KINSELLA: Leftist city councillors' police interference inexcusable

Breadcrumb Trail Links

1. Toronto & GTA
2. Columnists

Councillors Amber Morley and Lily Cheng need to resign from the Toronto Police Services Board or they should be fired

Published Apr 06, 2024  •  Last updated 16 hours ago  •  3 minute read

Article content

Politicians can’t direct police. They can’t direct prosecutors.

Article content

But can they do indirectly what they can’t do directly?

Article content

They shouldn’t. And, in the case of two politicians who are members of the Toronto Police Services Board, they can.

And they did.

In recent days, Toronto Police have been attacked, physically, by the pro-Hamas mobs. Even though cops in Canada’s largest city have shown extreme restraint – sometimes to the point that some of us have been highly critical of them – they have still been attacked by those who hate the Jewish state.

Video evidence shows they’ve been speared with signs. They’ve been physically assaulted. And they’ve even had horse feces thrown at them.

Some of those crimes have resulted in arrests. Some are still the subject of active investigations.

Article content

Article content

And that doesn’t even include the other ongoing police investigations – the unsolved firebombing of a Jewish delicatessen, anti-Semitic vandalism and threats, and more.

So, with all of those criminal investigations still under way – with Toronto Police themselves the actual victims of crimes — should elected members of the police board be issuing a letter to side with the haters, and against the police?

The answer is obvious. No. Never.

Recommended from Editorial

1. 

   FUREY: Councillors throw Toronto cops under bus for doing their job

2. 

   Police union takes protesters to task for 'unacceptable' treatment of officers

3. 

   Mississauga man, 34, charged after officer allegedly assaulted during protest

4. 

   Woman accused of striking Toronto Police horse at demonstration

Article content

In their Code of Conduct, Toronto police board members are required to act impartially, and never, ever interfere with police work. But two far-Left members of the board – Amber Morley and Lily Cheng – have seemingly done just that.

On Thursday night, Morley and Cheng issued an extraordinary statement along with four other Leftist city councillors. In it, they stated that those who protest against Israel and the Jewish community – in recent days, even by targeting synagogues for hate – “must be protected.”

In the middle of criminal investigations of attacks on Jews and the police, Cheng and Morley and the others said – in boldface print, no less – that what most of us regard as the Israel-hating mob must “be free to demonstrate and engage in protest.”

Article content

Nobody disputes anybody’s right to protest. That’s a constitutional right.

But should two Leftist city councillors – two councillors who have enormous power, setting the police service’s budget and its policies – make such a statement in the middle of ongoing criminal investigations?

No way. Never.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Their Code of Conduct forbids it, in multiple sections. It looks like they are interfering with police operations (section 2). That they are speaking on behalf of the board, when they shouldn’t (section 5). That they should not pick sides and should always act impartially (section 7).

That they should inspire public confidence – all of the public, not just some extremist members of the public (section 8). And on and on.

These two city councillors aren’t just warming seats. They have enormous power – one of which is selecting the Chief of Police.

For them to issue that statement in the middle of ongoing police investigations is so, so wrong. It’d be like a judge offering an opinion about a defendant in the middle of a trial – before a decision has been reached. It’s just not done.

And, here, it is breaking the rules in a serious way.

Morley and Cheng need to resign from the Toronto Police Services Board.

And if they won’t resign, they should be fired.

Article content

Share this article in your social network