The Toronto Star has a story about complaints of police violence at last June’s G20 summit submitted to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD). Of the 400 official complaints, not one has resulted in an officer being reprimanded for injuries inflicted upon members of the public, despite eyewitness testimony corroborated by photos and video. This reflects the fact that in many instances the police are allowed to investigate themselves.
Frye, once more, on police authority:
But in an atmosphere of real fear and real suspicion the police must become both more efficient and more tolerant if they are to be of any use in defending democracy. Otherwise, they will be not only unjust to individuals, but dangerous to their own community. (Canadian Forum 29, no. 346 [November 1949]: 170)
While that may be true, the incident around the G20 was not one of heightened fear and suspicion but of planned anarchy and maliciousness. The only fear and suspicion was on the part of Torontonians who were not engaged in the acts of “preparation” through use of steriods and aggitation prior to these events. So, even by Frye’s notion, the Toronto police acted accordingly to their powers.