HUNTER: Toronto Police Association wants politicians to keep 'violent idiots' in prison
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How are things going for the cops?
On Sunday, Toronto officers shot a 16-year-old boy after he pulled a gun and began shooting during a routine traffic stop in North York. The kid died in hospital Tuesday.
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On Thursday, two Peel Regional Police officers fired their guns at an armed man with a history of violence and a weapons ban at busy Toronto Pearson International Airport. It started over a parking disagreement.
When cops arrived, the man allegedly pulled a handgun. He was dead at the scene from a police bullet.
For cops, these disturbing and potentially life-threatening incidents have sadly become daily occurrences.
Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell told the Toronto Sun his members are witnessing the daily death spiral of social order and criminality. It is the same sad story: Guns, lax sentencing, parole and bail.
“We arrest the same people over and over again for violent offences,” Campbell told the Sun. “They’re getting second and third chances when they get out on bail. That’s crazy.”
The past decade has been a haze of criminality in Canada, and no one knows this better than cops. Violent crime is up 15%, gun crime is up 116%, and extortion and auto theft are up 357% and 46%.
Campbell said the TPA sent questionnaires to the Liberals and Conservatives with a quartet of questions. Both wrote back.
“The Liberals do have some good things in there, but the Conservatives were supportive of us long before the election,” he said. “The Liberals do want to get tougher on repeat offenders.”
The TPA wants to see the former Trudeau government’s widely criticized Bill C-75 repealed. Among the catch -and-release law’s most controversial elements was giving bail to repeat offenders at all costs.
That has led to countless violent crimes committed by killers out on bail. The law demanded that the courts focus on release instead of detention.
“The Conservatives have said they want to repeal this,” Campbell said, adding that holding sureties to account is another focus cops like.
A surety puts up money, or collateral in cash, homes or cars, allowing criminals to bail out. But Campbell said in the event of a breach, the court never collects. No consequences. Ever.
The Tories were more specific on the criminal justice file, the Liberals more general, Campbell added.
“The Liberals have said they want a crackdown on gun violence, but they’re targeting lawful gun owners,” the TPA boss said. “We know that 85% of the 700 guns we seized last year came from the U.S., and the only reason it wasn’t higher was because we couldn’t trace the other 15%.”
The TPA are also tired of the families of fallen members enduring the horror of facing cop killers in pointless parole hearings, year after year.
“We also advocate for the families of members killed in the line of duty, like Michael Sweet and Todd Baylis, when there is yet another parole hearing,” he said, adding that the TPA lawyer is Tim Danson, who also represents the families of serial killer Paul Bernardo’s victims.
“Why should these people have to face Bernardo every year? That’s ridiculous.”
Campbell added that the TPA also wants to see anyone convicted of a crime who isn’t a Canadian citizen get the boot.
But he noted that it is a small number of violent criminals committing the majority of crimes. Non-violent first-timers should be given a break. The hardcore? Not so much.
“Almost everyone we arrest is failing to comply with their bail or parole conditions. The most violent need to be kept away from the public.
“People should be able to go about their daily lives without fear. We can do that by keeping the real bad guys in prison. That’s a simple solution. Keep violent offenders in prison.
“Illegal firearm? Prison. It’s just simple changes that will keep these violent idiots in custody. Serial killers and cop killers should never see the light of day.”
On X: @HunterTOSun
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