MASH*4077
Men’s Alternative Safe
House*403-242-4077
147 Pinegrove Close NE,
Calgary, AB, CA
June 30, 2012
Chief
Rick Hanson
Calgary Police Service
5111 47 St. N.E.
Calgary, Alberta T3J 3R2
5111 47 St. N.E.
Calgary, Alberta T3J 3R2
RE: Case# 12237973
Dear Chief Hanson,
In MASH*4077 history
guests twice relied on the CPS to enforce the law; both times
the CPS response has been less than reasonable.
Benoit Simard;
Peter Lougheed Hospital referred Mr. Benoit to MASH*4077
[referral letter available]. He self attended the hospital
fleeing domestic violence from his female partner.
He applied for and received Alberta Children and
Youth Services “Fleeing
Domestic Violence Benefit”. He called CPS for
assistance and file charges [third party witnesses were
present], he asked the officers not to involve his employer as
the abuse did not occur at his work. The officers spoke to his
employer and his perpetrator; the result was Mr. Benoit was
fired from his job and the officers returned to MASH*4077 to
further question Mr. Benoit.
The officers, upon
returning, enticed Mr. Benoit to the rear of the police car
where they cornered him with the aid of the open back door of
the car; the officers put on their gloves and were cornering
him by closing the distance between them and Mr. Benoit. I
could see the fear in Mr. Benoit’s eyes; I interfered by
removing Mr. Benoit from the situation. I believe if I had not
intervened Mr. Benoit would have panicked, push through to
protect himself and the officers would have arrested him for
assaulting a police officer; this is known fact as I have been
advised of this police tactic by individuals who called the
crisis line with this information. They did call the CPS for
assistance but were, in fact, arrested, for assaulting an
officer; the issue of their abuse was totally ignored.
Case# 12237973; A
father fleeing domestic violence, with his 1 year old daughter
and 9 year old son, came to MASH*4077 for assistance. A call
made to CPS at 1350 hr requested an EPO as directed by the Protection Against Family
Violence Act;
Another call to CPS was
made, approximately 2300 hr, as no action or phone call
explaining the lack of action. At approximately 2330 a call
was received from the on duty Sergeant who stated that since
the situation was not an emergency and the family is in a safe
location, MASH4077, CPS will not do anything. This response
contradicts Protection
Against Family Violence Act section (2.1)(d); the Act is primarily
exists for the 1 year old girl so that she may be able to
sleep in her bed in her home.
CPS fails male victims of
female perpetrated domestic violence; but time they mostly
failed a one year old girl.
As this is the second documented time CPS failed
to precisely respond the request for assistance from a male
victim of female perpetrated domestic violencem I request;
- An explanation to CPS failure to respond to family violence victims as they would if the call was imitated by a woman?
- What does the CPS want to say to the one year old girl?
- The next time a guest uses the protection of MASH4077 and requires CPS assistance what do we do?? What protocols are we expected to follow if CPS does not follow the designated existing protocols?
Yours truly.
Earl Silverman
Program Coordinator
--
While
history was made at MASH4077; the Calgary Police failed the
one year old girl by not allowing her to spend the night in
her bed at her home.
History is made; father and children fleeing violence find shelter in Canada’s only men’s shelter
Calgary,
Alberta, June 29, 2012 – MASH4077 [Men’s Alternative Safe
House * 403-242-4077] is Canada’s only men’s shelter providing
support and services to men, fathers and children fleeing
domestic violence. This week MASH4077 provided the first
shelter to a father with two children [girl 1 year & boy 9
years old] fleeing from a violent domestic household.
Family
of Men Support Society is proud to be able to provide our
community with the services of MASH4077; “...while the bottom line of
the organization is helping children we recognize we do that
through offering the children’s father the support he
requires by making available this protection to his
children...”
The UK government
British Crime Survey demonstrated that 4.2% of women and 4.2%
of men experienced domestic violence from their partner. The
Canadian Statistics Canada has demonstrated equally constant
family violence statistics;
· StatsCan 2000; 8% of
women & 7% of men have been abused by their partner
· StatsCan 2005; 7% of
women & 6% of men have been abused by their partner
· StatsCan 2010; 6.4% of
women & 6% of men have been abused by their partner
While there is only a
mere difference of 0.4% between male and female victims of
domestic violence the picture of shelters and funding is
altogether a very different picture;
- 593 funded woman’s family violence shelters in Canada representing $millions
- 0 [zero] funded man’s family violence shelters in Canada
Prime
Minister Stephen Harper does not
commit to ending family violence;
Prime Minister Stephen
Harper
refuses to respond to the needs of children fleeing family
violence with their fathers. PM Harper acknowledges that
woman’s shelters receive federal grants through SOW [Status of
Women Canada] but there is no federal department open to men’s
agencies in the federal government.
MASH4077
is facing a court order to vacate;
http://beaconnews.ca/calgary/2011/12/mens-abuse-advocate-takes-lack-of-alberta-resources-for-victims-to-human-rights-commission/
www.familyofmen.com Live for nothing; die for something
-- www.familyofmen.com Live for nothing; die for something
