Stephen Harrison
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Stephen Harrison
@stephenharrison.bsky.social
450 followers 160 following 770 posts
Victoria, B.C. needsmorespikes.com
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Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · Apr 8
Sometimes I file freedom of information requests. Here’s a thread with some of those past FOIs (mostly VicPD). If you have an idea and need help filing your own, I’m happy to try to assist! #yyj #cdnfoi
stephenharrison.bsky.social
VicPD talked on their podcast about how they may involve themselves in the 2026 municipal elections, just like they did last time. Police in politics in #yyj! I left in the lead-in from 2022 where they complained about Isitt comparing the library budget to theirs. open.spotify.com/episode/2xyy...
Todd Mason, 17m 00s: But we got to remember the last few years, first of all, as I can remember, the budget that's been given to us has just been to keep the lights on. That's what they've had to pare it down to, is okay, this is the budget to keep the lights on. And that's the budget we've gotten. So we haven’t had the money to update the fleet, hire officers above attrition, all that sort of stuff. Angela van Eerd, VicPD union president: We're playing catch up. Mason: We are playing catch up. Van Eerd: We are playing massive catch up. Mason: A decade long. Tom Stamatakis, Jr., VicPD union executive board member and media spokesperson: Massive catch up. Mason: So that's why this next election is so huge. If you value public safety and value officers who are not burning out all the time, then you got to get out and vote for people who support public safety. It's as simple as that. … Stamatakis, Jr., 18m 50s: So in terms of the municipal elections, last municipal elections in 2022, we actually were, the union was quite progressive and we conducted a symposium, an online virtual symposium where we invited all the new city councillor electorates to come online. And we had two because there was a lot of candidates. I can't remember how many, but there was like, I think there was like 20 or something like that. And so basically asked each councillor what their views on public safety and specific questions surrounding safety in the City of Victoria, just to give voters the opportunity to see exactly what each person, what their thoughts were and how they were going to progress. We actually got a lot of props from our partners from across Canada. And yeah, we're still debating if we're going to do it again this upcoming year. … And so, yeah, we’ll see what’s going to come with that. Transcript from True Blue Podcast, “VCPU director at large Tom Stamatakis” (02/25/22) Stamatakis, Jr., 26m 00s: I, I think it's just the pivotal road that we need to take in order to get our messaging out. Whether that be social media, um, these podcasts or generally for us to reach out and have people understand the challenges. And not only that, but to also reach out to the demographic of people that maybe, um, haven't heard our voices before. And that is also in an effort to get people out there to vote when it comes time for municipal elections. … Stamatakis, Jr., 27m 00s: I think we, as our union, and the way I would like to move forward in terms of marketing and in media is, is getting out there more so that people understand. … Transcript from True Blue Podcast, “VCPU director at large Tom Stamatakis” (02/25/22) Stamatakis, Jr., 30m 32s: … Ben Isitt comes out with this ideological comment. He's like, “Wouldn't it be great to live in a world where the city librarians get the police budget and the police have to work within the library budget?” And I'm like looking around like what the fuck you know, like what world, that's not even comparing apples and oranges, that's like comparing apples with like this chair. … Matt Waterman: But that, and I agree with you that that's, we're doing it here and I know it's been kind of talked about and from a marketing standpoint or public relations standpoint, is we wanna do it as the, as the next municipal election rolls around, we wanna be out there letting people know that, hey, we're tired of this rhetoric. Garbage rhetoric. Uh, and we want some action. And, and, but the important part is, you're right. We've talked about it. We need to, we need to reach out to the voter that's gonna make a difference. Cause guys who call up in the radio station and say the same thing that live in Central Saanich, it doesn't affect, uh, the outcome of an election. You know, they're not a voter. So, uh, we've talked about it. It's, it's a challenge to get those people out, but, uh, I'm hopeful that we can help influence people. Stamatakis, Jr.: Yeah. So in preparation for that, I think we're, we're structuring in terms of the committee that we have for marketing in just having a structure to see how we roll it out. And plan it out. Um, what's gonna be different avenues that we can reach out to the most amount of people and, and just get more and more people involved. I mean, municipal politics have never been a huge turnout, but I think, yeah, the things that have happened in Victoria recently, it's a pretty hot topic and uh, our hope is that more and more people get out there that will support public safety.
