VANCOUVER – Former senior Vancouver Police officers told the inquiry looking into Robert Pickton‘s murders that they didn’t believe more warnings about disappearing sex-trade workers would have been productive.
Former Sgt. Geramy Field, who was in charge of the missing persons’ unit, says all women working in the Downtown Eastside were considered vulnerable but the force had “nothing specific” to warn them about during summer 1998.
Field’s senior officers, former Insp. Fred Biddlecombe and acting Insp. Dan Dureau, both agreed that despite a lack of official warnings, the community was aware women were going missing.
All three were quizzed by an inquiry lawyer about why a draft press release didn’t go out that said police were investigating reports of dozens of missing women who might be victims of an active serial killer.
In hindsight, the men agreed there wouldn’t have been any harm in sending out the release.
As many as 19 women disappeared after 1998 from the area, and when police later searched Pickton’s pig farm they found the remains or DNA of 33 women.
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