London? Oh, London, ONTARIO!

"[The London force's participation in the event] damages the image of Canada. [There is] no reasonable justification [for it even if little taxpayer money was spent]."

"When you are doing anything internationally, you have to also be aware of the image of the country, it's not just a local matter. And so there's an extra duty [for due diligence]."

"So I don't know what motivated participation here, whether it was negligence -- gross negligence -- utter stupidity, or what."

"In Ukraine, the Kadyrov clan is a great supporter of aggression, they are a great supporter of the Putin regime. So how on Earth can we ... consider it justified participating in the event where these people are featured?"

Aurel Brain, professor of international relations and political science, University of Toronto; associate, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University

"I am prepared to engage fully in the board's review as we continue to ensure our members receive the best possible training to perform their duties effectively and safely."

"As chief, I am committed to ensuring our members have access to world-class training opportunities and I supported the opportunity for our members to train, compete, and learn from over 70 different [Emergency Response Unit] teams from around the world in Dubai, who are considered among the best internationally."

London Police Services Chief Thai Truong 

This image posted on the event's YouTube page shows members of London, Ont., police's emergency response unit competing in the UAE Swat Challenge this week. (YouTube)

 

Just incidentally, the London Police Services was in the news recently on a domestic matter that shone a light of questionable police practise in that southwestern Ontario city. It would appear that hundreds of complaints from London residents of sexual assaults were given short shrift; attention obviously elsewhere much to their discredit and the relief of local rapists. Fully 43 percent of 587 sex assaults reported were resolved quaintly; no charges laid. One rather special case involving a group rape of a young woman by five then-junior hockey players, which though reported, brought no action.

Six years later, it brought a contrite apology from the current chief of police in London: "I want to extend on behalf of the London Police Service my sincerest apology to the victim and her family for the amount of time that it has taken to reach this point", (prosecution) Truong told a news conference. "As a police officer working in this space for many years, I can tell you that this is a difficult, difficult situation for all victims and survivors of sexual violence." 

 

A London police officer competes during a shooting exercise as part of the UAE SWAT Challenge, which took place this week in Dubai. London was the only Canadian police force to send a team. (YouTube)

 

Now they're in the news for an entirely different reason, highlighting questionable decision-making; the decision to send a team to an event where the London team trained and competed against a Russian special unit, the members of which have been accused of atrocities in the Ukraine conflict. This unsavoury situation prompted the London Police Services Board to launch an approval process review of their force's participation in the UAE SWAT Challenge where international units face off in tactical rescue and obstacle course events, late January and early February.

While the London service was the only Canadian participant, two American police forces also sent delegations -- from the New York Police Department and the San Antonio Police Department. Other participating countries included Belarus, China, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The Akhmat unit from the Russian republic of Chechnya also took part; a group known to commit atrocities in Ukraine.  On the fourth day of the event their victory was celebrated, the ceremony attended by the son of the Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin both of whom have been sanctioned by Canada.

 

London police were among police forces from more than 70 countries to compete in the 2024 UAE SWAT Challenge. Competitors from last year's competition are show in this photo. (UAE SWAT Challenge photo)

 

London Mayor Josh Morgan sits on the police board and stated his support of the decision in "directing administration to outline specific financial and procedural considerations governing not only the approval of this specific training competition but also the approval process governing similar training opportunities for our service". Hard to fathom how the police board would fail to be both informed and involved in an exercise of this magnitude, but they're all running to hide any possible complicity, leaving their chief of police to manage the fallout as best he can.

According to the competition's website, the event is meant to "foster an exchange of tactical techniques and skills among international SWAT teams". From Dubai two units placed first and second, the Chechen team arriving at eighth place, while the London force lingered in the bottom ten. Chief Truong explained that the trip's cost had been reduced from $115,000 to $15,700 after the event's hosts, the Dubai police, proved amenable to discussing costs.

The event includes $260,000 in total prizes for the competing teams. (UAE SWAT Challenge)