Ontario’s Cop Union Has Had It Comin’

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m no fan of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. But a police union in this province that has shown an arrogance and lack of regard for property taxpayers in that city, in our Niagara region and other regions across this province has had it comin’.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford faces off with cops.

You want to go on throwing your wait around and demanding two to three percent wage increases and richer benefits for police departments where the average wages are too often twice or three times higher than the wages paid by the property owners forced to pay them, then maybe its time that the mayor of Ontario’s largest city came along and said; ‘Know what, we are going to start laying hundreds of you off’.

‘Layoffs loom for 500 city cops’, reads the front-page headline in the July edition of The Toronto Star. So here we go and, quite frankly, hallelujah. Someone is finally going to take this over-bloated police union on, and isn’t it interesting that it happens to be a mayor many have dubbed a ‘neo-conservative’ who one might think would be pro-police, going for anything the cops might want, all the way!
Well, times have changed, apparently, and maybe that ought to send out a signal to all police forces across this province, including the one in Niagara, that the days of two-to-three per cent raises each year while so many other are getting little or no raise at all, even if they have a job, are virtually over.

Sad to say, the provincial government has not recognized this and Jim Bradley, a St. Catharines MPP who happens to be the minister of safety and community services that has jurisdiction over police forces right now, has shown no open interest in changing the Ontario Police Act to stop the police union from squeezing taxpayers in municipalities like Niagara for more money than they can afford.

Obviously, Ontario police union president calls the number cops who might be giving their walking papers in Toronto “devastating.” Let’s just say that if his union wants to go on demanding wage and benefit increases well above anything that can be imagined by taxpayers in the Niagara region and others, he ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Share your comments on this post below.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

4 responses to “Ontario’s Cop Union Has Had It Comin’”

pat scholfield | July 14, 2011 at 1:00 am | Reply

Like I’ve said before Amen.

LikeLike
Sharon Bowers | July 14, 2011 at 1:05 am | Reply

Doug, it should be “throwing their weight around.” I would like to see a complete investigation into the Niagara Regional Police in light of the exam scandal. Even writing this and putting my name to it can invite unwarranted scrutiny by the local police. They are out of control. A thorough house cleaning is in order. I’m not a Rob Ford fan either. He uses a mallet when a scalpel would be better, but I think he’s on to something in this case.

LikeLike
cath ens | July 14, 2011 at 4:44 am | Reply

well, your comments couldn’t come at a more interesting time for me, Doug. We had a peaceful protest at the arena when the circus was in town on Monday … the circus displaying those pitiful animals that they ship non-stop from city to city, with little down time and most of it in the back of a transport truck. For some reason the police saw fit to send out 4 squad cars, a “paddy” wagon and 8, maybe more police including a sergeant, who set about trying to find out who was “in charge” and trying to justify why so many police were needed…we might start a fire, we might do this or that or the other…it was entirely inappropriate! There were mostly older women and some students, mostly women and a few young men…hardly the IRA or Red Brigade. When they alighted from their cars, they put their gloves on – cause they mean business and heaven knows, when 1 or 2 could have easily done what was necessary – they send 8 or more!! They were clearly there to intimidate and comments openly made by them, makes one wonder if they were there to “keep the peace” or the status quo. If this is the way they justify raises in pay – I too, (although I dread to say it) would agree with Rob Ford.

LikeLike
Dave Chappelle | July 18, 2011 at 3:36 pm | Reply

Police budgets can easily be reduced by stopping the harassment of tens of thousands of innocents who are subjected to random spot checks. At ANY time police can force you to stop to invade your intimate airspace and sniff your breath (I’m tempted to keep garlic in my dash console for those occasions.) You’re then subject to inspection and interrogation.

“Oh, you might be drinking alcohol” you say. “It’s good that police stop everyone.”

No it’s not.

Every year police departments say they need more money to “protect” citizens. In reality they need more money to harass hundreds of thousands of innocent Ontarians.

If they weren’t conducting these random invasions of privacy to hassle innocents, they could concentrate on finding criminals. If somebody drives drunk, he or she will be discovered and reported. Let the police resources be used on those actually breaking the law.

LikeLike