For more than ten months (2014-2015), Vancouver Police Department personnel disregarded official reports filed by complainants Bini and Eccles detailing the harassment, retaliation and witness intimidation initiated by VPD Detective Sandra Aldridge (link to official VPD complaints). Each complaint was determined by VPD to be an “inquiry” or “unfounded” without contact or notice given to complainants Bini or Eccles.
In late March 2015, an investigation was opened with Vancouver Police Department’s Professional Standards Unit (internal affairs) regarding new grievances filed by Eccles and Bini of continuing and escalating harassment by Detective Aldridge and her supervisor, Sgt. Andy Hamlin. The investigation is now going into its 8th month; there is no resolution in sight, minimal contact/updates have been provided to complainants, and the targeting of Bini & Eccles has continued.
Detective Sandra Aldridge and Sgt. Andy Hamlin are still on full active duty with the department and have continued—unchecked by their supervisors–to engage in a campaign of harassment/retaliation of complainants Bini & Eccles through slander and defamation. Following is a series of email correspondence between complainant Eccles and Lt. Scott Creager of the Professional Standard Unit (overseeing the “investigation”). Included after Lt. Creager’s October 28th response email is brief commentary (in lieu of an email response to Lt. Creager) intended to summarize my (Eccles’) position, and to clarify why I have chosen, in order to protect myself from potential malicious intent, NOT to continue this correspondence with Lt. Creager.
#1 Email sent from Eccles to Sgt. Hatley (investigator of complaints) cc: Lt. Creager and Chief McElvain on September 28th, 2015
OFFICIAL COMPLAINT: Detective Sandra Aldridge
#2 Email sent from Eccles to same recipients on October 7th, 2015 when I had received no response after 10 days.
Official Complaint Follow up
#3 Email response from Creager to Eccles sent on October 8th, 2015.
#4 Email sent in response from Eccles to Creager on October 12 to acknowledge receipt of email and include partial response.
“Request to add to PSU record of Investigation”
#5 Email sent from Eccles to Creager on October 20 (following Guy Bini’s email exposing newly discovered and highly incriminating evidence of Detective Aldridge’s violations of law and civil rights in the prosecution of John Garrett Smith). Email titled,
#6 Email sent from Eccles to Creager on October 20th the included part of the information that had been requested in Lt. Creager’s October 8th email in which he claimed that without specific evidence proving Ms. Aldridge’s misconduct, there was insufficient evidence to investigate. Email titled,
Attachment to email “Supporting Documentation”
#7 Email titled, “Response Requested” sent from Eccles to Creager on Oct. 26th after a week with no response when one had been specifically requested in October 20th “Request for Action”
#8 Email “Response Requested” response from Creager to Eccles sent October 28th (full text displayed below)
SUMMARIZING COMMENTARY:
Lt. Scott Creager’s October 28th email response provides little reassurance that the purported Internal Affairs investigation of Officers Aldridge and Hamlin is moving forward. For 17 months the information being requested now by Lt. Creager has been provided in great detail with significant supporting evidence, beginning with the original complaints that were systematically disregarded without contact or notification. The statement, ” I am unable to take any action in response to your stated concern because I lack information to do so…” is absurd. Professional Standards Unit personnel have been provided this information, or its location, in the 50+ detailed emails we have sent to the VPD during the seven months since the investigation first opened.
It is disappointing that the Professional Standards Unit supervisor again fails to address the issue raised consistently throughout the “investigation” and as a focus in two of the October emails: REQUEST REGARDING TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION OF INVESTIGATION AND UPDATES ON PROGRESS–both alleged to be standard information provided monthly throughout a Professional Standards Unit investigation according to VPD policy. Despite violations of trust occurring early in the investigation as VPD personnel who received our complaints were evasive and non-responsive, we have continued to provide information in accordance with the investigation process. Guy and I have made clear our decision not to submit to a police interview/interrogation (an option specified in VPD policy) as recent history has proven that we can not count on protection traditionally afforded to citizens by law enforcement. Our apprehension in this matter has been misrepresented and dishonored by repeated reference to a “refusal to be interviewed.”
As we continue to discover and bring forth compelling proof of a shocking level of malicious misconduct surrounding the wrongful conviction of John Garrett Smith and the subsequent harassment, retaliation and witness intimidation against us, concerns for our personal safety have intensified. Detective Aldridge has a proven history of disregard for legal and ethical conduct. She has submitted outrageous, unsubstantiated sworn statements on multiple occasions that Guy Bini and I are dangerous and pose a threat to the safety of others. Most concerning to us is the fact that Detective Sandra Aldridge carries a lethal weapon with “Law Enforcement” discretion to use it.
unintentional ACTIVISTS 