Police
February 4th, 2010
As pedestrian deaths started to mount to disturbing numbers in January, the response at first was a combination of concern, blame that was reasonably balanced between both drivers and pedestrians, and, occasionally, some thoughtful discussion.
Then, in the last week of January, the response suddenly changed for the worse. On Wednesday Jan. 27, Toronto woke up to radio, TV and newspapers saturated with stories about reckless pedestrians, and images of Toronto Police “blitzing” pedestrian behaviour in downtown Toronto. Suddenly it was pedestrians’ fault for getting themselves killed. While a few drivers were ticketed too, they were not emphasized in the stories.
What happened? The change in tone seems to have been a direct response to the police campaign. The first sign was a segment on CBC TV’s The National on Jan. 26, where the cameras were there to watch police warn pedestrians and then drive along with a policeman as he talked about reckless pedestrians. The next day, the stories focused on police stopping people on foot for various infractions in the downtown business district. They had plenty of quotes or clips from police representatives and the pedestrians being stopped, and not many from others. There was only minimal discussion about driver behaviour, mostly buried at the end of the stories.
Now that the deadly January and, I hope, the police crackdown are past, it’s a good time to look back and analyze the whole affair, one last time, in more depth. I’ve heard outrage from a lot of people about this police campaign, and it had various negative effects on pedestrianism in Toronto.
January 27th, 2010
The Toronto Star today published an article on the front page, with the all-caps headline above the fold, “JAYWALKING CITY“.
In the article, the reporter stood on Yonge St. north of Front during lunch hour and watched people cross in the middle of the block. The reporter then wrote that this behaviour was illegal, and said as much to some of the pedestrians. The gist of the article was about all these pedestrians behaving illegally, and relating it to the rash of recent pedestrian deaths in the city.
One problem: Crossing mid-block is NOT illegal.
The reporter had the law wrong, and the basis of this story is false.
It is perfectly legal to cross the street mid-block in Toronto. The law says you can do it as long as you don’t interfere with traffic, and you’re not right beside a crosswalk.
Since there are lights at either end of that block, I’m guessing that there were plenty of gaps in traffic that the walkers used to cross safely. Furthermore, traffic in this area is dense and slow, which also makes it easy to cross without interfering with traffic. No doubt a few of these pedestrians forced cars to slow or stop to avoid hitting them — those few were indeed in breach of the bylaw. But the vast majority of pedestrians who cross mid-block wait for a gap, for the simple necessity of self-preservation.
The cutesy “info-graphic” that accompanied the story showed just how far off base the story was in its assumptions. Two of the four species of “illegal jaywalkers” described, the “peacock” and the “chicken”, are in fact crossing completely legally by waiting for a gap. The other two, the inattentive and the speedsters, aren’t necessarily illegal — it would depend on circumstances.
The reporter could have found out the real law easily. They could have called Toronto Police; they could have talked to the Star’s resident urbanist, Christopher Hume, who actually understands pedestrian issues; they could have talked to one of the five other Star reporters who have called me in the past two weeks and written good stories about pedestrian deaths; they could have called me, or any other pedestrian activist; they could have looked it up online; they could have talked to a lawyer. Instead, the Star put an article on the front page with no research, based on false assumptions, and disseminating a false interpretation of the law across Toronto.
November 5th, 2009
In the bicycle lane of course.
Street Scene will appear each week showcasing the illustrations of local artist Jerry Waese.
September 12th, 2009
I am always curious.
Street Scene will appear each week showcasing the illustrations of local artist Jerry Waese.
September 3rd, 2009
He was waiting for his snack to be seared at the fish sandwich shop on College West - much better than doughnuts.
…
August 13th, 2009
Getting personal in the back alley.
Street Scene will appear each week showcasing the illustrations of local artist Jerry Waese.
July 17th, 2009
Heather’s story is not one many Toronto cyclists may be used to hearing. Although it begins with what is for many an all too common experience - having one’s bike stolen - the tale finishes with a scene that wouldn’t seem out of place in a James Bond film or Tom Clancy novel. Complete with an improvised set-up at the appropriately named ‘Castle Frank’ subway station, a team of undercover cops, nervous yet supportive friends and a tinted ‘old-school’ SUV, Heather’s story is nothing short of spectacular.
It begins on the Friday night of the long weekend in May, while Heather was having a drink with friends at a bar in Kensington. “I had a feeling and I don’t normally have that feeling,” recalled Heather, who was anxious over her bike which she had parked outside to a post-and-ring. “It’s a nice enough bike that I don’t normally take it out at night,” she explains, making it all the worse when, to her shock, she emerged from the bar only to find both her bike and lock nowhere to be found.
Hearing about her loss the following day, a friend jokingly searched Kijiji for a similar bike to Heather’s. He found one selling for $750 and light-heartedly sent her the link via Facebook. Remarkably, her friend had actually stumbled upon Heather’s stolen bike, identifiable not only by its make and colour, but by its loosened front brakes mentioned in the description - an adjustment Heather always makes to avoid going head over her heels in case she has to stop suddenly.
In disbelief, she called the number provided and arranged to meet with her potential bike thief for Tuesday. Following the phone call, she filed a stolen bike report to a cop who, as Heather describes, was completely uninterested in her story and just wanted to take down her info and be done with it.
June 23rd, 2009
Yesterday marked the beginning of this year’s Bike Blitz. Officially, it’s called the “Safe Cycling – Share the Responsibility Campaignâ€. It’s a week-long Toronto Police campaign with a stated purpose of “promoting awareness and education†and “reducing the potential for cycling related injuries.†On paper, it sounds like a great idea. After all, who isn’t in favour of more safety and fewer injuries?
The premise is sound, but the problem lies in the implementation. There are two different approaches that can be taken for a campaign such as this. One approach is to use discretion, giving tickets to cyclists who are riding dangerously while educating and warning cyclists who make minor infractions. This can include handing out printed materials about safety and traffic rules. The other approach is to embrace a ‘zero tolerance’ model and hand out as many tickets as possible for minor infractions. The first method increases awareness and strengthens the relationship between police officers and cyclists. The second approach results in cyclists feeling targeted and harassed (some tickets are $100+) while increasing hostility towards the police.
In recent years, the annual campaign has fallen squarely into category #2. There is reason to believe that this year’s event will be better, but we’ll believe it when we see it.
On Monday morning I rose early to attend a 7am press conference (pdf release) about the Bike Blitz. I was a little worried. After all, it was the first press event that I was attending as a blogger. Would I be taken seriously? Would the TV networks shove me aside? Would the daily reporters interrupt my questions? I emotionally prepared myself for the worst as I biked along College to the event. (On the way, I had to swerve around a police car parked in the bikelane…). The two scheduled speakers were Police Officer Hugh Smith and Yvonne Bambrick (from the bike union). I arrived at College and Bellevue five minutes late and was thrilled to see that the media turnout was low. Less competition means more interview time for me. In fact, there was only one media person there. Me.
March 14th, 2009
Here’s a rare but welcome sight — a vehicle parked on the sidewalk being ticketed.
Too often, parking half on the sidewalk is treated as normal, and you see it everywhere. It’s good to see that some parking enforcement …
September 18th, 2008
Update: 11:30PM
The Toronto Police Services Board is web streaming its first meeting this afternoon, courtesy Rogers Television, the same service used to broadcast and webcast Toronto City Council meetings.
While not all City agencies, boards, commissions and committees can easily …
