From: "David M", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001 08:19:34 -0500 From: "Breitkreuz, Garry - Assistant 1" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Editorial: POLICING PERSPECTIVE PUBLICATION: The Toronto Sun DATE: 2001.01.26 SECTION: Editorial/opinion PAGE: 14 COLUMN: Editorial _____ POLICING PERSPECTIVE _____ Any threat made against a police officer is a threat against society. Anything we can reasonably do to make our police more secure - particularly when they're being threatened by criminal gangs through the vulnerability of their homes and families - we should. Allowing them to register their cars through their stations rather than homes (i.e., no home addresses) and properly lighting, securing and fencing police stations, for example, should be automatic. We also believe any officer under genuine threat should be allowed to take his or her gun home, or, more accurately, to carry it off-duty, since cops can already take their guns home if they store them safely. Point is, if we trust police to use guns on the job, surely we should also trust them to use them properly to protect themselves at home. Conversely, if the force is worried about allowing an officer under threat to take a gun home, why is he or she a cop in the first place? That said, it does seem a bit contradictory for the police, who advise the rest of us against keeping guns in our homes for personal protection and to rely on them instead, to then argue that when it comes to protecting themselves, they need their guns at home. The police, after all, are not the only citizens who may be confronted by threats, nor the only ones who are (or can be) trained to use firearms. We aren't advocating everyone arm themselves in their homes, but we are saying the idea of using a gun for personal protection, at least in some circumstances, does appear to have some merit. We should also keep in mind that being threatened goes with the territory of being an officer. Surely, it's not entirely by accident that we're hearing more concerns about gangs and threats just as the new police budget is being proposed. After all, budget time is typically when police emphasize crime and the hazards of policing. We do sympathize with Chief Julian Fantino's fury yesterday when NOW printed a picture of his home and its location. The story was about city officials who live outside Toronto, and Fantino, as NOW noted, is listed in the phone book. Still, showing his home and naming the town and street when police are worried about threats by gangs, is irresponsible. That said, there is still a need for some perspective. The police can and do need society's support, but that doesn't mean uncritically approving every budget item they request, nor letting our support cloud our judgment in areas such as civilian oversight. Part of keeping perspective is not mixing apples and oranges. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
