Comments on: Terror in Dixon: Behind the Rob Ford Scandal

By: HR

HR — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 19:11:42 +0000

For someone who until recently had a lot of trust in the police in Canada, it’s very hard to see piece like this. Now I still see the police and laws as necessary but this kind of situation is not right.

The solution I can think of to this kind of abuse is to drastically reduce the power of the police (treat it like other agencies like tax collectors and social workers) and separate its repressive arm (riot squads, SWAT teams, general patrols) from its investigative arm (investigations into actual crimes). I would go further and recommend a separation within the repressive arm into two agencies — one that is armed with guns and tasers and one that is not (the armed agency should not be used at all except in limited cases). I would hope this separation would weaken the repressive arm (as they would no longer be able to charge people with crimes), and allow the investigators to become “civilian”.

Any thoughts on this?

By: bob

bob — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 15:29:08 +0000

This is a rather biased piece, but it is partially true. While I am sure there are many instances where the police wrongly harass good citizens, I also would also think the Police are justified in some cases. In the above story, half of the 19 ppl were charged with a crime. I would be curious to know how many of the innocent ppl shared apartments with those that were rightfully charged? (eg. a gang member lives with his mother and grandmother – if the police raid in that sort of scenraio then the other people, regardless of their innocence, will likely get arrested until it is clear that they are not involved in any criminal activity.

I also find it odd that the author talks about how this community is working class yet suggests that $575,000 was “looted”. Call me crazy, but $30,000+/person ($575,000/19) seems to be a lot of money for a working class individual to have. I do not consider myself to a working class individual and I don’t have $30k in the bank…nor under my mattress etc. As such, I don’t think it terribly odd that the police might suspect that some or all of that $595,000 are proceeds from criminal activity. (I say that because half of the 19 individuals arrested were charged)

There is definitely no easy answer nor solution to situations like this – the police assume everyone is guilty and the community suggests that everyone is innocent and they are being unfairly targeted. The truth, as usual, is likely somewhere in the middle.

By: Fa da po

Fa da po — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 05:15:56 +0000

To all ya that tink this aint wrong imagen that 67 year old woman was your mom, the police are just over spending and over exaggurating our tax money for their stupid fun bunchaa idiots tat put people in jail for no reason and all they do is to hide somewr and smoke pot and hustle the tax money to kill or destroies families IM AGAINST THIS STUPID POWER PIGS NEED TO HV THEIR LIMITZ HUSTLAZ

By: PULL UP YOUR SAGGIN PANTS

PULL UP YOUR SAGGIN PANTS — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 03:42:51 +0000

97 YEAR OLD GRANDMOTHER GETTING BEATEN YEAH THATS SAD MAYBE THEY WILL THINK NEXT TIME BEFORE THEY COMMIT OFFENCES.IT IS ONLY THEM TO BLAME FOR THEIR ACTIONS.AND THEY SAY THE APPLE DONT FALL FAR FROM THE TREE THE AVERAGE EVERY DAY SCUM BAG CRIMINAL IS A WASTE OF THEIR POOR DADDYS SPERM A REAL WASTE OF LIFE BLACK WHITE YELLOW BLUE THE WHOLE FUCKING BUNCH OF YOU

By: SERIOUSLY

SERIOUSLY — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 00:39:34 +0000

You all don’t see people that aren’t Aboriginals complaining how it’s not fair that we have to pay taxes but the Aboriginals don’t?? Is that not unequal treatment?? Yes, this argument is irrelevant but this is how you all sound like.

By: get a life

get a life — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 00:03:27 +0000

Obviously people who commit crimes are gonna be placed in jail…. so dumb. It’s not my fault they all happen to be aboriginals or blacks… I don’t have time to read the whole article, seriously.

By: someone who knows better

someone who knows better — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 19:19:28 +0000

If you all like to think I’m racist then so be it. If i’m racist, then you all are gangster-wannabes with the i-hate-cops mentality that think you guys are soooo cool. Probably school drop-outs with no jobs. that’s why you’re mad that the cops are in your hood busting your ass while you sell drugs. And this isn’t directed to black people, cause there are asians, whites and browns that all act/think this way.

By: someone who knows better

someone who knows better — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 19:11:39 +0000

Learn how to spell before calling someone an idiot. I never once said it was okay to kick a 67 year old in the face. I never even mentioned anything about that so i’m SORRY if I hadn’t disagreed with that part of this article. I was just speaking about what I feel about the raids and harassment in general. I’m not a racist. I grew up in these so called “projects” and I still believe that without these raids, our streets would be worse. Only difference is, I GOT OUT. Do I believe there may be a different way to handle this? Maybe.

By: Hungree

Hungree — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 18:55:03 +0000

Really? http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/03/01/unequal_justice_aboriginal_and_black_inmates_disproportionately_fill_ontario_jails.html

Statistics indicate you are wrong.

By: david

david — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 17:41:43 +0000

this is to (someone who knows better) i laugh because you clearly do not understand nor over-stand what is going on in these communities. Your just another sleeping ediat that doesn’t understand the difference between law and criminal code, and the fact that the law is being broken to enforce a criminal code.