Abuse of Power by Toronto Bicycle Cop

by torontobroad | July 20, 2007 at 01:26 pm

1029 views | 22 Recommendations | 7 comments

I’m downtown for four days on a course from work. The course is great and I’m having a great time and taking my little camera with me every day to roam the streets at lunch time and get any shots of Toronto.

However, today while I was out at lunch, eating my sandwich and looking for things I wanted to take pictures of, I had a little run in with the police.

I saw this really skinny guy sitting on Yonge Street close to the Hard Rock Cafe and decided to take his picture. He was there drawing caricatures and a bicycle police woman was talking to him. I assume she was telling him to move along since the guy was getting up, but I didn’t overhear their conversation.

So I took a picture of the guy and walked away. The bicycle cop yelled out “AY, are you seriously taking a picture?”. I ignored her. She yells out again, “AY! Come here!” and I turn around and walk back. She yells at me, “Are you seriously taking a picture!” to which I respond, “no I’m pretend taking a picture”… stupid question.

She asked my name, and I closed my camera and walked away. At that she yelled at me, “You’re some fucking piece of work”.

I wandered down the street, eating the other half of my sandwich and taking some more pictures in downtown Toronto. All of a sudden a bike drove up off the street and stopped right in front of me. Guess what? It was the same bicycle cop stopped in front of me saying that, “You’re crazy”, “are you crazy?” I presume she had then finished doing whatever she was doing with the skinny guy and decided to come after me.

I tried to walk around the bicycle but she just kept moving the bike to prevent me from getting around it. And each time she moved the bike she managed to hit my camera with her handlebars. I told her to “stop knocking the camera” and I grabbed the handlebars of her bike to prevent it.

She said, “that was pretty rude wasn’t it, to walk away from a police officer? Then she asked two people behind me, while she was telling them that I’m crazy. I looked behind me and now there were two more male police officers joining us. They were asking what the problem was.

She asked “isn’t it rude to be taking a picture of this homeless guy?” I said, “there’s no law against me taking pictures”. She asked my name and I told her it was “none of her business what my name is”.

She went on about the ‘rudeness’ and the other cop started talking about how rude it is to take a picture of the homeless guy. I said I had no idea whether he was homeless or not homesless, he was a guy on the street drawing caricatures and there was nothing illegal about me taking his picture. It was agreed by the police that it wasn’t ‘against the law’ for me to take pictures but it was ‘very rude’. I guess these cops were the courtesy monitors for the city.

The female cop asked where I was from and I said, “Toronto”. She said, “you’re from Toronto and you’ve never seen a homeless guy before?” I said “I’ve seen lots of them”.

The black cop then asked me, “Why are you so hostile?” to which I responded, “I’m not hostile, I’m walking down the street, eating my lunch and taking pictures, it’s what I do. I don’t know whether the guy is homeless or not, he’s sitting on the street drawing caricatures, but it doesn’t matter anyway, it’s not illegal for me to take pictures”. I said, pointing at the female cop, “she’s the one who’s hostile, screaming, ‘AY’ and barking at me and then telling me ‘I’m a fucking piece of work’ because I took a picture.

The female and the black cop asked me if I was a journalist, to which I said, “no, but I will be writing about this on my website”. The male asked me what my website was and I just ignored the question because I wasn’t about to tell them.

The female then asked me where I work and I said, “Markham”. She said, “what are you doing downtown? It’s pretty strange to be coming all the way downtown for lunch isn’t it?” I said, “no, it’s not”. She demanded, “where do you work?”, and I said “it’s none of your business where I work. I’m on a course downtown and I’m walking around taking pictures on my lunch, it’s what I do and there’s nothing illegal about it”.

Again I got to hear about how rude it was for me to take pictures of a 75-pound homeless guy. She then asked me how I’d like it if I was 75 pounds and someone was taking my picture, but then she said, “oh, well I guess you don’t have to worry about that”, I assume trying to insult me or imply that I was fat and that I would never be 75 pounds.

I don’t remember how it ended except that I started to walk the other way back up the street towards my course since they had wasted so much of my time, and the female cop says, “weren’t you walking that way, aren’t you going the wrong way?” to which I said, “well, now I’m walking this way”. And I walked back up towards where my course was being held without offering her my itinerary for the day.

I tried to get a picture of her but the two male cops kept standing in the way… covering her and at the same time with their backs to me so that I couldn’t get a picture. However, she (and they) are easily recognizable to me.

I wanted to say to her that, “it’s no wonder you’re not married” (I’m assuming she’s not, or if she is, I doubt it will be for long) just because I wanted to insult her too after she’d insulted me and with an attitude like hers, I don’t imagine anyone could stand being around her for long.

But, in conclusion, it seems that this is what our tax dollars are paying for… abuse by power-tripping 20-something female bicycling cops. Cops who call in two back-up male cops because they were probably abusing their power (with the homeless guy) and thought that you’d gotten a picture of it.

