Meow everyone. Most if not all of my readers know by now that i am a supporter of the Toronto Police Service as they are far and away, some of the very best and most dedicated public officials we have serving our city and the great people who live here. having said that, there are some serious issues that need to be addressed which I will discuss here as I firmly believe that there are some very intentional attempts to handcuff the police department from doing their jobs. ultra left wing radical politicians, the Toronto Police Services board and the courts all play a very direct role in making this city a safer place to live. I will in detail explain the role each of these entities play in holding back the effectiveness at which our police force can do their jobs.
Many years ago, when i was still a kid, I was taught that the most honorable professions that one can be involved in that would garner one the greatest , highest level of respect were, teachers, police officers, fire fighters, doctors and lawyers. Well, i became none of those professions, however, my sense of duty and honor was fulfilled by my enrolling to serve my country in our military. It was, however, one role model, one of my best friends, a cop, who showed many of us that there is a better life out there, if we are wiling to reach a little higher. This cop and I played volleyball together for many years so his influence was strong. So strong and so positive an influence was he, that most of who played with him went either into the career path of law enforcement military service or some other form of public service. In fact, out of all of us who played together, i recall only one person who went a different path, that being a holy wood sound actor. My friend is still on the force and yes, we see each other often as his duty station is in the same area that I attend school today. He is still the same person today that he was when I first met him, straight up and easy going. he was to be my role model as well as a role model for many of us.
Over the many years I have lived in this city, I have witnessed what can be considered a drastic evolution or transformation this city has taken, some good , some not so good. One of the very things I learned, was about our cops. When i moved here, the Chief of Police was Harold Adamson . From what i can recall, he came up with the slogan ” Our cops are Tops” . I couldn’t agree more. However, over the years, there has been an erosion of the level of respect being given such an honorable profession . yes, the usual suspects, the criminal element was and always will have a total lack of respect for the law and those entrusted to enforce it. However, what we have witnessed in recent years to dangerous levels is a huge lack of respect for our cops from the places one would least expect this from . politicians, services boards and the courts. I will address these individually.
The Police Services board
As the text says, this is a civilian oversight board. This is a huge problem. When has any of these board members gone with an officer on a gun call. When have these board members had to attend when an officer had to inform a loved that their family member has died as a result of a crime of accident. When was the last time a board member entered a crack house where there are kids left unattended for days on end with no food or water. When was the last time a board member attended a scene of a fatal accident. When was the last time a board member attended with officers a subway station where a person has jumped. When was the last time a board member had a violent criminal produce a weapon at them, ready to use. Chances are about 100% that these board members have never attended any of these things I mentioned, yet, these same board members seen to think they have some divine ability to dictate to trained police officers how to handle each of these situations. These broad members make decisions about what cops can and cannot do, yet these same board members have no clue as to what it is like on the streets and what these officers have to deal with day in and day out.
I have personally witnessed trained and dedicated officer save people lives. in my many years as a street photographer , I have come across many situations that the vast majority of our citizens don’t ever want to see. yet, these board members want to somehow tell these same officers what they can , or should do in certain situations ? When lives are at risk, the rule book goes out the window and one must do whatever they can to save lives. With the way that the police are treated by many and are targeted the way they are, I must wonder, if Officer Forcillo was charged purely for political gain and political optics. The more I read about the case from what there is out there, the more I am inclined to think that it was motivated politically.
Toronto City Counsil
If you have ever been to a city counsel meeting, you will be amazed as to what actually goes on there. These elected politicians will make grand speeches over the most idiotic things, and I must wonder if they get paid by the word they speak . I have sat in on counsil meetings where they debated for eight hours, EIGHT FRIGGIN HOURS about a burger stand. oh the speeches where not only long but nausiatingly boring. These people love to hear themselves talk. The farther to the left the politicians were, the longer, more frequently they spoke.
However, the problem our officers face starts right here, at city counsel. Most of these counselors are ultra left wing who will pander to the radical left , in effect, handcuffing any attempts that will actually bring law and order to this city. I can think of no better example of this that what i witnessed during the Occupy Toronto fiasco . One of the TOP leaders / facilitators, Mischa Saunders practically had Pam McConnell and Joe Mihevc eating out of his hand. Pam McConnell has been a Miller ally since the election and, served as chair of the Toronto Police Services Board from 2004 to 2005. I maintain that in my opinion, she single handed was responsible for the demise of the Toronto Police Service, with her ultra left wing stance which is anti police.
City Hall played a significant role as well in allowing the lawlessness that occupy Toronto was known for. For forty days , St. James park, the park used and subsequently destroyed by the people who were allowed to remain there illegally, was a forty day, 24/7 crime spree. yet, officers where were stationed at the outside of the park where directed to not enter, even though they knew crimes were being committed inside. this was NOT a decision of the officers to remain outside, this was a decision made by city counsel to allow this crime spree to continue. My question to city counsil is: Are the wishes of the citizens of this city so utterly worthless to you , that even though the vast majority of us wanted these criminals , drug dealers, drunks and violent criminals out of our park, your left wing agendas were a greater priority than the voice of the citizens? Oh, wait, I forgot, most of you in city counsel are so left wing anyway that you needed these occupy bodies to fight the elected mayor who was not going to cave in to union scum demands. So, rather then allow these officers to do their duty and keep the city safe , useable and enjoyable for all to use, they were forced to sit on the outside and watch this park sink deeper and deeper into a vast wasteland, watch crimes take place before them and city counsel did NOTHING but condone this travesty.