January 14, 2026 at 5:50 AM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
defundvicpd.bsky.social
Visit our website for details on how to provide feedback on the updated 2026-2030 Draft Financial Plan. Comments must be submitted by January 23 at 11:59 pm! And share with your friends and family! #yyj #deFundVicPD defundvicpd.org/2026/01/08/v...
A pie chart showing the city of victoria plans a 10.44% property tax increase, with 5.42% going to the city a s 5.02% going to cops
January 11, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
defundvicpd.bsky.social
Please share!
If you are a Victoria resident you have until Jan 23 to tell Mayor and Council to reject a 14% budget increase for VicPD. Councillors want specifics, so tell them not to hire 25 new officers! Easy template and emails on our blog: defundvicpd.org/2026/01/08/v... #yyj #defundVicPD
Victoria’s Draft Budget Input Opportunity
It’s that time of year again, time to “HAVE YOUR SAY”! If you live in Victoria, tell Mayor and Council to reject a 14% budget increase for VicPD, including hiring 25 more officers…
defundvicpd.org
January 8, 2026 at 9:36 PM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
I wrote this post about Del Manak's legacy as chief. It seems relevant today when he's made it clear he's considering a mayoral run. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/del-man... #yyj
January 7, 2026 at 12:52 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
VicPD files an average of two use of force reports a day. And they use a weapon on someone, or threaten to use a weapon on someone, an average of once a day.
January 3, 2026 at 12:41 AM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
defundvicpd.bsky.social
“Is this a pigeon?” Meme. The person is labelled “city of victoria council” and the butterfly is labelled “police dogs biting handcuffed suspects” - below it says “Is this a public safety plan?”
January 3, 2026 at 12:37 AM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
kwardvancouver.bsky.social
42 people died from unregulated drugs while in a medical facility between January 1 2023 and August 31 2025 in British Columbia

Here is the list.

Remember when people were complaining about drug users in hospitals ?
Unintentional unregulated drug toxicity deaths by medical facility of injury, January 1 2023 - August 31 2025 2023 Fraser Health Abbotsford Hospital : 2 Burnaby Hospital : 1 Royal Columbian Hospital : 1 Surrey Memorial Hospital : 2 Interior health Cara Centre : 1 Island health Nanaimo regional hospital : 1 Seven Oaks Mental Health : 1 Vancouver Coastal Richmond hospital : 2 St Paul’s hospital : 2 Vancouver general : 4 2024 Fraser Health Caremax medical clinic : 1 Interior health East Kootenay hospital : 1 Kelowna hospital : 1 Penticton hospital : 1 Royal Inland hospital : 1 Island Nanaimo regional hospital : 2 Panama house : 1 Royal jubilee hospital : 1 Vancouver Coastal Dr Peter Centre : 1 Mount Saint Joseph’s : 1 St Paul’s : 6 2025 Fraser Health Chilliwack general : 1 Timber Creek Tertiary Care : 1 Interior health Kelowna general : 1 Island health Eagle park health care facility : 1 Wexford Creek long term care : 1 Northern health Dunrovin Park Lodge : 1 Vancouver Coastal St Paul’s hospital : 2
January 2, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Stories about officers misusing police databases to look people up who they shouldn't are incredibly common. And yet, when I asked VicPD for copies of any audits they'd done to look for unauthorized database use, they said "no audits have been conducted" over the six-year period I asked about. (1/2)
RE: Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act) VicPD FOI No. 2023-1334 I am responding to your correspondence received by this department on June 26, 2023, requesting “Copies of any audits of PRIME usage (e.g. reports on reviewing for unauthorized queries or browsing, or any other audits conducted) 2017 to present.”. Please be advised that there were no records responsive to you request. Please note that no audits have been conducted of PRIME usage. If believe that the Victoria Police Department is in possession of the record you seek, please contact me with more information.
December 19, 2025 at 4:13 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Went back further. An officer looked up their tenant. Another looked up a contractor. One officer "had a habit of running names of friends and relatives." Another looked up their ex 20 times. All told that's about 50 officers with substantiated complaints of misusing police databases. But why audit?
