National Post

Vancouver police task force referred to missing and murdered women as ‘whores,’ inquiry hears
Vancouver police officers and staff referred to the missing and murdered women as “hookers” or “whores,” made sexist remarks about female bosses and even disparaged grieving families, but the Vancouver Police Department does not suffer from “systemic bias,” an inquiry heard Tuesday.

Vancouver police Deputy Chief Doug LePard, author of a 400-page report critical of the Vancouver police and RCMP handling of the murdered women files, stuck to his guns after eight days of testimony at the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.

Questioned by Vancouver lawyer Jason Gratl, who read out remarks he called “racist” and “homophobic” plucked from a mountain of Vancouver police documents, LePard insisted most police officers are “disgusted” by overt racism or bias.

LePard admitted some terms were “unfortunate” but argued that some pejorative words such as “hooker” were in common usage. LePard said he doesn’t believe the Vancouver Police Department is riddled with “systemic bias” or racism, and that officers who used extremely offensive language were reviled by their peers. (Photo: Wayne Leidenfrost/Postmedia News)