POLICE DESERVE MORE POWER

Cold Lake Sun -- Unlike the weak-kneed politicians who actually vote on our
laws, three of Canada's cops are showing considerable backbone by suggesting
their forces be granted immunity from breaking some laws if they're going to
do the job properly.

Over the past five years Toronto police chief Julian Fantino, Winnipeg chief
Jack Ewatski and RCMP Commissioner Guiliano Zaccardelli have twice appeared
before the House of Commons justice committee to strongly endorse a proposed
amendment to existing anti-gang legislation that would allow police to break
the law.

The chiefs claim that ever since 1999, when a Supreme Court ruling severely
curtailed their powers, they've been handcuffed in trying to keep a lid on
organized crime, ranging from biker gangs to drug dealers.

"We need the tools to do the job...and not be hung up on the notion that if
you give police more powers all of a sudden there will be abuses," Fantino
has told the committee.

Naturally, there's been an overflow of self-righteous posturing by various
MPs ever since the 1970's when Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe dredged
up sensationalized images of RCMP wrongdoing to infiltrate the separatist
movement.

Enough whining and snivelling, already. The bottom line is that it's
necessary to break eggs to make omelets--just as it is necessary for the
police to occasionally overstep their boundaries in order to enforce the
law. Over-zealous cops will never be nearly as big a threat to our society
as the drug dealers, perverts and crime lords who get off scot free under
our current judicial system.