Is This Information Posted On TPSB Website

If not why not? Don't the taxpayers have the right to know where are money is going and didn't Mayor Miller promise us open government? If people have a just claim then take the appropriate action but when they don't they should pickup the costs involved.

Lawsuits drive up legal bills for police
Toronto force faces 400 outstanding claims, as Supreme Court about to rule on case that could mean more litigation
February 26, 2007
Betsy Powell
Crime Reporter

Racial profiling lawsuits and other civil actions are threatening to drive up the Toronto police force's legal bills just as the Supreme Court of Canada prepares to rule in a case that could open police to even more litigation.

An upcoming Supreme Court ruling on whether a Hamilton man charged with robbing banks can sue police for negligent investigation could encourage others to go after police, according to law enforcement officials.

While Toronto doesn't release details about how much litigation costs taxpayers, the agenda for a recent conference on municipal and provincial liability stated that lawsuits against Toronto police have cost more than $30 million since 1998.

George Cowley, director of legal services for the Toronto Police Service, disputes any suggestion that lawsuits are exploding but admits the force is seeing some new trends in civil actions, with the largest number of claims relating to racial profiling, Charter violations, false arrest and imprisonment.

Lawsuits are a fact of life for the country's largest municipal police force, with 5,200 officers and an untold number of inherent risks on the job, says Cowley.

"We're not in the business of pleasing all of the people all of the time," he said after appearing on a panel at the Provincial and Municipal Government Liability Conference held earlier this month at a downtown hotel.

Cowley was a Toronto police officer for 29 years before he was called to the bar in 1999.

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