POLICE PITCHES ERODE TRUST

The Ottawa Citizen

We trust police to be neutral enforcers of the law. But when police
associations solicit funds to lobby government, it erodes the trust that
police officers have worked so hard to build.

The Police Association of Ontario has hired a telemarketing firm to raise
money. It plans to use that money to support its programs, which include
lobbying campaigns for tougher jails, against decriminalization of
marijuana and against early parole.

The Ontario association represents 66 police associations, including
Ottawa's. It is not the only police organization to involve itself in
politics. In fact, political activism seems to be standard practice among
police associations.

In March, the Canadian Police Association held its Legislative Conference
and Lobby Day at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel; the causes on the
agenda included the decriminalization of marijuana and the national
sex-offender registry.

Government policies on drugs and corrections certainly affect the work of
police officers. And police have valuable professional expertise they
should share with government, as that government reshapes the country's
laws. But is it the job of police to lobby against laws they don't like?

Police associations sometimes go even further into the political arena. The
Police Association of Ontario, for example, endorsed Paul Martin in the
Liberal leadership race. Do police officers need police associations to
endorse political candidates? Does the public?

Police are, like everyone else, entitled to freedom of association and
freedom of expression. But, in view of their public role, police should
hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to political
involvement. And they should certainly not raise funds from the public to
finance that involvement. By doing so, police associations lose their
dignity and the public's trust.

Bruce Miller, the administrator of the Police Association of Ontario, said
in an interview that the association's telemarketers do not use pressure
tactics, and that they do maintain a list of people who have asked not to
be called.

Nonetheless, a member of the public is likely to treat a marketing call
from the police differently than a call from, say, a meat wholesaler. The
very mention of police carries with it the power of authority. Police
telemarketing might be seen as trading in on that authority for gain.

Remember the Toronto Police Association's notorious Operation True Blue?
Citizens who gave to the campaign received decals for their cars. The
program ended in public outcry and accusations of special treatment for
owners of the car decals. Even if the Toronto police never let the decals
affect their dealings with the public, the decals were a misuse of authority.

The experience of Operation True Blue ought to have taught police
associations that, like teachers, lawyers or journalists, they have a
public role and inherent authority. The ethical use of that authority must
not be compromised -- or even be seen to be compromised.

Mr. Miller says police associations are unfairly singled out. If
firefighters and politicians can raise money over the phone, he asks, why
not police? And besides, the money raised goes in part to support a
charitable program that teaches kids to fish. Who could find fault with that?

No one. And if the police association confined its activities to charity
and to protecting the workplace interests of its members, its fundraising
campaign might not be so inappropriate.

But if the police continue to act as a lobby group, they must not solicit
funds from the people they are paid to protect.