Four of Canada’s largest police associations united their voices on Friday to find solutions to end police violence after the death of a full-duty officer, the fifth in four months in the country.
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Representing more than 60,000 police officers and civilians, the Canadian Police Association, the Ontario Police Association, the Ontario Provincial Police Association and the Toronto Police Association want to take action against this scourge.
“We are saying today what we are sure most Canadians feel: Enough is enough. We cannot allow the deaths of five of our members to go unreported. On the contrary, we can and must honor their sacrifice by identifying the issues that led to this wave of unacceptable violence,” they said in a joint statement.
Constable Greg Pierzchala of the Ontario Provincial Police was killed in broad daylight on January 4 when he came to the aid of citizens whose car was stuck in a ditch.
“To lose one police officer is obviously to lose one too many. Yet the horrifying reality is that Constable Pierzchala is one of five officers in Canada killed on duty in the past four months.
The associations thus intend to examine the judicial and public security frameworks in order to find the best solutions. “Everything will be on the table – from bail and sentencing to improving Crime Stoppers and the growing and chronic shortage of police officers.”