'We were told we would have to wait six to eight hours for a sergeant upstairs to come down and process him'-- one wanted man's case worker
TWO men wanted by Winnipeg police tried to turn themselves in, but gave up after police kept them waiting for hours.
A 20-year-old man with a warrant out for his arrest tried to give himself up to police last week -- but gave up after waiting four hours, his stepfather said Friday.
The stepfather said that on Tuesday evening he escorted his son to the downtown Public Safety Building to answer to the warrant, which was issued as the result of a domestic dispute.
The two approached one of two police officers behind a main floor counter, and told the officer why they were there, the stepfather said.
The officer verified there was indeed a warrant and then asked the pair to wait for the next available officer to arrest the stepson. Four hours later, the stepson went outside for some fresh air and never came back. He did not tell his dad he was leaving, but left a note.
"I thought he was doodling," the stepfather said. "He wrote, 'I can't wait any longer. I'm leaving.' "
"To add insult to injury," the stepfather added, "two days later, police showed up at our house looking for him. He wasn't there. They had time to do that, but no time when he tried to turn himself in."
In a similar incident, a man who works at a local social services agency persuaded a client wanted on a warrant to turn himself in at the Public Safety Building.
But when his client went to the police station, he was told the wait could be six to eight hours. "Now, this fellow has trouble staying in place for more than a couple of minutes, but he gave it a try," said his case worker.
After four hours and being told he was third in line, with another two hours to wait, the man left.
The social services employee said he had trouble believing his client's story, so the next time, they went together to the Public Safety Building.
"I got exactly the same story as he had repeated to me. We were told we would have to wait six to eight hours for a sergeant upstairs to come down and process him. I waited with him for four hours, and then had to leave for another appointment.
"He stayed for another four hours, and then gave up and left. And they complain when judges turn them back out onto the street. It's a little ridiculous when you can't even get arrested in a police station," said the case worker.
The complaints about how city police run the front counter at the Princess Street police station are the second in a week. A 39-year-old man said he tried to ask officers behind the counter to call 911 to get medical help for an unconscious man outside, but the officer declined, telling the man he had to call 911 himself.
Police spokeswoman Const. Jacqueline Chaput said in the latest cases, police protocol dictates that a two-officer patrol unit has to arrest people turning themselves in on a warrant at the Public Safety Building.
She said the officers assigned to the counter are not allowed to leave, and when the stepson and father walked into the station, all two-man units on duty were busy dealing with other calls.
"He should've waited," Chaput said. "We would have dealt with it. We wouldn't have made him wait for nothing."
Chaput also said when a warrant is issued, there is usually an officer's contact information attached to it. She said in many cases, those wanted by police can phone the officer to arrange a time to come in.
The father said his stepson did not have that information, and only found out his ex-girlfriend filed a complaint about him through the popular website Facebook.
Chaput did confirm the warrant had been issued. The man has not been arrested.
bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca
Arrest
me,
please!
Case 1:
What happened? Man goes to Public Safety Building with his stepfather to answer to warrant
How long did he wait? Four hours, before leaving
What did police do? Two days later, showed up at his house, looking for him
Case 2:
What happened? Man goes to PSB on his own to turn himself in, and later with a case worker
How long did he wait? Four hours the first time, before leaving; eight hours the second time, before leaving
What did police do? Police say he should have continued to wait
What's a person have to do to get busted around here?
A3
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