DRINKING ON THE JOB

A guy is killed on the job and his widow complains that his buddies weren't
there for him because they were drinking at work. Instead of helping their
unlucky mate, they went to a couple of bars, a hockey game and then
someone's home. After trying to disregard the complaint, the company the
victim worked for finally has someone look into the situation. That someone
reaches the conclusion that 15 or 20 employees at the firm were trying to
cover up the on-duty tippling.

The company takes disciplinary action against five of those closest to the
incident. One guy retires before he can be disciplined, two are let go and
another two are suspended for a few weeks.

Then the union representing the two who were disciplined says it is
appealing the disciplinary action. The union leader says it's not illegal
to drink on the job, and that sometimes rules have to be bent.

There's a lot wrong with this picture, starting with the fact that the
company is the Toronto Police Service. You'll recall that in August 1998,
plainclothes officer Bill Hancox was knifed to death in his unmarked van in
a Scarborough plaza by two homeless women, Elaine Cece and Mary Barbara
Taylor. Hancox and several other cops were working a stakeout to nab a
break-and-enter suspect by legally stealing his automobile and installing a
satellite tracking device. While waiting to filch the car, the other
officers abandoned the scene to have dinner, attend a children's hockey
practice and go to a bar to imbibe rum-and-Cokes. Hancox's distraught widow
wasn't going to be kept quiet about this.

And what a sorry tale is revealed. Supt. Paul Gottschalk -- he was the head
of what's referred to as an "elite" undercover squad that included Hancox
- -- has been convicted of neglect of duty for failing to investigate the
widow's complaint. He's appealing.

After that delay, police management brought in officers from the Hamilton
Wentworth force to investigate. Apparently, their report recommends
charging 15 to 20 cops with covering up the drinking. Only five have been
charged. No wonder this report has not been released: it would provide a
frightening look at the internal workings of the police force, and how they
cover up for each other's wrongdoing. This is pretty sick stuff.

Craig Bromell, head of the Toronto Police Association, is the one who says
the recent conviction of Const. Larry Smith for drinking on the job will be
appealed. He says, with a straight face, that there's nothing wrong with
police indulging in a little alcohol while on duty. It's not illegal --
it's a mere breach of policy.

Right. Give a cop a few drinks, then put him out on the street with a gun
in his hand. Maybe get him into a chase. Sure, Craig, Toronto needs more
armed, intoxicated cops.

Or, as on this fateful night, armed, intoxicated cops in a stolen car,
fooling around with screwdrivers....

The cops are the problem. So who do we call to complain?