The Toronto Police Association has managed to do something never done before: It has managed to spark public interest in apathy-plagued municipal elections.
No medicine ever seems to take when it comes to getting people out to vote in civic elections.
`Two thirds of eligible voters do not cast their ballots in all municipal elections. Given that it cannot help but be overshadowed by the snap federal election called by the Liberals and because there is no real competition for Mel Lastman in the mayoralty race, November 13’s election is destined to be especially lacklustre.
Faced with the re-election of incumbent councillors every election year, John Q. Public seems to be losing hope for any meaningful change at Toronto City Hall. Between elections, incumbent councillors seem able to add to their built-in edge, this year with a bylaw restricting election signs to just 25 days before the vote.
City politicians and the mainline media don’t seem to recognize public priorities.
At their final meeting of the term, councillors tried to make garbage a buzzword while crime is a top issue for GTA voters.
Out on the hustings many incumbent councillors make traffic congestion, lower property taxes and social services issue their main election platform, while crime and policing issues are much closer to the hearts of their voters.
Indeed, with the municipal campaign in full swing 82 percent of people polled considered crime their top priority for the next city council.
Some local politicos are making a big play about crime being down. Crime may be down, but violent crime has increased by 6 percent in the last decade and violence among youth is increasing.
Association president Craig Bromell, whose union took out newspaper ads in two daily newspapers, says he wanted the ads to achieve publicity for this year’s municipal elections.
In addition to getting out its message about crime and policing in the city, the ads have given the union a higher profile.
‘Let’s put it this way: When other people put an ad in the paper do they get the exposure we do?’ said Bromell. ‘The amount of exposure we’re getting would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in ads.’
In their campaigns some city politicians have ignored crime as an issue.
Association ads have been urging the public to ask municipal candidates during this election: ‘What will you do to make Toronto safe?’
In an open letter to the citizens of Toronto, the association said, ‘As police officers, we care deeply about the safety, security and quality of life of the citizens of Toronto. We strongly believe the people of Toronto expect and demand more officers on our streets to fight crime. Recent polls show crime is a top concern for voters and yet, your priority is being ignored by politicians in this municipal election.
‘The men and women of the Toronto Police Service are concerned about the following:
‘ Since 1992, the police budget has been cut by $60,000,000 (sixty million dollars’inflation adjusted).
‘ During the past year alone, homicides have increased by 30%.
‘ Over the past decade, while the population of the city has increased by 3%, uniform strength has decreased by 8%. (The number of police officers per 100,000 citizens has fallen from 238 to 212 officers).’
Anti-cop politicians like Coun. Olivia Chow (Downtown) takes umbrage with the association ads.
Chow, who resigned from the police services board in the wake of a violent Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) protest at Queen’s Park, says the union’s ads don’t reflect the true problems with crime in the city.
Toronto Free Press believes that since the protest and her sudden resignation, Chow has zero credibility when she talks about policing issues.
The rhetoric of malcontent Councillors Chow, Jack Layton and Pam McConnell notwithstanding, some 82 percent of the public support giving the police what they need to do their jobs.
It is Chow and her police-bashing council comrades who are losing out on public respect.
Meanwhile, due to Craig Bromell’s success in sparking public interest in municipal elections, John Q. Public may someday be able to elect councillors who put the priorities of the public well ahead of political activism.
Good on you, Mr. Bromell.
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