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October, 2000
A letter from the police
On September 20, eleven people from various streets in the neighbourhood faxed a joint letter to Superintendent Paul Gottschalk of Fourteen Division, about the September 3 group attack on a young man who was beaten unconscious at our park. The letter emphasized that the community does not regard any group attack as a minor incident, and asked Supt. Gottschalk to clarify the police position on group violence in our park. There was no answer for two weeks and then Robin Craig, one of the signers of the community letter, received a reply - not from Supt. Gottschalk but from Staff Inspector K.L.Forde of "Complaints Review."
Inspector Forde's letter said that the Chief of Police does not have to "deal with any complaint made by any member of the public if he... decides that the complainant was not directly affected by the policy, service or conduct that is the subject of the complaint."
It appears that the police have decided that this incident was none of the community's business.
In fact, no reference at all was made in the police letter to the multiple signatures in the community letter. The matter was treated as though this was an isolated complaint by one citizen, which does not merit a response.
Copies of the community letter were faxed to City Councillor Mario Silva and to Mario Zanetti, Director of Parks and Recreation. Neither of them responded.
Group beatings appear to be increasing in Toronto recently. Clearly our community will have to find a way to show the police, politicians, and park administrators that such cowardly acts of violence in the park do directly affect our community and that the right kind of service from public servants is good communication and sensible actions, not silence or dismissal. A letter to the Police Services Board is the next step, although they said they may not be willing to let residents speak to them about this matter.
For more information please check park bulletin boards.