Two tragedies and ‘a very scary moment for policing’

In today’s The Big Story podcast, it remains to be seen if policing in the Greater Toronto Area will really change, but a tipping point certainly seems to be at hand. First, a total exoneration for a man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Toronto police officer — a trial that many said should have never happened at all. Then, just days later, four people, including grandparents and an infant were killed during a high-speed chase that, again, many experts said should have never happened at all.

Patrick Watson is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies. “We are in a very tentative moment in policing — or a very scary moment to be quite frank — between police and the public,” says Watson.   

In the aftermath of the first case, police rallied around their own, and ended up charging an innocent man. It was only after the verdict that they announced a review. Will the force once again toe the line and protect their officers, even if it means losing the public’s trust?

You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify. You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.