Double embarrassment for Toronto Police in Costain case

[Willy]

TORONTO - The most damning indictment of Toronto Police this week may not even be the ten body blows of alleged street justice administered to a handcuffed man, as shown in their own video.
Already embarrassed by a judge who accused some officers of engaging in a dishonest cover up of the brutality, comes the second blow to their credibility in 48 hours.

The province’s Special Investigations Unit not only announced it was going to investigate the 2010 incident involving Raymond Costain but also pointed out that once again police did not tell them as they are mandated to do.

“The SIU learned of the incident through media reports,” said a news release from the SIU Friday.
It’s not the first time.

It’s not the second, third, fourth or fifth time, either.
In fact, Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin showed in his 2012 Oversight Undermined report that Toronto Police is the most incompliant service in Ontario when it comes to dealing with the SIU.
He highlighted director Ian Scott’s 82 letters of concern to Chief Bill Blair.

Looks like the lack of notification and co-operation has happened once again.
Toronto Police spokesman Mark Pugash told the Toronto Sun’s Chris Doucette Friday that Chief Bill Blair has now ordered a “comprehensive” investigation.
But who is going to investigate why no one at Toronto Police told the SIU?

Who is going to look into a lawyer’s cries that she was followed, photographed and intimidated by police officers as she tried to find justice for her beaten client?
At what point does the province’s attorney general, the mayor, council or Police Services Board say enough is enough?

Is it time for an outside, systematic review to determine what in the name of Sir Robert Peel is wrong at Toronto Police?
Or is Toronto Police not accountable to anybody?

The regular push-back is often aggressively mouthed by civilian Pugash.
In a January news release on a squabble with the SIU, Pugash made the comment, “Director Scott is wrong” and went on to publicly deride the SIU director.
Those who have respect for lawyer Scott were wondering why a media person was the voice of Toronto Police in a public battle with oversight?

Where was the chief?
And where is he on this judge’s lambasting of his officers now?

Dr. Alok Mukherjee and Councillor Michael Thompson, the Toronto Police Services Board chairman and vice-chairman, were the ones who called on Blair to take investigative action — which, through Pugash, he finally announced three years after the fact.

Said Mukherjee: “There are several reasons to be concerned about a development like this: 1) It does disservice to all those officers who do excellent work with integrity and commitment to community well being; 2) Someone against whom there may have been legitimate reason to take action goes free; 3) It is not good for public’s view of their police.”

He’s right and, although he also has a media spokesperson, he delivers his messages himself.
He understands the importance of not allowing both the confidence and prestige to fade away thanks to the actions of a few.

“The board has a very high expectation of the men and women who work for us. It demands that at all times our officers maintain the highest standards of professionalism, and discharge their duties with honesty and integrity,” said Mukherjee.

“They receive rigorous training not only to enhance their technical skills but also with respect to ethics, judgment, human rights and so on. And we expect them to act accordingly.”
Usually they do — as illustrated Friday with several big arrests.

https://www.torontosun.com/2013/03/15/double-embarrassment-for-toronto-police-in-costain-case

 

[FUKUMAN]

Really, punching a man 10 times while handcuffed?. What is wrong with cops lately.

 

[Robintheboywonder]

It's always been this way but now with technology it's coming out and exposing them more and more. It's about time because the abuse of power is not fair, we do not live in a military state. We do have good Officers out there but some really shouldn't have made it through the screening process.

 

[celticman]

I have been a long time supporter of the police, but I have had enough of this demonstrable, ongoing crap. It is time to replace Chief Blair. As memory serves he was appointed with the Royal Seal of Approval from Mayor Miller. Not that I can now be critical of that given that Mayor Ford is not expressing outrage over this sort of thing. It is high time to consider a truly no nonsense copper as chief who will pursue rogue cops with the same vigour as any other serious criminal. And if the right candidate could be found, I would support a non-cop as chief. And if the rank and file, or upper echelons of police management did not like it they could consider quitting. This shit has to stop, be punished, and severely.

The cops involved should have been charged before now. In just the same way as I would have been quickly charged if I had committed the same CRIMINAL offence. It's too bad a presiding judge cannot simply direct the Crown Attorney to lay charges when obvious wrong doing comes to light in a trial. And that should especially apply to perjury committed by a police officer.

 

[DannyDeVito]

Can't understand it. The cops know they are being filmed and they continue on punching the drunk guy. They should be discharged for being plane dumb.

 

[Butch]

Policemen of the year :slap:

 

[celticman]

Policemen of the year :slap:

Hopefully to become inmates of the year.

 

[HOF]

Drunk driver, if that drunk driver hit your moving or parked vehicle or a pedestrian or someone that you cared about, you probably wouldn't care about the beating and might even say it wasn't enough. Do we know the full circumstances of the occurance? Could the suspect have been attempting to bite, break free or kick. There will always be officers that go to far moreso based on adrenline and fear for safety at times, every officer experiences anxiety and fear. They are not super-human people.

It will be investigated and what happens will be.