Before I address the Courts , I want to go back to the G20 for a moment. I indicated how good cops are being prevented from doing their duties by left wing politicians. However, it gets even worse than that. Imaging going you job and then, having to face the brass for you doing your job . Well , this is not a ” could be ” scenario , this is actually taking place right now to good cops . case in point is the second in command of 51 divison Inspector Gary Meissner. it seems that for his doing his duty to save this city from the black bloc thugs during the G20 at Queens Park , this cop, who, I might add is the foremost expert on crowd control in Canada has to now justify why he did his duties. this is thanks to the highly political Police Services board who is , seemingly not one bit concerned that he very likely saved lives and millions of dollars in damage . No, they want his head because he arrested violent criminals who where smashing things under the guise of a protest. It seems to me that Insp. Meissner is being made a scapegoat to satisfy some left wing politicians and their equally radical cronies lust for some sort of retribution against the police force and as many of its officers as they can get, for arresting some of their violent criminals buddies.
So, my question to the senior officers of the Toronto Police Service. Is / are your political careers and the pleasing of the politicians a greater priority than standing behind your men and women of this great police force? I understand that you must walk an very fine line in your duties as senior Officers and yes, sometimes , tough, hard decisions need to be made. However, first and foremost you are all Police officers , sworn to uphold the law and as leaders, guide those whom you command.
The Courts
Its great to have laws in place that on paper have teeth and are designed to show that we take crime seriously. However, when our justice system is so over worked so as to allow violent criminals to walk free or serve very minimal sentences, this is not a means to reduce crime, to deter persons from re-offending. When violent criminals like Alex Hundert are allowed to walk freely after serving what amounts to a vacation paid for by the state, the only message being sent here is nothing more than a spanking. However, the courts to are handcuffed by the laws they must abide by , laws created by these ultra left wing politicians who are looking after their own agendas . yes, its a vicious circle.
So, why have I gone on this somewhat long winded diatribe anyway ? This past Sunday, September 01 2013, there was yet another anti police protest in this city. While the turn out was small compared to other such protests , with two recent ones generating several hundred participants, the result was a series of assaults on innocent persons, significant property damage, based on targeting a person because they drove an expensive car. The protest was as a result of an alleged police assault that was claimed to have taken place. I am not here to comment one way or another on the validity of the allegations as simply, I was not there and only heard about it through third and forth parties. however, there have been several parts of the story around these allegations did clearly have been skewed by the original persons who made the report and subsequent video . However, what I DID see was the violence , the disruptions to the public’s enjoyment of the roads and spaces, the abuses these protesters offered up to the police who were on duty as well as to the public who was held hostage by these self serving, aimless criminals. Here is the first image I wish to share of criminals assaulting the public as part of a protest.
So, what exactly did this person do to deserve getting their car smashed upon? Well the driver was driving WITH the light, but her main offense was that she was driving an expensive car, something that these neanderthal criminals object to. However, these criminals are also full of a bunch of other stuff as well. They claim to say that they support womens rights yet, they TARGETED this driver and the driver was a female driver. this was, clearly to intimidate her in front of other drivers and to gain support of the peers of these criminal protesters. However, they didn’t simply stop there .
Next this same person decided that smashing was the next progression so, it was time to teach this innocent citizen a lesson on intruding upon professional protestors. Photo credit goes to https://kitty.protestnerd.com :
This was the most serious assault of the day but by no means to only one. At each major intersection, these criminals decided that they somehow had this inherent right to interfere the lawful flow of traffic as they marched on the streets sans any sort of permit. Drivers were regularly accosted and verbally abused. So, the question that must be asked is: so where where the police as this was going down. There was a significant police presence at police HQ where this all started, yet as the illegal march took place, the only police I noticed was one unmarked car tailing several yards behind. In fact, when this most serious assault took place , officers had to be summoned to the scene as none were around at the time, keeping some distance back. Was this a command decision to allow these criminals to freely walk on the road without any sort of permit , abusing and smashing their way forward?
Well as it turns out, as in the case of all of these illegal protest marches, our beloved left wing city counsel has made so hard for these officers to do their duty that in order for a march to be deemed illegal , city lawyers need to get involved, then an officer of command rank has to officially inform the protesters that this protest is illegal , then give them X amount of time to vacate the area and then and ONLY then are the police allowed to act. This process can take several hours to accomplish and all the while, these criminals are destroying the city, destroying personal property and knowing that as they do these things, the cops are tied up in political crap before than CAN act.
Its time that we allow our cops to be cops, not political tools for a select few who want to advance their own political careers. These officers joined to force to SERVE the public and PROTECT the public from criminals. The police services board should be made up of people who actually KNOW about policing and what it takes to be a good cop. What we have now is aboard filled with paper pushers and been counters, who, frankly, know about as much about policing as I do about brain surgery. To the politicians out there, go ahead and make all the laws you want but leave the enforcement of these laws to the professionals. the cops don’t tell you how to do your jobs, don’t tell the cops how to do theirs, that’s what the command structure is for . Lastly, to the police service commanders. Stick WITH your officers and back THEM up, not the politicians . I know there is a very fine line that you as commanders have to balance upon , as commanders, but you need to trust your officers to do their jobs. Your officers have our backs, your officers need to have THEIR backs covered too.
To every cop out there, thank you for your service and for putting yourselves on the line every second you are out there .