"For its part the Special Investigations Unit—under harsh scrutiny since the release of a damning report from Marin in 2011 that highlighted the toothless and nepotistic nature of the SIU—was facing a situation where much of the public was anticipating an acquittal of Forcillo given the history of the organization. This time around, however, with the public evidence circulating and public anger high, the SIU was under intense pressure to charge Forcillo and shore up some legitimacy. Indeed, this is a small victory especially for those who have lost a brother, a son and a friend. And perhaps the charging of Forcillo is a blow to the culture of police impunity in this city. At the same time, we must remain cautious and vigilant. An SIU charge does not mean that Forcillo will go to jail. In fact, history shows that he stands a good chance of walking free. At the least, his charges will almost certainly be reduced, carrying a far lighter sentence. If the statistics give people cause to question the credibility of the SIU, then the courts need to also be questioned, especially as concerns the holding police accountable. Not addressed in this ruling but at least as important are the changes needed to the police force itself. This incident has generated unprecedented debate in Toronto not only on the conduct of certain officers, but also on the very structures of policing in this City—do frontline police officers really need guns that they appear to misuse so frequently? why is the police budget so large, and why are there so many cops in the streets? The incident has moreover activated hundreds of people who have taken to the streets, unafraid to challenge the police. This debate will not end, and the mobilization should not stop. This ruling was the product of the actions of people—from the family of Sammy, to the brave people who filmed and published the video, to those who spoke to media and came out on the streets. Remaining active and continuously organizing around issues that face working-class and racialized people is the only way to secure justice for Sammy and to try to ensure that no more lives will be lost in this way."
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 02:27:32 +0000
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