What I'd like to know is:
1. Where is Chief Blair and his deputy Chiefs, Superintendents, Commanders and Sargeants.
2. If the SIU Director Scott has 82 letters to Chief Blair not responded to, why isn't the Attorney General of Ontario involved. Your Police Service Board is accountable as well don't come out after the fact, get the facts and get something done about it.
3. There is an entire system failing regarding accountability and it's not just in government or policing, it's in all businesses and aspects of society. Why in 2013 are people still driving drunk? Why are vehicles not standardly equipped with breath devices where the engine won't start. They should be in every vehicle! Why do drunk drivers get a second chance? It's a privilege not a right.
4. It's a drunk driver, why were there 11 vehicles with thirteen officers deployed, there should be no more than 3 officers by the appearance of this scenario. There were 8 vehicles and 10 officers that could/should have been back on patrol unless further dispatched. I have a problem with that one and public safety.

Would you think the police are so bad if this assclown had destroyed property, maimed or killed someone? Not likely! Most likely, the lot of you would be saying why didn't they batter the clown.

You think the police are bad until you need them or you are caught in the wrong. They fail from time to time, some become jaded and useless and that happens in all professions but the problems stem through the hierarchy. If this officer is in the wrong sure he should charged/convicted and never belong to the profession but until the entire scenario becomes public knowledge don't be too quick to judge.

 

[celticman]

Would you think the police are so bad if this assclown had destroyed property, maimed or killed someone? Not likely! Most likely, the lot of you would be saying why didn't they batter the clown.

For me, very likely. The police are part of the rule of law, not here to administer justice. If we accept that in certain circimstances that society condones police retribution, we accept, whether we like it or not, that their occasional mistakes would have to be acceptable. If we turn a blind eye to police violence, even towards scum, we degrade societal values. Think about it. If it is known that we nudge nudge, wink wink to the police meeting out street justice, and covering it up, then judges will have to give a great deal more credence to claims of police brutality and coercion as a court room defence. Ditto for jurys.

It would be a very slippery slope to condone what amounts to vigilantes in uniform. There would be no real benefit and immense downside. My suggestion would be more severe sentencing. 10 years for posessing a handgun in the commission of crime. All ten to be served. 2 years for drink-drive and causing any bodily harm etc etc.

The Premier; Attorney General; Toronto Mayor; Toronto City Council and the Police Services Board need to be accountable for the lack of accountability offered to the public by Chief Blair. He could change the culture almost overnight, but he seems to not want to say shit even with a mouth full of it. A lamentable leader.

 

[HOF]

We can agree to disagree because I believe you carry a gun and/or drink and drive go to jail until you die because you will never be productive or appropriate in our society. If/when an officer is in the wrong, I support them being held accountable. What I have said here is we do not know what occured prior to what was seen. There are always 3 sides to the story, cop, suspect and somewhere in the middle the truth.

 

[Al Bumin]

You are all forgetting that it doesn't matter the profession. You are either a prick bully or one that waits for the law to call him a prick.

Any word if Prick is coming back?.

 

[God]

You are either a prick bully or one that waits for the law to call him a prick.

Any word if Prick is coming back?.

LMAO just spilled my coffee.

 

[Maurice Boscorelli]

If/when an officer is in the wrong, I support them being held accountable. What I have said here is we do not know what occured prior to what was seen. There are always 3 sides to the story, cop, suspect and somewhere in the middle the truth.

I have a few friends of mine who are constables in T.O. and the stories they tell would curl your hair.

It takes a special kind of person to do that job right.

Unfortunately I feel that there are many constables who are not cut out for policing and are just going through the motions.

As a citizen now I always do my best to comply when asked for fear that I might run into one the rotten apples so to speak.

Another problem that affects police is that they far too often see heinous crimes go with very little punishment.

This just leads to a combustible situation on the job. Like I said not everybody is cut out for the job.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

We can agree to disagree because I believe you carry a gun and/or drink and drive go to jail until you die because you will never be productive or appropriate in our society. If/when an officer is in the wrong, I support them being held accountable. What I have said here is we do not know what occured prior to what was seen. There are always 3 sides to the story, cop, suspect and somewhere in the middle the truth.

Does it really matter what the true story is. The cop is beating up a handcuffed man. End of story.

 

[celticman]

Does it really matter what the true story is. The cop is beating up a handcuffed man. End of story.

+1 A criminal act is a criminal act.

 

[Baz]

Celticman, as much as you are not going to want to read this but I whole heartily agree with everything you've wrote in this thread.

 

[HOF]

From the video, it doesn't show when the suspect was or if he was cuffed. The third officer in brought out his cuffs and returned them to his holder. It could be very likely that the first two officers couldn't get both wrists cuffed properly and the suspect was possibly struggling.

 

[oldguyzer]

There are bad cops, just as there are bad politicians. On the whole, I trust the cops a whole lot more.

And for all those who whine about the cops...who do you call when you have your little emergencies?

 

[Robintheboywonder]

There are bad cops, just as there are bad politicians. On the whole, I trust the cops a whole lot more.

And for all those who whine about the cops...who do you call when you have your little emergencies?

Me of of course!:grrrrrr:

 

[celticman]

Celticman, as much as you are not going to want to read this but I whole heartily agree with everything you've wrote in this thread.

One of the hallmarks of a troll is the way they insinuate themselves into apparent agreement with others from time to time. Kindly refrain from doing this with me.