Results tagged “torontopoliceservice”

It's been two months since Mariam Makhniashvili disappeared without a trace, and Toronto police are attempting a new tactic in their search for clues: peeking into thousands of homes around the Bathurst and Eglinton area. Sixty officers began knocking on doors this week, asking for residents to let them in to root around, scouting for possible evidence. They hope to cover about six-thousand houses and apartments, and although homeowners are not legally obligated to let officers inside without a warrant, denying the request is bound to make some people feel like automatic suspects, possibly subjecting themselves to further scrutiny. As for the motivation of the Toronto Police Service, some would say that canvassing neighbourhoods has worked before, while the more cynical might wonder if the force is attempting to improve the optics of the case, given that any leads seem to have run dry. However, by knocking on doors and asking to be invited in, the police are asking the community to waive its right to privacy, albeit for an important reason. "The innocent have nothing to fear," goes the mantra, yet one of the cornerstones of human rights is the protection of privacy and prevention of arbitrary interference and intimidation. Keep calm and carry on?

The issue of bias in policing is a complicated one: police forces don't like to admit that ethnic bias exists, and keeping records based on ethnicity is seen as a simplified and inaccurate representation of broader cultural context. Seven years ago, following allegations of racial profiling by the Toronto Police Service, then-Chief Julian Fantino launched an extensive internal audit, yet publicly disputed media accusations of bias, stating that the study was meant to deal with "perceptions that have been created," and that "there are instances of inappropriate conduct by a small number of our members…we do not, however, have a racist or corrupt police service." The police union threatened to sue anyone who insinuated that ethnic bias existed within the force—and they did: a libel lawsuit against the Star was brought as far as the Supreme Court, and subsequently dismissed.

Shortly after a series of shoot-outs and drug busts in Clubland last year, Councillor Adam Vaughan made a stout-hearted attempt to allay citizens’ fears: "There's a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's not a strobe light coming from the next club, but a better tomorrow."

With parking at a premium this holiday season, shopping malls see an increase in lazy, self-important jackasses who park in Accessible Parking spaces and abuse legitimate disability permits. The mind boggles at the selfish sense of entitlement this takes, and the Toronto Police Service won't care that you "just had to return a video." The Parking Enforcement Disabled Liason Unit have just entered a month-long enforcement blitz, focusing on those who park illegally in...

Poor OCAP. They can't even complain about the police watching them without the police watching them. At noon on Wednesday, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty held a press conference (not a rally or an action or a march but a press conference) at the northeast corner of Dundas and Sherbourne, and there was about one police officer for each person in attendance (around twenty). As eight or so cops casually observed the conference from across the street, Beric German of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee speculated on how much each one was being paid: "About fifty dollars an hour?"

Sam Sniderman (aka. The Record Man) wants the Sam's building to be sold to Ryerson University. Unfortunately, this does not comply with the conspiracy to turn every store on Yonge Street into a discount shoe outlet or nail salon. Sorry.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

If were anywhere near Jarvis and Dundas today, you were probably wondering if you've ever smelled anything so horrible, but one thing was certain: it was the smell of death.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

Each week, Torontoist chooses the most interesting cases from the Toronto Police Service crime blotter. All charges are alleged until proven under law.

The Toronto District School Board is holding three public consultation nights to ask parents how they should handle the $84.5 million deficit.

Free food, Prizes

The Sun nips the Fantino running for mayor rumour in the bud. It seems that former chief is happy in his well paying provincial job (he makes 220k a year!) and won't be challenging mayor Miller in November's municipal election.

There's an old adage in journalism that "dog bites man" isn't newsworthy but "man bites dog" is front-page gold. In a twist, a couple of dogs attacked a Toronto Police Service horse this morning. The story is here in the Sun. The horse, named Trooper, suffered minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. The owner of the dogs is also facing charges.

This time it wasn't evil Ottawa bureaucrats trying to build bridges or rapacious Premiers trying to download more social programs onto the backs of a beleagured metropolis. MDM calmed down a knife-wielding man who had snuck through the not-so-tight security at City Hall.