Toronto police conduct strip searches on 44% of arrestees, number knocks critics' socks off - Polidicks

Source - [url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/08/18/strip-searches.html]CBC News[/url] [release]Strip searches conducted by Toronto police on suspects are often done arbitrarily and without cause, critics say, but the union representing officers insists the practice is carried out under strict controls in a "minority" of cases. Police figures show that 31,072 people were strip-searched in 2010 — 85 a day — up from 29,789 the previous year. [b]Of the total strip searches in Toronto in 2010, it was reported that an "item" was found in one-third or 9,448 of these cases without specifying whether the item was evidence, weapons or something as innocuous as a piercing.[/b] "I think the numbers are speaking for themselves. They're too high," says Heather Pringle, Toronto director of the Criminal Lawyers' Association. "My biggest concern is that it's happening as a matter of policy and it's wrong." The controversy was sparked earlier this week when John Sewell of the Toronto Police Accountability Coalition (TPAC) said the figures mean 60 per cent of those arrested in Toronto were subjected to a strip search in 2010. Sewell apparently based the figure on the number of arrests for 2010, which he extrapolated to be under 50,000. Neither Toronto police nor Sewell responded to CBC News's request for clarification on the matter. Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, citing newly released statistics, said the actual number of arrests in Toronto for 2010 was 70,758, [b]which means 44 per cent of arrestees underwent a strip search.[/b][/release] [release][b]Supreme Court ruling[/b] In R. vs. Golden, the Supreme Court of Canada said strip searches are inherently demeaning and degrading and there must be reasonable and probable grounds that the search is required to discover weapons or prevent the loss of evidence related to a valid arrest. Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, says strip searches are conducted on a 'case-by-case basis.' "Reasonable grounds doesn't mean you have to have a 100 per cent certainty, but it seems in the majority of cases nothing is found. This relates to my concern that charter standards are not being applied in these cases," says University of Toronto law professor Kent Roach, who was among the lawyers who argued the case at the top court in 2001.[/release] Personally I agree with Kent Roach, if nothing is found most of the time then they are obviously conducting far too many strip searches. Also, apologies for the title pun. I couldn't resist.

Damn that's alot of people. Naughty cops :v:

:v:

Well, this is revealing.

Makes me want to not break the law even more, if my police force is doing this.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;31870459]Makes me want to not break the law even more, if my police force is doing this.[/QUOTE] Maybe that's the idea

This definitely sheds some light on the matter

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;31870459]Makes me want to not break the law even more, if my police force is doing this.[/QUOTE] You can be arrested while not breaking the law

[QUOTE=Zeke129;31870503]You can be arrested while not breaking the law[/QUOTE] Then the unnecessary strip search is a nuisance, yes. But it potentially lowers the amount of actual crimes that happen. Question is how discreet are the policemen during strip searches, and other things. It's not nice, but I can see why it's frequent.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;31870641]Then the unnecessary strip search is a nuisance, yes. But it potentially lowers the amount of actual crimes that happen. Question is how discreet are the policemen during strip searches, and other things. It's not nice, but I can see why it's frequent.[/QUOTE] How are strip searches going to deter anything.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;31870641] But it potentially lowers the amount of actual crimes that happen.[/QUOTE] So would mandatory GPS tracking on everyone

[QUOTE=Zeke129;31870503]You can be arrested while not breaking the law[/QUOTE] Hence why I do nothing to be arrested. That, and they can't hold you without charges for more than a day, and I'm pretty sure you can take legal action against them if they start pulling a bunch of bullshit.

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;31872166]Hence why I do nothing to be arrested. That, and they can't hold you without charges for more than a day, and I'm pretty sure you can take legal action against them if they start pulling a bunch of bullshit.[/QUOTE] Well if you do get wrongly arrested I absolutely hope you fight it as much as possible, it happens too many times and people just take it

[horrible pun redacted]

[QUOTE=Zeke129;31871981]So would mandatory GPS tracking on everyone[/QUOTE] Actually I think everyone should have his own autonomous, centrally controlled sentry robot follow him at all times.

This definitely sheds some light on the matter. [img]http://www.primeaffiliate.com/track/images/17.computers.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=babypp2;31876214]This definitely sheds some light on the matter. [img]http://www.primeaffiliate.com/track/images/17.computers.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] How is this even relevant?

I don't really see the problem. If you're arrested you should be searched that you don't carry any weapons or sharp objects to harm other people with before putting into the car. Of course if the searches are random and not related to crime suspects it's a different matter.

[QUOTE=PLing;31877237]I don't really see the problem. If you're arrested you should be searched that you don't carry any weapons or sharp objects to harm other people with before putting into the car.[/QUOTE] Uhh Strip searches aren't done before you get put in the car And our supreme court already ruled that to do one you need reasonable grounds to suspect the person has a weapon

Oh, here in Finland they search everyone after they're arrested. Not down to removing clothes though so might be a terminological difference here.

They do not call them the Mount-on-me....s for nothing.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;31870641]Then the unnecessary strip search is a nuisance, yes. But it potentially lowers the amount of actual crimes that happen. Question is how discreet are the policemen during strip searches, and other things. It's not nice, but I can see why it's frequent.[/QUOTE] C'mon guys, do we really need freedom of speech? It potentially lowers the amount of actual crimes that happen! Apply this to every single fucking civil liberty. [editline]23rd August 2011[/editline] Why haven't more people turned the tables and sued the pants off the police?