B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints 2016: Vancouver PD officer “searched police databases for a purpose unrelated to duties as a police officer” and “improperly disclosed confidential information acquired from police databases to a member of the public” 2016: Transit Police officer “used the PRIME database system, without permission, to gather statistics for their master’s degree course” 2015: Transit Police officer “queried their tenant using police databases” 2015: New Westminster PD officer “used police databases to query one of [their] contractors and the licence plate of a vehicle being used by the contractors” and “disclosed [to a member of the property management company] that a vehicle being driven by one of the contractors was uninsured and that one of the contractors had a criminal record” 2015: Delta PD, three officers “conducted improper police database queries in relation to an off duty police officer’s call for assistance” and “improperly disclosed the information obtained” 2015: Abbotsford PD officer “accessed police databases for purposes unrelated to his/her duties as a police officer.” 2014: Delta PD officer “queried police databases by means of a mobile data terminal for a purpose unrelated to the performance of the officer’s duties” 2014: Delta PD officer “accessed the PRIME database for personal reasons” B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints 2013: Vancouver PD officer “accessed police databases for a purpose unrelated to his duties as a police officer” 2013: New Westminster PD officer “conducted unauthorized searches utilizing police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer” and “shared the information with a person not entitled to receive or access this information” 2012: Vancouver PD officer “conducted unauthorized searches utilizing police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer” 2012: Saanich PD officer “queried police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer and disclosed that information” 2012-14: Abbotsford PD officer “searched police databases for a purpose unrelated to his duties and accessed reports he was not authorized to access” 2011: Vancouver PD officer “had a habit of running names of friends and relatives,” “accessed police databases on three occasions for purposes unrelated to the duties of a police officer” and “disclosed information that the officer acquired from police databases to a member of the public” 2011: Saanich PD officer “made unauthorized queries on police databases” B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints 2011: Saanich PD officer “accessed police databases to query associates of his estranged wife for purposes unrelated to the performance of his duties as a police officer” and “disclosed to his estranged wife confidential information he had obtained from the queries” 2011: Delta PD officer “conducted queries on the PRIME database for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer” 2010: VPD officer “accessed police databases to conduct personal queries unrelated to his duties as a police officer” 2010: Transit Police officer “conducted an unauthorized search on police databases for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer” 2010: Delta PD officer “On several occasions … conducted unauthorized queries on PRIME” and “counseled another member to also conduct an unauthorized search on the police database” 2010: Delta PD officer “conducted an unauthorized query on a police database” 2010: An officer “accessed police databases to query the complainant’s common-law wife’s name” and “accessed police databases to query the complainant’s name” B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints 2009: VPD officer found to have conducted “Unauthorized search of police database” 2009: VPD officer found to have conducted “Unauthorized search of police database” 2009: Saanich PD officer “On 12 separate occasions … conducted unauthorized searches in a police database” 2009: Abbotsford PD officer “conducted an unauthorized search of an individual on police databases and disclosed this information to a third party” 2008: VicPD officer “for purposes unrelated to his duties as a police officer, conducted queries on police databases” 2008: New Westminster PD officer conducted an “Unauthorized Search of Police Databases (Info not disclosed)” 2008: New Westminster PD officer conducted an “Unauthorized Search of Police Databases (Info not disclosed)” 2007: An officer conducted “20 unauthorized police database queries over a 4 year period … related to the officer’s ex‐spouse” 1995-2008: An officer “queried an employee from his private business on the police database PRIME” and “made numerous queries using CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) and PRIME for non‐work related purposes”
December 19, 2025 at 6:14 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Here are excerpts from OPCC reports of BC officers caught misusing police databases. They looked up family members and exes, a woman an officer "was interested in," a nurse, and a convocation speaker. Some officers used databases for a "business venture." But VicPD doesn't audit database use. (2/2)
