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BCBrian Offline OP
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I have my flack jacket on. I am prepared for strong opinions being expressed that someone like me - who doesn't - and hasn't ever - worn a uniform - or put my life on the line for others - would even ask this question. My son is trying to become an RCMP officer himself. But I am asking the question. How much (in regards to funerals for fallen members of police forces) - is too much?

The following article mentions that up to 4000 police from Canada will be going to a funeral to honour an officer killed in the line of duty. That this makes the family feel better - I have no doubt.

But as a taxpayer I can't help but wonder about that many police members who (while they are at the funeral) - are not on the job. The huge cost of flying these men in from all points of a country must be huge, as Canada is huge, and it makes me think the air and hotel costs alone (not just missing man-hours of work) must be immense. I think about the fact, that not only will most of the men attending the funeral not know the man - but I'm probably safe in assuming, they never heard of him - that is - until his death. To me - when I think about this, it seemed in the past a few dozen men from around the country would go to such a funeral - representing the different provinces and territories of Canada, perhaps. Then it seemed that scores of officers attending became the norm, then I heard of funerals where hundreds of other police attending happened - now it's actually thousands of men - from all around the country that seemingly is considered "normal". Is this actually the wisest use of tax-payer money?

At what point does spending the taxpayer's money on honouring a fallen officer - become "too much"?

List members - what are all your thoughts - on this matter?


Here is the article:

Thousands of law enforcement personnel from across the continent are gathering this hour at Carleton University and the Ottawa Civic Centre to honour slain Const. Eric Czapnik.

Wearing the traditional black band of mourning across their police badges, the officers are marshalling inside the cavernous are gathering at the Carleton U fieldhouse. Hundreds have already arrived and as of noon they were queueing up into ranks.

The formal procession will also include many members from Ottawa's paramedic service and the fire department. Joined by many of Czapnik's close family members, they will begin exiting the university toward Bronson and Sunnyside at about 12:30 p.m.

The procession will travel along Bank St. to the Civic Centre, where it is expected to arrive after about 1:15 p.m. Road closures will be in force all along the route during the march.

Outside the Civic Centre, two Ottawa Fire Department aerial trucks sit, poised to raise a large Canadian flag high over the Bank St. entrance when the cortege begins to arrive. Many more emergency services workers are filing in to the Civic Centre itself, where photos of Czapnik are being project on large screens as dignitaries begin to arrive.

OC Transpo buses which are ferrying participants in to Carleton all bear the message "Lest We Forget" on their display boards. OC Transpo also announced today any emergency services personnel in uniform will be able to ride free to attend the funeral.

When officers arrive in the expansive fieldhouse, they are greeted by a large photo of Czapnik.

Ottawa police expected about 4,000 law officers to attend the funeral, and those ranks will be boosted by many more from other emergency services.

�We really owe it to ourselves, we owe it to the community, we owe it to Eric�s family above all else to really do our best to produce a fitting tribute for the family,� said Insp. John Copeland during a run-through for the funeral which was held on Wednesday night. Copeland will be the master of ceremonies.

The �dry run� involved everything from lighting, projection screens and a choir practice to figuring out where the honour guard and pallbearers would walk, even the speed at which they should do so. Care was given to make sure nothing was raised higher than the Canadian flag. Nothing was left to guesswork.

�(Thursday is) an important day for Eric. It�s an important day for his family, it�s an important day for members of Eric�s platoon,� said Charles Bordeleau, the police department�s superintendent of emergency operations. �So we want to make sure (Wednesday night) that we do this right so that (Thursday) it is the fitting tribute that Eric deserves.�

Czapnik was murdered outside the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus in the early-morning hours of Dec. 29. He was at the hospital on an unrelated call when he was stabbed to death outside the emergency department as he wrote notes in his cruiser.

Kevin Gregson, a suspended RCMP officer, is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying.


Brian

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I think you better duck and cover on this one.
shocked


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Are you positive taxpayers are footing the bill?

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No, I am not.

I was told (by one who should know - ex-auxiliary) that such things are paid for. I believe him.

To the men who have served - I am wondering - what is "normal" for such things?

How is it - where YOU live? How much is paid for by the taxpayer - normally?

Is this normal?


Brian

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Most of those folks will be on their own time.

But if this has to be explained to you, you will never understand.


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Obviously - I didn't understand.

It's why I asked the question.


Brian

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And as I said, if you need an explanation you never will understand.



George Orwell was a Prophet, not a novelist. Read 1984 and then look around you!

Old cat turd!