Really, is that what this was all about? The bicyclist was afraid that I’d caught her on film doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing? I assume she was doing something wrong since she was doing something wrong to me - why else would they be concerned that I might be a journalist? Are my tax dollars paying for someone to insult me? To harass me because I’m taking pictures? I guess there are no criminals to be caught.

And how do cops like this remain on the force? They get two back-up cops to come to their aid and they try to persuade them that ‘this person is crazy’. However, I wasn’t doing anything crazy, illegal or suspect, and I wasn’t even hostile to anyone while all this was going on.

I was just a 50-year-old woman walking down the street, eating her sandwich and taking pictures of things in Toronto. And this was an example of Toronto’s finest. Be scared. Be very, very scared, just like everyone to whom I’ve already told this story.

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Actual News Geezer

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:56 on July 20th, 2007

torontobroad, can you tell me what you plan to do? Are you thinking of an official complaint to the Toronto? If so you might want to review this:

A citizen's guide for filing complaints about the policies of,
services provided or the conduct of a police officer employed by the
Toronto Police Service.

Defining a complaint

There are two types of complaints. They relate to:

The policies of, or services provided by the Toronto Police Service
The conduct of a police officer of the Toronto Police Service.

How may I make a complaint?

If
you are directly affected by an incident, you may make a complaint.
Your complaint must be in writing , signed , and mailed, emailed, faxed
or delivered to any police station
of this Service, the Complaints Administration section of the PRS-Risk
Management Unit, the PRS-Investigative Unit or the Ontario Civilian
Commission on Police Services.
You may also use a standard form which is available at any station of this Service or on-line in Adobe Acrobat format to make a complaint.
Your complaint must normally be made within six (6) months after the incident occurred.

How is my complaint processed?

The
Chief of Police, or his designate, must determine how your complaint is
to proceed and if your complaint concerns conduct, policies or services
of the Toronto Police Service. The Chief may decide not to deal with
the complaint

if it was filed six (6) months after the incident which led to the complaint;
if it is frivolous, vexatious or made in bad faith;
if you are not directly affected by the incident.

The decision of the Chief must be made within thirty (30) days of receipt of the complaint.

Review of the decision

If
you disagree with the initial classification of your complaint as
either a policy, service or conduct issue, you may request that the
Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services review the
classification. You may also request that the Ontario Civilian
Commission on Police Services review the Chief's decision not to deal
with your complaint. However, in either case, your request must be made
within thirty (30) days of receipt of the decision. You should provide
the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services with as much
information as possible, including your reasons for requesting the
review.

The Ontario Civilian Commission on Police
Services may confirm the decision of the Chief of Police, refer your
complaint back for investigation, or assign it to another police
service. There is no appeal from the decision of the Ontario Civilian
Commission on Police Services.

Informal resolution of your complaint

The
Police Services Act encourages an informal resolution of conduct
complaints, at any time during the process, where the Chief of Police
concludes that it was not of a serious nature and both you and the
police officer consent to the proposed resolution.

How may I withdraw my complaint?

You
may withdraw your complaint at any time in writing. However, the
Chief of Police may continue to deal with your complaint if it is felt
that the circumstances warrant further action.

What happens if I have a complaint about policy or services?

Complaints related to policy issues or services provided city wide are referred to the Chief of Police.

Complaints related to policy issues or services provided at the unit level are referred to the applicable unit commander.

If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Chief of Police or unit commander, you may request that the Toronto Police Services Board
review the complaint by making a written request to the Board within
thirty (30) days of having received notice of the decision.

Complaints about conduct

The
Chief of Police must ensure that every conduct complaint is
investigated (except for reasons cited earlier). After the
investigative report is completed, the Chief or designate may:

settle the matter by way of informal resolution if the conduct was not of a serious nature
find the complaint unsubstantiated
find
the officer guilty of misconduct, or unsatisfactory work performance
and impose a penalty without a formal hearing, where the conduct is not
serious.
decide the complaint should be heard by a police disciplinary hearing.

Can I file a complaint about the off-duty conduct of a police officer?

A
complaint may be filed about the conduct of an off-duty officer,
however, the officer shall not be found guilty of misconduct or
unsatisfactory work performance, if there is no connection between the
conduct and either the occupational requirements for a police officer
or the reputation of the police service.

What takes place at a disciplinary hearing?

If
the Chief of Police orders a disciplinary hearing, a prosecuting
officer or a legal counsel or agent, as designated by the Chief, is
responsible for presenting the evidence. You will be informed about
your participation at the hearing. The hearing is presided over by a
Hearing Officer who is also designated by the Chief. The Hearing
Officer considers the evidence and decides the outcome.

An
officer found guilty of misconduct or unsatisfactory work performance
could face a range of penalties from reprimand to dismissal and could
also be directed to undergo counseling, treatment or training.

