Respect, Fear, and Loathing
If we are completely honest, many of us will admit to a deeply ambivalent relationship with the police. On the one had we look to them for protection against the…
police abuse of authority
Wouldn’t A Taser Have Been More Appropriate?
I have often thought that had the video evidence not been so strong and graphic in the shooting of Sammy Yatim, the ‘official’ police story would have been that the…
Sammy Yatim’s Accused Killer Back On The Job
While the presumption of innocence is fundamental to our justice system, common sense and public sensibilities are always unspoken elements of the equation. This is clearly seen, for example, in…
The Toronto Police Are At It Again
This is what happens when you have a ‘blue wall’ culture, facilitated by a police chief who often seems more politician than top cop. Sure, it is unfair and inaccurate…
Police Secrecy In Hamilton, Ontario
Outside of a handful of traffic tickets, I have had almost no direct contact with police in my lifetime. Yet, in my darker moments, I have always suspected that it…
Another Indictment Of Police Leadership
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I am a regular critic of the police. While recognizing the at-times difficult job they have and the very real potential of…
Chief Bill Blair And Secrecy
Presiding as he does over a very troubled organization, it is perhaps not surprising that Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair prefers a cloak of secrecy to cover how he manages…
Do Police Have The ‘Right Stuff’?
Given the killing of people like Sammy Yatim and Steve Mesic and the taser takedown of Iole Pasquale, it would seem a legitimate question to ask, as Star readers offer…
Police Surveillance
For those interested in the best way of ensuring police behave themselves, the following is a timely reminder of what our rights are when filming them: For more information, check…
To Protect And Serve
The police protect and serve – they really do. It’s just that we aren’t the ones receiving those services: Recommend this Post
What Can You Say?
Today has been a blogging day where I seem to be writing little of my own thoughts but mainly linking to other sites. And I can’t think of a single…
The Power Of Pictures
‘Nuff said. Recommend this Post
Your Morning Jolt
Most people get their morning jolt from their breakfast cup(s) of coffee. As I wrote earlier this week, an 80-year-old woman, now identified as Iole Pasquale and suffering from dementia,…
So Many Stories, So Little Time
Most days that I post a blog entry, I choose my topic based on my reaction to news stories. Today, two disparate pieces seem particularly noteworthy, one that confirms what…
Constable Stefanie Trudeau
Given Sammy Yatim’s tragic execution by police for swearing at them and holding a penknife, and the shooting in the back of the unarmed Steve Mesic in Hamilton, I suppose…
Police Power
While the title of this post may seem a bit of a tautology, since the power of police on the streets is obvious, there are other arenas where they wield…
The Police Are Such Sensitive Souls
Andre Marin, Ontario’s Ombudsman, found this out after announcing he was planning to investigate the province’s direction to police on de-escalating conflict situations in light of the police killing of…
From The Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave
Somehow I don’t think our ‘friends’ to the south have anything to teach us about civil society and democratic rights, although I can’t help but think that much of this…
Sammy Yatim: A Guest Commentary
I received the following as a response to one of my blog posts on Sammy Yatim, the young man gunned down a week ago by the Toronto Police. Anon’s comments…