LILLEY: Police associations have simple message -- enough is enough

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The message from the four largest police associations is as simple as it is true, enough is enough.

Just days after the funeral of OPP Const. Greg Pierzchala, the Canadian Police Association, OPP Association, Police Association of Ontario and the Toronto Police Association have issued a joint call for changes in Canada’s justice system.

“Losing one police officer is obviously losing one too many. Yet the horrible reality is Const. Pierzchala is one of five officers in Canada killed on duty just in the past four months,” the organizations said in a joint statement.

Before Pierzchala was gunned down responding to a car in a ditch call, there was the shootings of two officers from South Simcoe Police — Const. Devon Northrup and Const. Morgan Russell were ambushed in Innisfil on Oct. 11. Days later, RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang was stabbed to death in Burnaby on Oct. 18, while Toronto Police Const. Andrew Hong was shot in a seemingly random attack on Sept. 12.

“Enough is enough. We cannot allow the deaths of five of our members to go unchallenged. Instead, we can and must honour their sacrifice by identifying the issues that led to this unacceptable wave of violence,” the four groups said in their statement.

In total, the four police associations represent 60,000 officers and civilian members. Together they say they want “to further research to fully understand the best remedies, identify what isn’t working, and call for change to ensure that this does not continue.”

“Everything will be on the table – from bail to sentencing, to enhancing Crime Stoppers, to a growing and chronic shortage of police officers,” the group said.

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Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, said that cops aren’t looking for a “tough on crime” approach but believe something has to change to deal with repeat offenders.

“We recognize that the majority of offenders don’t re-offend, but as we’ve seen far too often lately, there are a small number of prolific and violent offenders who continue to present a danger to society when released, and we need to find common-sense reforms that will address those cases,” Stamatakis said.

He’s echoing statements made by the last two chiefs of police in Toronto – James Ramer and Myron Demkiw. He’s saying the same thing as British Columbia’s NDP Attorney General Murray Rankin as well as Toronto Mayor John Tory and Premier Doug Ford in Ontario, among others.

Too often in Canada, any attempt to “get tough” on these repeat violent offenders is portrayed as following the mistakes of the American justice system where people are locked up for long sentences for small crimes. Activists push this narrative as they seek ever-lighter sentencing provisions, easier bail and reduced police budgets.

It doesn’t have to be that way, as Stamatakis points out.

“I believe we can have a compassionate justice system and hold repeat violent offenders accountable, those concepts don’t have to be mutually exclusive, and we’re hoping we can bring all stakeholders together to achieve that outcome,” Stamatakis said.

Jon Reid, president of the Toronto Police Association, told the Sun’s Joe Warmington on Thursday that the present situation is intolerable.

“We need to deal this and we will be pushing to make sure these things are addressed,” Reid said of what appears to be open season on cops.

Most of what needs to happen is in federal jurisdiction where the Trudeau Liberals have shown that their idea of bail and sentencing reform is to make bail easier to get and to ensure as short a stay in jail as possible.

Let’s hope with pressure from front-line police officers and their associations, from police chiefs and from provincial governments of varying political stripes, that can change.

blilley@postmedia.com