OTTAWA — Toronto’s police chief says police officers may need even more sweeping powers than those proposed under federal legislation to bolster what he calls a losing battle against organized crime.
Julian Fantino, joined by RCMP Commissioner Guiliano Zaccardelli and Winnipeg Police Chief Jack Ewatski, appeared before a Commons committee Thursday to support the federal anti-gang legislation that gives undercover officers the power to break the law.
Critics say the new powers go too far and put police above the law. They’re also unhappy with an accountability scheme that puts decisions on police breaking the law in the hands of politicians instead of those of judges.
But Fantino said the proposed new powers are crucial in the intensifying fight against gangs.
“I would also like to suggest that in certain circumstances, the expansion of police powers should be in place to detain, search and investigate members of criminal organizations,” Fantino told the all-party committee studying the legislation.
