news
Newsstand: July 24, 2015
Today's news: Toronto police won't say which recommendations they've implemented from a report on dealing with emotionally distressed people (without shooting them), more than five dozen cats were rescued from an apartment, and the city looks into making sports and athletics more inclusive for the LGBTQ community.
“Virtually all” of the 84 recommendations made by former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci on police violence and reform have been implemented, according to Toronto police, but we don’t know which ones are part of that group. Iacobucci’s report also called for implementation updates “at least annually,” but in spite of that, the Toronto Police Service has refused to disclose which recommendations have been implemented in full, which have yet to be put in place, and which have been modified. According to the Star‘s report on the matter, “Iacobucci’s recommendations aim to eliminate fatal encounters between Toronto police and people experiencing mental health challenges.” TPS’ claim comes after the police killings of Sammy Yatim and, more recently, Andrew Loku, just two of the latest victims who were seemingly under some form of emotional duress at the times of their shootings. It also comes amid heightening tension between the city’s black community, members of which are both stopped and killed disproportionately by police, and a police force that many feel is indifferent to claims of racial profiling and systemic racism.
More than 60 cats were rescued from a Toronto apartment recently, needing medical attention and “in deplorable condition.” Toronto Animal Services called the apartment “a hoarding situation” and Toronto Cat Rescue is looking for both donations to cover the cats’ medical costs (estimated at around $150 per cat), and homes for some of them.
The city is working with members of the LGBTQ community to better understand how to make city-organized athletics and sports leagues more accessible to members of that community. To that end, the city has been working with The 519 community centre, which is “part of a network of sport and LGBTQ agencies advocating for safer, better access to athletics and recreation programs for LGBTQ members in Toronto and across the country.” Some of the suggestions for more inclusive spaces include not segregating spaces by gender, a task force on further inclusion, and avoiding accidentally outing (or excluding) people by way of binary organization or language. “If I’m a member of the trans community, or I’m somebody who is gender non-conforming, and I’m going to sign up for a program and I’m seeing there are two options, I know that that’s not necessarily an environment that is aware of inclusive practices or necessarily an environment where I may be welcome,” said Kristina Flynn, a senior consultant at The 519.