What can I do if I am not satisfied with a decision at a disciplinary hearing?

A
person making a complaint (complainant) or the police officer named in
a complaint may appeal to the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police
Services within thirty (30) days of the decision of a disciplinary
hearing, if the officer's misconduct or unsatisfactory work performance
was not established. If a complainant wishes to appeal a penalty
imposed by the Hearing Officer, consent from the Ontario Civilian
Commission on Police Services is required.

Who are the police accountable to in the new complaints system?

The
Chief of Police is accountable to the Toronto Police Services Board
which reviews the administration of the complaints system on a regular
basis. The Chief is also accountable to the Ontario Civilian Commission
on Police Services for the Service's handling of complaints.

Addresses for filing complaints

Please note that complaints must be written and signed. If sent by e-mail you must attach an electronic signature.

Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services

25 Grosvenor Street, First Floor

Toronto, Ontario

M7A 1Y6

Telephone: (416) 326-1189

Fax No.: (416) 314-2036

Toll Free Telephone: 1-888-515-5005

Toll Free Fax No.: 1-888-311-7555

torontobroad

at 14:46 on July 21st, 2007

I was thinking of filing a complaint, but then my husband talked me out of it. It's scary to think that, if they can behave like this for no reason at all, what would happen if I actually filed a formal complaint? Who knows what would be going on then, and, they being cops and all banding together, what would I be able to do about anything else? It's disgusting when you think about having no recourse.

Actual News Geezer

at 14:01 on July 20th, 2007

Abuse of Power by Toronto Bicycle Cop - would like to know what other NP members think of this story, and what might be done next to corroborate it.

rhys (not verified)

at 12:24 on November 25th, 2008

I agreee completely, this MUST stop. I have just experienced this recently. I was on the ttc and a homeless guy fell asleep passed out and we couldn't move until the police came and removed him I took a picture on my blackberry because I am immature and the next thing I know a cop rips the phone out of my hand and walks away. I got up and said can I have that back, he replied sit down or ill charge you with something he made me delete the photos and left the streetcar calling me. A fucking idiot.
Thanks toronto police your awesome. And then he wanted to double check my photos to make sure I did delete it . Did I do something illegal and is the cop allowed to do this??
Disugusting

*name protected by user* (not verified)

at 10:00 on September 6th, 2008

I've had experiences with TPS chumps before, I'm a photographer by trade and I can fully dig what your story here is about.

I moved to the city from about an hour outside when I was a kid, since then I've developed a real antipathy towards the "good ol' boys in blue." I met a cop once when I was in junior school, he came in to tell us about how if we had anything that we wanted to talk about that we could tell him and it would be a "secret," about how police protect us, shelter us, care for us, and care about us.

It's only since I came here that I've learned that police are a bunch of cowards with guns, with a badge to identify them as not exactly the same thing as criminals, but still big, still burly, still surly and still corrupted.

I've heard that we need a shakeup of our police forces in order to root out issues with them, I say that we fire 'em all, replace them with our reserve military for a duration not exceeding the time it takes to re-hire the good cops, fire and bar the bad cops, and train a new generation of public protection/service/care based individuals.

Dimitri Christopoulos (not verified)

at 20:58 on November 10th, 2008

I'm not surprised about this story at all. i use to go to school and work nights and drive a Mustang. Yes it was modified and yes i worked very hard for my car and to pay for school. i would finish nights around 2 am. i lived in Markham so i would drive from T.O to Markham on a nightly basis.

Yup i would get pulled over and bothered weekly, why are you here? what are you doing? whose car is this? And yes i would get tickets also for no reason and i would always to go to court and fight them. I hate cops im 31 now and they have never done nothing for me other then ruin my day! as far as am concerned they can all go to hell!

torontofinestnotsofine (not verified)

at 23:55 on June 2nd, 2009

It is just terrible and I am truly horrified that this could happen here in Toronto. I also suffered from abuse of police authority, and also thinking of filing an official complaint. This must stop, and I agree that we need to change the entire police force, there are too many bad cops out there and people are loosing their confidence and faith in the police. They are not here to serve and protect us, but to persecute us. I was wrongfully arrested and charged and taken to the police station without knowing what the charge is, and detained for 6 hours. The police officer was rude, and made fun of me, and dismissed my health concerns. I was ridiculed because I do not speak perfect english and I was treated with no respect at all. I came to Canada over 10 years ago, fleeing a country that had draconian laws and a brutal police force, thinking that here in Canada, I have human rights and cannot be stopped and arrested by the police for no reason. But I was wrong, and it is still a shock to me that these things can happen here. This is a shame, and very unfortunate, because they are picking on law abiding citizens, and questioning them for no reason. I guess, crime rates must be really down now. We need to make sure that we hold the police force accountable, it is our tax money at work, after all. Toronto's finest are not so fine at all.