B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints 2023: Port Moody PD officer “requested a colleague to query a particular license plate on a police database without disclosing the query was for a personal reason” 2023: Abbotsford PD officer “used police databases to query a university convocation guest speaker who had made remarks about a police incident that the speaker had been involved in” 2023: Abbotsford PD officer “queried their spouse for reasons unrelated to the performance of the member’s duties” 2022: VPD officer “used a police database to query the license plate of a driver that had been involved in a traffic altercation with the member’s spouse” 2021: VPD officer “queried the name of the VCH nurse on a police database for a purpose unrelated to the member’s duties” 2021: Saanich PD officer “used police databases to run checks on his former partner and members of her family” 2020: VPD special municipal constable “queried a person on a police database for reasons unrelated to [their] duties” 2020: VPD officer “conduct[ed] a query using police database for information unrelated to an investigation or duties as a police officer” 2019: VPD officer “used a police database to query the residence of a relative who was under criminal investigation” 2019: VPD officer “queried [a] complainant’s name using a police database for reasons not associated with their duties as a police officer” B.C. police database misuse, substantiated complaints 2019: Port Moody PD officer “Unauthorized use of CPIC for a personal matter” 2018: Transit Police officer “Using police equipment and databases to search for information and details unrelated to his duties as a police officer, but in relation to the private security detail he was working on” 2017: West Vancouver PD officer “used police databases (CPIC and PRIME) to query this female friend” and “queried a female he was interested in using police databases (CPIC and PRIME)” 2017: VPD officer “Conducted a CPIC and/or PRIME search of a member of the public for a purpose unrelated to his duties as a police officer,” “Improperly disclosed confidential information to a member of the public that he acquired from a CPIC and/or PRIME search,” and “Conducted a CPIC and/or PRIME search of a family member for a purpose unrelated to his duties as a police officer” 2016-18: Transit Police, two officers “used police databases to further their own personal business venture and stood to benefit from the unauthorized use of police databases and the information retrieved” 2016-17: Abbotsford PD officer “accessed a police database for non-duty related reasons and made inquiries with respect to his estranged spouse” 2011-18: Delta PD officer “used a police database (PRIME) to conduct a query of an extended family member” and “admitted to additional PRIME queries of the extended family members”
December 19, 2025 at 4:13 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Stories about officers misusing police databases to look people up who they shouldn't are incredibly common. And yet, when I asked VicPD for copies of any audits they'd done to look for unauthorized database use, they said "no audits have been conducted" over the six-year period I asked about. (1/2)
RE: Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act) VicPD FOI No. 2023-1334 I am responding to your correspondence received by this department on June 26, 2023, requesting “Copies of any audits of PRIME usage (e.g. reports on reviewing for unauthorized queries or browsing, or any other audits conducted) 2017 to present.”. Please be advised that there were no records responsive to you request. Please note that no audits have been conducted of PRIME usage. If believe that the Victoria Police Department is in possession of the record you seek, please contact me with more information.
December 19, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
sobittersosweet.bsky.social
When I went to the energy ministry for a response to the story I was writing, I was told some of the info I'd received should have been redacted because it was commercially sensitive

They asked me not to write the story or share the info

They deleted the package from the public FOI request log
December 19, 2025 at 12:28 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Thanks I'll check it out! I was also just looking back at this budget graph I made. A 50% budget increase in five years if they get their way for 2026! Defunded indeed. bsky.app/profile/step...
stephenharrison.bsky.social Stephen Harrison @stephenharrison.bsky.social · Oct 22
To put VicPD’s demands in context, its proposed 2026 budget outpaces inflation for the last five years by $19 million. Victoria spent 23% of its 2025 budget on police. Councillors’ unflinching support for police comes at the expense of services and things like housing that actually keep people safe.
Graph showing VicPD's budgets and requests, from 2021 to 2026, rising from $59.2M to $90.8M. By comparison, at the rate of inflation, the budget would have risen from $59.2M to $71.3M.
December 17, 2025 at 1:54 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
(also, obviously, defund the police and reallocate their resources to housing and other things that keep people safe, and one might find that those OT costs magically go down!)
December 17, 2025 at 1:36 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
I hadn't seen that, thanks for sharing! They're "suffering the effects" of the defund movement, eh (budget increases every year). And Victoria + Esquimalt is the third most heavily policed city in the country, so another read of the chief's position is that they're bad at managing their resources.
December 17, 2025 at 1:36 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
VicPD says no live stream of the police board tonight due to technical difficulties. They say they'll post a recording, but the last time this happened, they didn't. We'll see if it does get posted, and how timely it is if so. If it does ever go up, at least I can watch it back at double speed.
