrated you must feel. I was trying to calm him down. I asked him to please try to put himself in my situation and I conveyed my feelings of having a daughter disappear.

March 8/99 - 10am same conversation I asked the detective after he calmed down if he had entered Angela into the RCMP ViCLAS database system yet. He became extremely annoyed at me again and told me if it weren't for all of these sightings everything wouldn't keep getting put on hold. It was at this point when he became extremely disturbed by this question and began yelling at me " You don't know much about it, There is No Set Time Limit, Do You Understand, No Set Time". He told me he gave the report to the person in charge of handling that back in Dec 8/98 and he had no idea what happened to it after that.

June 17/99 2-3 p.m. The female detective phoned me. This was the first time a call was initiated by the VPD to us. She informed me there would be a general information meeting on June24/99 at 10am. She told me she was extending me a courtesy to designate someone I trust to represent me at the meeting. It was too far for me to travel for a general meeting. She recommended someone she knew to represent me, but I declined, as this person is a stranger to me. I informed her I would contact Mark Townsend to represent me. I trust him, he's dependable, and has been supportive during these past few months. She informed me this would not be possible. I was surprised and asked her the reason for her objection to Mark. She told me she didn't approve of him, nor did the other families. I did not want to be argumentative and let it go. I had another friend in Vancouver I was sure would represent me.

June18/ 99 I faxed a proxy of authorization for Wayne Leng to represent me at the general meeting.

June 22/99 11am I called the female detective and left a message. I was phoning to inform her Wayne Leng would represent me at the meeting.

She returned my call June 22/99 3:20pm approx. She informed me Wayne Leng was not suitable either, and not allowed to attend the meeting. She informed me my proxy has no legal weight. I didn't know why legalities were involved with a general information meeting. I asked her if Mark Townsend could attend. She told me she respects Mark as a person, but disagrees with his political agenda. I told her I don't understand what that has to do with it. She told me, " I told you already it's only for families and I was extending you a common courtesy to select someone." She said to me, " you don't want Sarah". I told her I haven't a clue as to who this Sarah person is and she isn't family either. To me she is a total stranger.

The detective became notably irritated by the conversation and told be she should have known better than to call me about the meeting, because it's obviously apples and oranges to me. She told me she doesn't mean to be confrontational and get in a big argument over this. I said, " unfortunately you have been."

I later found out this detective allowed a UBC student to attend the meeting. This person was not family either.

I do not understand this double standard issue.

I would like to close by saying I am a secondary victim. I do not want to be treated as an impartial party. I am a mother searching for her daughter. The natural instinct for a mother is to find out what happened to her child. To make sure every venue of action has been taken to locate her child. This is an emotionally trying time for our family dealing with the loss of our daughter. The depth of emotional pain is unbearable at times.

It is our sad belief our daughter is dead.

This is a situation I would not wish upon anyone. It is extremely difficult to cope each day without having problems with a police dept. to contend with.

At this time I am asking for a " Full and reasonable response " regarding the nature of my complaints. I would like each of my complaints investigated and please respond to me on each of these complaints. I am also requesting when and if Angela's body is found that the Vancouver Police Dept. notify us in person.

I look forward to a reply concerning these matters.


Deborah Jardine

My Quest

Office of Police Complaint Commissioner

My Reapplication for Appeal

For The Love of a Daughter
Thesis by Michelle Weflen

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