This police ‘carding’ business just won’t stop. It won’t go away.

More than two dozen Ontario groups and individuals expressed their concerns in December around how the province’s Community Safety Minister Yasir Naqvi’s proposed legislation contains too many loopholes and exceptions, and doesn’t reflect the minister’s initial intent to put an end to carding. The “policing industry” has come out with its own differing criticisms of what already appears to be watered-down new rules, and which are currently under a 45 day review.

Our police are of course intimidated by any interference in their operations. It would appear though that somewhere between the minister’s first announcement, and his presentation of the draft legislation, police had already managed to intervene on their own behalf, gaining ground against an all-out ban.

What should we take from this on-going debate? Simply, our police services, public servants though they may be, assume they are a force onto themselves, and intend to broach no encroachment upon claims as an autonomous authority.

How is it possible for specific government agencies to hold such sway over the masters we have put in place to act on our behalf?

How is it possible? Again, we let ‘em.