The Star Is Still On Fantino's Case

And it is there contention that he is the wrong choice in a "diverse society" which leads me to believe that The Star feels that the colour of your skin, country of origin, etc. should be considered when applying the laws of the land. The OPP has taken a lot of heat about their handling of the Caledonia terrorist act and it is The Star's position that created this situation. IMHO Fantino is a good choice........

Odd choice for OPP
Oct. 13, 2006. 01:00 AM

At this difficult time in their history, Ontario's provincial police need the best possible leader, someone forward-looking, open to fresh ideas and willing to hear legitimate criticism without lashing out.

They need a dynamic person who rejects the authoritarian style of traditional policing and is ready to move ahead into the 21st century.

For those reasons, it is most perplexing why Premier Dalton McGuinty appointed former Toronto police chief Julian Fantino yesterday as the new commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Fantino has been Ontario's Commissioner of Emergency Management since March 2005, after his contract as chief was not renewed by the Toronto Police Services Board.

The decision not to renew Fantino's contract was controversial because he had many supporters inside and outside of government circles. But there also was a widespread sense that Fantino had grown out of step with the increasingly diverse society that he had sworn to protect.

Rather than welcoming contrary viewpoints, Fantino was in the habit of attacking critics, even to the point to rebuking a 15-year-old girl at a public meeting for daring to question the way police treat black youth.

He steadfastly refused to accept the extent and reality of racial profiling by police, despite a wealth of evidence detailing the problem.

Fantino also had a tendency to inflate public fear of crime, at one point warning of "gun-crazed gangsters" running rampant, even as statistics showed the crime rate falling.

And, while sticking within the law that forbids police from openly endorsing any political candidate or party, Fantino gave the subtle appearance of favouring John Tory over David Miller in Toronto's 2003 mayoral election. Tory is now the leader of the provincial Progressive Conservatives.

Given these issues, why would he be selected to head the OPP?

Some critics speculate that Fantino's appointment is primarily meant to keep him from running against Finance Minister Greg Sorbara in next year's provincial election.

Also, finding a commissioner with a tough, no-nonsense reputation would help deflect opposition charges that McGuinty is soft on crime.

If either of these political motives played a role in the decision to hire Fantino, then McGuinty has failed the people of Ontario.

Effective, progressive OPP leadership is vital, especially now.

The OPP patrols vast areas of this province, including districts where the population is largely poor and aboriginal. That is a huge challenge.

And the force is under much pressure over its handling of the ongoing aboriginal standoff in Caledonia.

Surely within the many police services across Canada there are well-suited candidates for the OPP job. Hopefully McGuinty, or his officials, interviewed some of them before deciding to put Fantino in charge of the 7,000-member force.

Even so, it is a troubling choice.

McGuinty must do better in explaining why the person he approved to take command of the OPP is the same man who was no longer deemed the best choice for Toronto.