In Memoriam: Constable Daniel Woodall

Const. Daniel Woodall, of the EPS Hate Crimes Unit, poses in this undated handout photo.
(HO/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

During her fellowship in Edmonton, Henriett Eva Dinok, Hungarian Doctoral Research Fellow at the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies at the University of Alberta, was involved in field-based research at Edmonton Police Service (EPS). Within the frame of her research, she participated in the EPS Ride-Along Program and contacted the EPS Hate Crime Unit.

Police officers put their lives at risk every day in the line of duty. When a police officer dies, we feel a collective sense of loss as we recall their bravery and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This article was written in September 2014 and we publish it now to honor and remember an excellent and outstanding member of the law enforcement community.

Constable Daniel Woodall was the most inspiring officer I have ever met. He dedicated his life to fight against hate, to fight for equality, to promote tolerance and inclusion. The way spoke of and fulfilled the call of his profession - his mission - was exceptional. He did not only help me tremendously with my research, he rebuilt my trust, my faith in police. I still remember how enthusiastic I was after our meeting. Cst. Woodall spoke about his plan to reform the existing system, how he planned to make the system more effective using the good practices that he encountered or read about. Since our meeting, I refer to the EPS Hate Crime Unit as one of the best practices I have ever seen and Cst. Woodall as a truly outstanding officer. After a couple of years in the field of criminal and constitutional law, and as a member of a minority group, I wish we had more officers all over the world like Cst. Woodall. His death is a great loss for an entire nation, and for everybody who believes in the principle of equality.

INTEGRITY, COMMUNITY, COURAGE

He dedicated himself to this motto, to safeguard the lives and property of citizens, to reduce and prevent crime, and to enhance public safety.

Regimental Funeral for EPS Constable Daniel Woodall: http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/News/MediaReleases/RegimentalFuneralforEPSConstableDanielWoodall.aspx

First, I participated in the Ride-Along Program where I had the opportunity to take an inside look at the everyday work of a South Division squad, get to know more about the organizational structure of the EPS and compare the Canadian system with the Hungarian. It was a very impressive experience to ride with these officers and see firsthand the good practices of the EPS. The two officers I rode with are highly trained professionals. I was involved in every activity during the shift, saw the entire police station, had the chance to speak with several officers within different ranks and received answers for all of my questions about the organizational structure, entry requirements and training that they received. Based on my research and observations of these officers during their work, I would say that the attitude of the officers and professional calling they demonstrate are exceptional at a global level.

Later on, I contacted the EPS Hate Crime Unit and met with Constable Daniel Woodall who introduced me to the unit and informed me about its operation, good practices and the database system in place there. He answered all of my questions and provided a great deal of information about the unit, some of which was not obtainable during my previous research. For instance, he provided me with four hours of training material used during patrol member training, in addition to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey used in every case. Within the Hate Crimes Unit, Dan and his partner: actively monitor and target supremacist groups and extremist ideology believers; assist with investigations or conduct investigations; are responsible for the educational program of the unit; participate in conferences Canada wide; work on the adaption of good practices in the frame of the Hate Crime Unit, etc. There are two well known ways to dedicate hate crimes: a dedicated hate crime investigation unit or hate crime investigation unit. Specialist hate crime investigators could be part of units dedicated exclusively to the investigation of hate crime or as part of a multi-disciplinary unit covering other broader public protection roles. A less resource-intensive option than dedicated hate crime investigation units is a hate crime management unit. These units do not carry out investigations, but ensure that the local response is effective and consistent and that hate crime investigations are quality assured.[1] The EPS Hate Crime Unit uses an effective mixture of the two systems and carries out investigations when the case requires deeper analysis; otherwise they assist with investigation ensuring an effective and consistent response to hate crimes. As a dedicated resource, they can undertake more focused investigations, provide quality service to victims and lead the partnerships with other agencies and community groups. The EPS Hate Crime unit is a perfect example of how a dedicated hate crime unit can provide a number benefits for both law enforcement and victims, for instance: assuming responsibility for investigating the majority of hate crime incidents, thereby freeing up other investigators; being better placed to ensure compliance with standards or standard operating procedures for investigating hate crime; developing good practices and expertise to solve common problems from which all staff can benefit (e.g. they are working on a new reporting method which could encourage the victims to report these crimes); coordinating proactive and reactive operations to target known hate crime offenders; training other stakeholders in the statutory and civil sector, which can increase long-term benefits etc. At the same time, the unit displays a number of distinctive features of the hate crime coordination model, for instance: uniform officers and investigators at a local level are the first line of response and they conduct initial and further investigations supported by advice and guidance from the hate crime unit; hate crime coordinators provide quality assurance of any investigation as an integral part of the process, thereby reducing any deviation from minimum standards; uniform officers and investigators at the local level are afforded the opportunity to develop and enhance skills in hate crime investigation.

These meetings were really useful in regards to the comparative part of my research. Every officer I met with was very helpful and I am certain that I will be in communication with both departments in the course of my further research.