EDITORIAL: What about gang violence?
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There has been a great deal of discussion about policing in North America these past few months.
Some of it has been very sensible, such as the discussions about holding officers to the highest standards in their interactions with the public.
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EDITORIAL: What about gang violence? Back to video
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Other ideas are outlandish non-starters, like the reckless plans to “defund” or “abolish” the police.
It’s been funny to watch some commentators argue that no one out there is calling to actually abolish the cops, only to have angry activists step forward to clarify that, yes, that is exactly what they want to do.
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We oppose plans to defund the police. But we do support holding police to account and believe that everyone should be able to feel like cops across Canada are there to serve and protect them.
That said, we believe most police officers already do just that. Each and every day, women and men who come from all walks of life don the police uniform to start their shifts with a view to making the lives of Canadians better. These officers deserve our thanks.
They’ve also got an increasingly tough job. Because while too many politicians, academics and media personalities are joining the pile-on against cops, the bad guys are still out there and feel emboldened.
A recent brazen shooting in Toronto serves as a reminder.
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Six people were injured by gunfire in a drive-by shooting that’s believed to be gang-related. Luckily, no one was killed. They could have been though.
“This put [Toronto] shootings to 336 so far in 2020,” wrote Sun columnist Joe Warmington. “That’s 46 more shootings than this time last year when there was no pandemic. That’s a whopping increase. So much for social distancing or staying inside. The gangland world is not following the rules.”
The shooting took place in Little Jamaica, a neighbourhood that just this past weekend saw small business owners taking to the streets to rally for the success of their community. We support them.
Where is the outrage over this gang violence though? Activists in Canada have been taking to the streets over events occurring south of the border but can’t muster any anger over an incident like this?
This double standard is an insult to victims of crime. And another reminder of why law enforcement matters.
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