A women's group in Saskatoon says people held in police detention cells need to be treated with dignity and given more privacy.
Gerlinde Sarkar of the Canadian Federation of University Women says in one recent case, a woman was denied a blanket, wasn't allowed to contact her family and didn't eat for three days because of a food intolerance to the fast-food meals served in detention.
The woman had witnessed a car crash and was supposed to testify at a trial; she says she was out of town when the subpoena was sent and did not know a warrant was out for her arrest.
Sarkar says the woman was treated in a demeaning and disrespectful way.
She says the woman also felt uncomfortable using the toilet knowing male officers could see her on camera or when they walked by her cell.
The Public Complaints Commission says it is investigating the case.
Only female officers should monitor cells where women are detained, Sarkar said, but deputy chief Mark Chatterbok said that's not always possible.
"If the female (officer) is busy and isn't able to look at a monitor, well we still need to ensure the safety of people during that time," he said.
Chatterbok said both female and male officers observe the video surveillance, so female detainees aren't always being watched by men. He was unable to say if any of the commissioners who walk by the cells are female.
(CKOM)
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