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In Washington State we have had 6 police officers shot to death in the last 2 months and another lost in a traffic accident a few days ago. Your quote; "At what point does spending the taxpayer's money on honouring a fallen officer - become "too much"? makes me sick and should make you ashamed for making it.
The funds usually do not come out of the State, counties or in your case the Province coffers.
When I looked over a sea of "Red" RCMP at the services of our fallen officers, I hope that that respect is shown at the services for Czapnik and would be affored your son if something was ever to happen to him, God forbid.
As for you, I have nothing......


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Originally Posted by BCBrian
No, I am not.

I was told (by one who should know - ex auxiliary) that such things are paid for.

To the men who have served - I am wondering - what is "normal" for such things?

How is it - where YOU live?

Is this normal?


I live in Canada, it always has been this way as far as I know.

And BTW, I would rather see taxpayer money spent on honouring someone for his/her protection of people of our country, than have it spent on any idiot politician that never served to protect me or anyone else, other than himself/herself and their own of course.

Dang man, these are people who risk their lives everyday for us and ours, they didn't have to do it, but they did, let them have their honour, don't steal it away because of the almighty buck. Even this post is stealing away a part of the honour this Officer deserves frown

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Yes...its quite normal...at least around here. While its customary to send an honor contigent..being paid...a lot of the police and firefighters I know go on there own dime...out of a sense of duty. Being involved with the Legion and VFW here, I've attended a lot of funerals in the last few years of people I didn't know who have served. For me its my way of expressing my appreciation that a brother's life wasn't in vain, whether military or civil service. It also serves to remind me that freedom and safety come with a price and yet its priceless. JMHO.......no flames intended...:)


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It seems excessive to me. I don't understand it either. I'm not against supporting the officer's family, but 4000 people for his funeral? We don't do that for armed forces funerals...why is a police officer different?

I was also with the understanding that travel was paid for. Not sure about time.

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Well I'm not to crazy about RCMP but I'm impressed by their support for each other. I'd rather see the injection centers in Vancouver and the free dope supplied cut off,and all the welfare mongrels that abuse the system shutdown rather than to cut this expense for tax payers. It is a worthy expense for people that put their lives on the line to serve and to protect. I've been beaten, dragged up stairs, pepper sprayed a few times and spent a few nights in the drunk tank but you know, now that I'm a little older I probably deserved it. I see them on the roads tending to accident victims with cars whizzing by a 60 miles an hour and it's freezing cold out there, but there doing the job, and I wouldn't want it. Struggling with dope heads,and social disorder. Hats off and my sympathy to the families of the fallen officer.


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I have a lot of sympathy for anyone loosing their lives in the public service.
That said there has to be a limit if public funds are buying all those hotels and plane tickets. There is never a good time to bring up a subject like this but it seems worthy of airing out.
It is a sad day when a funeral becomes good for business.

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It's all about RESPECT. RESPECT for a person who paid the ultimate price for protecting and serving government.

Don't know if the gov. is footing the bill or not, but if they are, then they are showing RESPECT.

No such thing as too much RESPECT when it comes to persons losing their life in the line of duty.

Joseph


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Amen, Lynn.

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From a taxpayer stand point I would think officers from say a 100 mile radius is appropriate. However, on one's own dime and time who cares how far they come from.


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Originally Posted by Reiche
It seems excessive to me. I don't understand it either. I'm not against supporting the officer's family, but 4000 people for his funeral? We don't do that for armed forces funerals...why is a police officer different?

I was also with the understanding that travel was paid for. Not sure about time.


Those asked to specifically attend in line of their duty or job will be compensated for their travel, not paid for their time. Many of the others that will attend will attend at their own expense, out the fact that they have a sense of honour, and dignity, and pride, and heart.

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I am sure if you care about your tax money so much that you could find 1000's of other areas where money is really waisted.

I look around in my town and see waisted money all over the place. Bronze statues, road projects that are needed more elsewhere, audible voice comands so that BLIND people know when to cross the intersections (serious) the list goes on.

To question this kind of thing takes a special kind of person and not in a good way.








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Lets put it this way. I have gone to a number of fallen officer memorials/funerals in my day. I used my credit card to pay for the hotel and pump gas into my cruiser. My daughter continues the tradition in our family. Oh yeah, used vacation days to do it as well, and we are the rule, not the exception here in the states.


George Orwell was a Prophet, not a novelist. Read 1984 and then look around you!

Old cat turd!

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I guess I just don't understand it. I can understand the Ottawa police officers attending and also representatives from other police forces. They have one day a year set aside for a police (I think firemen too) memorial day which draws a huge crowd.

The officer being killed in the line of duty is not a regular occurrence up here. The last officer killed on duty in Ottawa (excluding vehicle accidents) was in 1983, I think.

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