Heliport
6th Nov 2003, 19:03
Globe&Mail report Fantino lashes out as Liberals cancel helicopter funds
A 'fundamental tool' for police work in major city like Toronto, chief argues
Toromto Police Chief Julian Fantino lashed out at the provincial government yesterday after hearing it had cancelled the $1-million promised in the old Tory budget for a police helicopter.
"I always thought the greater good should prevail," Chief Fantino said in an interview yesterday. "I didn't think the proposition of a helicopter for the Toronto Police Service is any less valid just because a different stripe of government sits in the seat of power at Queen's Park."
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Monte Kwinter said yesterday that the money for the helicopter had to be cancelled when the new Liberal government discovered it had inherited a $5.6-billion deficit.
Mr. Kwinter added that he thinks the helicopter is unlikely to be a priority, even after the books are in better shape.
"When we do start flowing money, there are going to have to be some choices," he said. "Do you want the helicopter, or do you want officers?"
Mr. Kwinter said it will be especially difficult to convince his fellow cabinet ministers to pay the $1-million for a helicopter if Toronto police don't even have any money slated for it within their own budget.
Chief Fantino said he knew there was "no hope of me pushing that [expense] through the city council with the pressures they are facing," and that he had instead been working to raise private funds to augment the $1-million coming from the province.
"[The helicopter is] a fundamental tool that is necessary in today's reality doing police work, especially in a major city like ours," he said.
He has pointed out many times in the past that police in Durham and York regions both have helicopters, and that he thinks it is necessary for Toronto to have one as well.
"At the end of the day, we're all accountable for how we deal with issues, and if Queen's Park hasn't taken notice that the amount of violence, gunplay, the gang activity and the victimization that's been going on in the last week or so, at least in this community, then it will be up to me to sort of refresh their memory and I'll be looking forward to do that," he told a group of reporters earlier in the day.
Chief Fantino will likely also have a battle on his hands to get support for the helicopter from any new municipal government.
Mayoral candidate John Tory, whom the police association said has "one of the best, if not the best, law-and-order platforms," reiterated yesterday that a police helicopter is not a priority for him.
"I happen to believe that having more resources on the ground, in the neighbourhoods . . . is a more important priority than a helicopter," he said.
A 'fundamental tool' for police work in major city like Toronto, chief argues
Toromto Police Chief Julian Fantino lashed out at the provincial government yesterday after hearing it had cancelled the $1-million promised in the old Tory budget for a police helicopter.
"I always thought the greater good should prevail," Chief Fantino said in an interview yesterday. "I didn't think the proposition of a helicopter for the Toronto Police Service is any less valid just because a different stripe of government sits in the seat of power at Queen's Park."
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Monte Kwinter said yesterday that the money for the helicopter had to be cancelled when the new Liberal government discovered it had inherited a $5.6-billion deficit.
Mr. Kwinter added that he thinks the helicopter is unlikely to be a priority, even after the books are in better shape.
"When we do start flowing money, there are going to have to be some choices," he said. "Do you want the helicopter, or do you want officers?"
Mr. Kwinter said it will be especially difficult to convince his fellow cabinet ministers to pay the $1-million for a helicopter if Toronto police don't even have any money slated for it within their own budget.
Chief Fantino said he knew there was "no hope of me pushing that [expense] through the city council with the pressures they are facing," and that he had instead been working to raise private funds to augment the $1-million coming from the province.
"[The helicopter is] a fundamental tool that is necessary in today's reality doing police work, especially in a major city like ours," he said.
He has pointed out many times in the past that police in Durham and York regions both have helicopters, and that he thinks it is necessary for Toronto to have one as well.
"At the end of the day, we're all accountable for how we deal with issues, and if Queen's Park hasn't taken notice that the amount of violence, gunplay, the gang activity and the victimization that's been going on in the last week or so, at least in this community, then it will be up to me to sort of refresh their memory and I'll be looking forward to do that," he told a group of reporters earlier in the day.
Chief Fantino will likely also have a battle on his hands to get support for the helicopter from any new municipal government.
Mayoral candidate John Tory, whom the police association said has "one of the best, if not the best, law-and-order platforms," reiterated yesterday that a police helicopter is not a priority for him.
"I happen to believe that having more resources on the ground, in the neighbourhoods . . . is a more important priority than a helicopter," he said.