Screenshot of tweet from @vicpdcanada. Text reads: Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, we are unable to live stream tonight’s board meeting as planned. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. The meeting will proceed in person, and minutes/recordings will be made available afterward. Thank you for your patience! #YYJ #communityupdate
December 17, 2025 at 1:09 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Since they started meeting the new legal requirement to post public agendas a week in advance, they’ve only posted single page agendas. Before that, the last single page agenda I can see was in October 2015. Meeting the letter of the law, not the spirit, with the most opaque agendas in 10 years.
December 17, 2025 at 12:46 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
They modified the agenda after initially posting it to add the final two items of correspondence and all page numbers, but they never posted any pages beyond the first. So who knows what specific things they’ll be talking about.
December 17, 2025 at 12:46 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
There’s a #yyj police board meeting at 5:00 pm today. Will try to follow along here. Not much to post about beforehand, as they’ve stopped posting detailed agendas with attachments. Public agenda: vicpd.ca/wp-content/u... Stream: www.youtube.com/channel/UCKK... #vicpdboard 🧵
VICTORIA & ESQUIMALT POLICE BOARD Public Meeting Agenda Dec 16, 2025 at 5:00pm Boardroom & Zoom 1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT a. Territorial Acknowledgement 2. STANDING ITEMS a. Declarations of Conflict of Interest b. Adoption of the Public Agenda of December 16, 2025 c. Adoption of the Public Minutes of November 18, 2025 d. Board Chair Update e. Committees Update f. Board Member Engagement Update g. BC Association of Police Boards (BCAPB) and Canadian Association of Police Governance (CAPG) Update - Chair Hayes h. Chief Constable Update i. Deputy Chief Constables Update 3. CORRESPONDENCE (Information Only) a. 251112 Letter of Support from Victoria Mayor re Island JI Pg. 6 b. 251212 Order in Council re VEPB Director Reappointments Pg. 8 c. 251208 Letter from Public re Police Presence at Christmas Parade – for discussion.
December 17, 2025 at 12:46 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Shortly after VicPD answered the question about the discrepancy for CHEK, VicPD emailed me to say they couldn't answer the same question for me. I'd asked them about it weeks prior, and they'd told me they were working on a response. They did say I was "welcome to submit another FOI"!
December 16, 2025 at 12:53 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Update: VicPD told CHEK the discrepancy between OT in its budgets and the FOI data is that its budgets also count "standby" pay as OT. That means that in addition to officers' base pay and $5.1 million in OT, VicPD paid out about $1.3 million in standby pay in 2024. cheknews.ca/17-vicpd-off... #yyj
December 16, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
thetyee.ca
A brief mention of an abusive relationship between a Vancouver police officer and a teen he met at school in a recent watchdog report shows a need for more transparency around the identities of officers who commit misconduct, says a civil liberties advocate.

@kehyslop.bsky.social reports. #vanpoli
VPD Officer Was Quietly Investigated over an Abusive Relationship with Teen | The Tyee
A police watchdog report does not reveal the officer’s name or the school where he met the teenage girl.
thetyee.ca
December 12, 2025 at 3:29 PM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
Maybe running for mayor? I've heard that rumour from multiple people now but who knows. For now just a rumour! It is my opinion that his public record should be disqualifying.
December 10, 2025 at 6:09 AM
stephenharrison.bsky.social
I heard someone mention Del Manak today! Here's a post on his time as chief. He spoke positively about an officer accused of sexual assault, "reamed out" a publisher, and said VPD handcuffing an Indigenous man and his 12-year-old granddaughter after they tried to open a bank account was justified.
December 10, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Reposted by Stephen Harrison
stephenharrison.bsky.social
While VicPD is asking for an $11 million, 14% budget increase in 2026, new FOI data shows that from 2022 to 2024, 48 VicPD officers made over $50,000 in overtime in a single year, with two constables pocketing over $100,000 in extra pay in 2022. www.needsmorespikes.com/blog/vicpd-o... #yyj #cdnfoi
VicPD officers make up to $108,000 in overtime — Needs More Spikes
While VicPD is asking for an $11 million, 14% budget increase in 2026, new FOI data shows that from 2022 to 2024, 48 VicPD officers made over $50,000 in overtime in a single year, with two constables ...
www.needsmorespikes.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:36 PM