"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Saturday 20 February 2016

THE SYSTEM IS FAR FROM PERFECT

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "POWER IS NOT AN APHRODISIAC":

Possibly I am mistaken but the role of the police is to enforce the law.

The law is written by legislative bodies, the members of which are all elected by the people.

If a complaint is registered by a citizen or an organization a charge may be levelled under the law by the police. 

The judiciary exists to determine whether or not there has been a breech. There are several levels of judiciary up to and including the Supreme Court.

The system is not perfect because every level involves human fallibility and injustice often occurs.

But that is no reason not to attempt to improve the system. Those at or near the top of each department have the greatest level of responsibility to do this. Position or title are of little importance if these are being abused the abusers should be replaced.

All of this requires great vigilance on the part of citizens, something that is greatly lacking. 
Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at
2016 at 13:59

********************************

A statement apparently made by York Region Police Chief was posted on Facebook last week .
It related to a retired officer being charged with a crime involving sex and children. 

The Chief said...  York Region Police department will not tolerate such  conduct. 

It may have been a poor choice of words but much more likely a reflection of police mindset. 

The Chief is a nice man and means well. But his comment disturbs. 

As noted, legislators make the laws. 

The  police must file charges if evidence indicates the law has been broken. 

 It is the function of the crown attorney if there evidence is sufficient to prove the case.

Once I asked a lawyer.... when does the C A do that. He swung his chair around to look at the wall 
and answered ....... "That's a good question, Evelyn."

The officer charged is a retiree . The Chief also mentioned he was immediately terminated from his job in "fleet" as a result of being charged. 

I found that interesting. We  had just learned  four offspring of a former Police Chief McCormack are  employed in the Toronto Police department. Two have had charges of corruption filed against them. 

The media  regularly provides coverage of a new generation of a family graduating from the police academy at our expense. 

Like it's a family firm. 

In the political battle going on  south of us , the big media puzzle is why Donald Trump has generated such a following. Senator Bernie Sanders is like the  Pied Piper of Hamelin with all the young people prepared to follow wherever he leads . 

The media as usual put all their  scrutiny on the candidates and what they are doing to get elected and  pay no attention to the people who  make the decision. 

Sanders tells the young ones he will make everything free. They want to believe. They have not yet learned that nothing is free. 

Trump tells people he will bring their jobs back from Mexico and elsewhere.

He  will stop refugees coming into the country, taking jobs  and homes and receiving services they have not paid for. 

People without jobs who have lost their homes understand Trump's  message. They don't ask for anything to be free. They just  want to be able to work and paid enough to buy  what they need.
They want America to be great again. 

They may be poor...they are not without pride...and hope springs eternal. 

JohnTory thinks residents don't notice how well off police and firefighters are and how the budget keeps shrinking for other services. 

No matter how much they get, it's never enough. Better still if the whole family is employed  in the department. They can retire and get re-hired immediately in the fleet department. 

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is seldom that an officer gets pulled without still being salaried. I can see the reasons for that but it is difficult to swallow
when someone, a civilian, is accused and immediately takes a hit. That CBC guy is an example - I cannot stand that guy and
think he is a nasty piece of work but the rush to take a smack at him was out of line. And members of the police were
right there doing the hitting in the press.

Anonymous said...

Tory is going to have to risk offending residents. He cannot claim that they think the police should continue to be so royally
treated as an excuse. He is " supposed " to be the mayor as in decision-making. I know he only has the one vote but the
almighty buck should stop on his desk.

Anonymous said...

It used to be fairly common to have a line of police in the family. Like lawyers, priests or bankers. I do not know if it is the case anymore.

Anonymous said...

15:26 It sure is!