Seriously. It's a nice thought, Rosie, but does anyone honestly expect this to happen? You're talking about a guy who refused any cooperation with the Ombudsman's investigation. You're talking about a guy who lied about the law, about the circumstances of an individual police assault on a civilian, and about god knows what else.
Good will? Personal integrity? Trust? Please.
The Police Services Board? Tell me again just what it is that they do?
The Special Investigations Unit? Bang-up job so far, guys.
No, the message is crystal clear. Toronto cops can arbitrarily and illegally detain, search and arrest people at will. They can act as though the Charter of Rights doesn't exist. They can kick the shit out of anyone they like, and their boss isn't going to do a goddamn thing about it.
It's noteworthy though, that the Toronto cops also lost the Sun's Joe Wormington.
ReplyDeleteYou know, credit where credit is due: the conservative Canadian media has been surprisingly anti-police brutality of late.
ReplyDeleteSure there are absurd and hateful exceptions and it's been the more left leaning Toronto Star that has really pursued the G20 police riots. But the National Post recently complimented the Star's coverage and said they had changed their minds about the behavior of the police at the G20 and it's been the Ottawa Citizen, which no one will ever mistake for a left of center paper that really spear-headed the Stacy Bonds case.
I criticize the media in Canada for being out of step with the largely left of center consensus, being slavishly supportive and unquestioning about the basic assumptions of neo-liberalism and actively suppressing opposing points of view. When they start actually dong something right attention should be paid and positive reinforcement promoted.
I think I'll cross-post this comment over at my place because I'm interested if I'm the only one having the same reaction.