As a career police officer, author, speaker and CTV News’s Public Safety Analyst, I watch public safety events unfold around the world, with a particular emphasis on policing. I write about some issues, talk about others, but I consider them all.
Over the past seven years we have watched the decline of honesty and integrity among some U.S. political leaders on both sides of the aisle. The Trump era has seen childlike name calling, immature and dishonest rhetoric, complete character assassination and verbal attacks that are not only aimed at elected officials and candidates but reach into their parents, children and even the attractiveness of spouses. It’s far worse than the typical partisan and occasional personal criticism of political rivals that has always been present. It has become nasty, threatening and dangerous.
According to Google, the meaning of 'catch and release' is "when a fish is caught and then returned to the water unharmed so that it survives and continues its existence in its natural environment." That might be very appropriate when referring to walleye and trout, but it is not working for Canadian society when it comes to violent offenders.
2022 was an interesting year in Canada, on a number of fronts, but for me, protests, senseless deaths, inquiries and legislative controversy dominated my world as CTV News’s Public Safety Analyst.
Enacting the Emergency Act last February to end the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa may or may not have been in keeping with the legal threshold for invoking the never before used legislation. My vote is “not”, but I digress. The mandatory hearing into that legal question has ended its fact-finding phase and Justice Rouleau is currently penning his findings and recommendations.
Clearly the ongoing Emergencies Act hearing in Ottawa has shown a number of disconnects surrounding the planning for and policing of the February 2022 Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa. Some small, many huge. Communication gaps between and within some police agencies and their leaders, among elected officials and bureaucratic representatives within the different levels of government, the various groups and individuals engaged in part or all of the three-week protest; and in terms of the various legislation and the definitions therein.
Following the murders of three Ontario police officers in September and October, I gave considerable thought to what local and other Ontario colleagues of these fallen officers were dealing with from emotional and morale perspectives.
Although long retired from law enforcement, my heart still skips a beat when I hear of a police officer being killed in the line of duty. I want to drop to my knees and scream.
In April 2020, a man dressed as an RCMP officer and driving a mocked-up RCMP car, shot and killed 22 people in rural Nova Scotia. Three others were wounded. This horrendous act of violence completely shocked communities, a province and a nation to their core.
Over the past several years, the OPP has been forced to leave hundreds of employee vacancies to meet government financial challenges. The totality of this scenario is untenable.
Before Twitter erupts with accusations that I support illegal acts and community-crippling trucker protests, let me state unequivocally that I don’t. Nor do I, as a rule, believe that we should change public policy or legislation to meet the demands of law-breakers.
The Trudeau government recently committed $1 billion to help the provinces and municipalities ban handguns. How on earth they believe that this tremendous chunk of taxpayer money is going to take handguns out of the hands of criminals who would do others harm, is completely mind-boggling.
To me, and I assume to most police officers, the policing profession is about protecting the public. That is protecting them from harm and victimization. And “prevention” is the priority as opposed to responding to calls for service and investigating crime. Any cop worth his or her salt would much prefer to prevent someone from being victimized before it happens. Second to protecting members of the community, comes protecting fellow officers and third comes protecting one’s self. That is the order of importance: public safety; officer safety; self-preservation.
Cries to defund police across North America are for the most part fuelled by people who will never be happy until police are unarmed; seldom seen; and let everyone do whatever they want, whenever they want.
A controversy recently erupted over the Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA) flying a "Thin Blue Line" version of the Canadian flag at their office building in Barrie, Ont. It was raised a month ago on the mast that the Canadian flag normally flies on.
Much discussion has occurred as of late regarding the concept of taking money away from the rich (the police) and giving it to the poor (social services). Some so-called experts have argued that it’s time to that it's time to "disarm and defund the police" and for funds to be redistributed to other needy social services programs.
The violent protests across the U.S. following the murder of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a bully white Minneapolis cop last week continue to grow in numbers and intensity. Peaceful protest is a fundamental right of both American and Canadian citizens, but the level of violence and destruction we are witnessing is disheartening and never justifiable.
