I got a kick out of reading Sue Ann Levys column in the Toronto Sun this morning, concerning the selection process for choosing a new Toronto Police chief, which will happen when Bill Blair leaves in the spring. Several groups have made presentations and one of the constant themes involves going outside the force, not opting for one of the old boys/women, selecting an outsider. Yeah thats right: Choose someone who will dump on the officers at the drop of a hat, knows little or nothing about Toronto or policing generally, in a job that often involves confrontation, frequenly the physical find. Clearly demonstrate to the officers that theres little or no support when the shit hits the fan. That message is already being received, loud and clear and the officers are getting it, more each day. One group making a presentation indicates that, to re-establish trust, more officers need to walk the beat among the citizenry. Is that a joke? More? More often, than what? Nothing? When was that last time you went to Toronto and saw officers walking the beat, anywhere? They spend all of their time scurrying from one call to the next, especially domestic situations, including the the unfounded variety.Walking the beat takes officers away from those calls, this in an era where serious cuts to the strengths of police services everywhere are happening now. In Durham Region, Ive been told that any domestic dispute call, no matter how trivial, always requires the attendace of two officers and a sergeant and takes officers away off the road for 7-8 hours, including the kind that would have taken 15 minutes an one time. Thats just example. It would be the same in Toronto. Walk the beat to mingle and spread good will indeed! With whom, precisely? Where are those officers? Oh, theyre the ones tied up on calls, and the ones youre not replacing as they retire - I see.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:38:13 +0000
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