The province, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) have formally established a task force to review cases involving missing and murdered women.
“The province is supporting police in this vital task,” said Attorney General Dave Chomiak. “These women were mothers, daughters, sisters and friends. Many are Aboriginal. We share a common goal with the police, helping as they seek answers in these cases. The unit will help move these investigations to the next level.”
“We understand that the families and loved ones of missing persons and victims of crime are eager to have their many questions answered,” said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Bill Robinson. “By bringing members of the RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service to work more closely together in one location, we aim to hasten the process of providing some answers to their many questions.”
“This initiative will enhance and integrate our abilities to share information and work more closely with our partners,” said Winnipeg Police Chief Keith McCaskill. “It is vitally important that we review every piece of evidence in these cases, to bring closure for the families and to bring offenders to justice.”
Members of the Manitoba Integrated Task Force for Missing and Murdered Women are experienced investigators. The unit includes three RCMP officers, two RCMP analysts and four officers from the WPS. The province is represented on the task force steering committee and will provide additional resources needed.
The unit’s focus will be:
• the review and investigation of unsolved homicide files involving female victims;
• the review of missing person files involving female victims where foul play is suspected; and
• analysis of those files to determine what, if any, links exist between the incidents.
The unit will have access to the combined resources of both police organizations including the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS) database and the Project Disappear website. Its structure is similar to the successful Integrated Organized Crime Task Force.
Anyone with information about missing or murdered women or any other unsolved crime is encouraged to contact Winnipeg Crime Stoppers at 786-TIPS (8477) or go online to www.winnipegcrimestoppers.org.
