THIS IS AN EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC MEETING OF THE TORONTO POLICE SERVICES BOARD HELD ON FEBRUARY 28, 2002Full PDF File of Official Minutes (7.9MB)
The Board was in receipt of the following report FEBRUARY 04, 2002 from Julian Fantino, Chief of Police:
Recommendations: It is recommended that:
Background: Legislative Requirements: Section 61 of the PSA deals specifically with complaints about the policies of, or services provided by a municipal police force. Subsection 61(7) allows for a complainant to request a review of the investigation into the policy complaint by the Board. Nature of the Complaint On Sunday, June 24, 2001 the Gay Pride Parade was held in the City of Toronto. During this parade some participants displayed varying levels of nudity. The complaint alleges a failure on the Toronto Police Service's part to enforce the provisions in the Criminal Code dealing with public nudity and indecent exhibitions in public places during the Gay Pride Parade. Nature of the Chief's Decision: The Service complaint was investigated by the Corporate Planning Unit, and the findings were reported to the Chief and the complainant. The following information sumarizes my decision: The police are in attendance at the Gay Pride Parade for two reasons, the first being to conduct crowd control and ensure public safety. The second reason is to prevent crime and enforce the laws. Officers were assigned very specific duties during the Gay Pride Parade. Uniform officers detailed to the parade route were responsible for the safety of all participants and spectators within their assigned sections. Their responsibilities included, but were not limited to, crowd control, preventing violent behaviour and assisting with medical concerns, when required. Plainclothes officers were assigned to monitor the activities at the parade and take any enforcement action required. In preparing for this year's parade, clear direction was given within the operational plan that genitalia nudity would not be tolerated. Officers were given direction with regard to their specific duties and it is my understanding that their actions at this event were consistent with their assigned duties and responsibilities. Given the complexity and scale of this event, I believe that an appropriate Service response was given at the Gay Pride Parade held on June 24, 2001. Conclusion: It is recommended that the Board review the Service complaint summarized in this report and determine whether to concur with my decision that no further action be taken with respect to the complaint. It is further recommended that the complainant be notified of the outcome of the Board's review. Mr. Frank Chen, Chief Administrative Officer - Policing, Corporate Support Command, will be in attendance to answer any questions concerning this report. The Board concurred with the decision of Chief Fantino that no further action be taken with respect to this complaint and agreed to notify the complainant of the outcome of the Board's review. The Board also approved the following Motion: THAT Chief Fantino provide a report to the Board on how police services in other jurisdictions deal with similar events. A copy of the Service's letter to the complainant which contains the Chief's decision and the Report of Investigation was provided to the Board during the in-camera meeting (Min. No. C41/02 refers).
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THIS IS AN EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC MEETING OF THE TORONTO POLICE SERVICES BOARD HELD ON MAY 30, 2002Full PDF File of Official Minutes (2.5MB)
The Board was in receipt of the following report APRIL 23, 2002 from Julian Fantino, Chief of Police:
Recommendation: It is recommended that: the Board receive this report. Background: At the Board meeting of February 28, 2002, the Board concurred with the decision of the Chief of Police that no further action should be taken with respect to the complaint about police service at the Gay Pride Parade (Board Minute P37/02 refers). The Board also requested that the Chief provide a report on how police services in other jurisdictions deal with similar events. A survey of eight police services was conducted. The police services selected include: San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary Police. All of the police services contacted stated that nudity was not a major concern at their city's gay pride parades. Four of the police services have had no incidents of nudity to date at their parades. Those cities that did have incidents of public nudity stated that it most commonly involved bare breasts and buttocks but not genitalia. As genital nudity is not a frequent occurrence at these parades it is dealt with on a case-by-case basis with an on-site management approach. This approach could vary from something as simple as asking the participant to put some clothes on to enforcement, where applicable. The feedback received from each of these police services was very similar, as was their approach on how they chose to police their parades. The key point that each of these police services emphasized was their positive rapport with the organizing committees. Several of the police services consulted felt that a level of responsibility should be placed on the parade's organizing committee. During these parades, if a participant's behaviour is of concern, the police may choose to bring it to the attention of the organizing committee for them to address. Placing a level of responsibility for proper conduct at the parade on the organizing committee helps avoid the need for conflict between the police and parade participants. San Francisco also places what are called 'reasonable requirements' on the parade permit; no genital nudity is considered one of the reasonable requirements. These suggestions and practices are consistent with the Toronto Police Service operational plan. Mr. Frank Chen, Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Support Command, will be in attendance to answer questions from Board members. The Board received the foregoing. |