Police Destroy $22,000 Community Basketball Court

*I put this in social issues because of the underlying nature of the reasons the police were chasing this suspect and why they felt it necessary to destroy a community basketball court in their chase.

(I would really like all the posters in the thread to keep within T&C discussing the issue)




Now, we can talk about why and what they are doing without talking about it in detail. The story is, the police were chasing a suspect who was involved in the war on ____ and in their chase they ploughed over a community basketball court turning it into "shreddies".

The war on "fill in the blank" could really be anything. But it's a war on something non-violent. To me this is a social issue. Any non-violent crime, to me seems like something that doesn't demand total destruction of public property to apprehend a suspect.

Keep in mind this is a Canadian story, in case you want to get mad, "OMG they do that way too much in Amerika wahhh!"

But no matter, I do feel like it's a North American issue.

A 17-year-old has been charged with drug* possession, residents are crying “disrespect,” and a privately funded basketball court looks like a bowl of Shreddies after a cruiser hopped the curb and drove into David Crombie Park during a police chase Tuesday night.

It was around 11 p.m. when officers approached a young man on foot downtown.

When the youth took off on his bike, police followed in a cruiser. Eventually, the chase led to David Crombie Park, near Front and Sherbourne Sts.

Police say that’s when the suspect ran onto the park’s basketball court. The cruiser followed.

*Edited

It's a little disturbing. The way I see it, the police catch criminals, confiscate their possessions through the "proceeds of crime act" and essentially profit off what they take in. Or, the government as a whole does. However you want to see it. The two are a tangled web and money flows in and out of their bank accounts.

To me, that suggests they are responsible for fixing the court, as they were the ones who destroyed it in their quest for funding and in profiting in whatever is seized from the suspect. In this case it could be $500 in the perps wallet. But in another case, it could be $1 million in a backpack.

Whether or not they knew the court was there, or how it was built, they should ultimately be responsible for fixing/repairing it.

Doesn't matter which, in some cases it's much more, and this action was in the pursuit of a specific end.

The trouble is, the court’s unconventional plastic tiles gave little traction to the cruiser’s tires. A YouTube video taken at the time shows the police car spinning its wheels and sliding around awkwardly, like a deer on skates.
“It was never meant for a car,” said police spokesperson Victor Kwong.

The court was built in the fall of 2010 with a $22,000 gift from Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. It is made of interlocking, grated plastic tiles that look like the sides of a milk crate.

MLSE are the owners of the Maple Leafs and the Raptors. Them building this court was great for the community and promoted the type of thing that is their lifeblood. Very sad to see a positive thing like this get destroyed.

Source

They didn't destroy it. It just needs to be reassembled.

Originally posted by suz62
They didn't destroy it. It just needs to be reassembled.

I am judging by the bent and broken pieces it was not meant to be "disassembled" that way, and "reassembling" it is not as simple as a children's puzzle.

In any case, if that's all it is, it should be one of them doing it no?

Any non-violent crime, to me seems like something that doesn't demand total destruction of public property to apprehend a suspect.

Exactly

But this may have netted them some money so.....CHASE HIM!!! or maybe they wanted his _____

reply to post by boncho


Good one boncho. May I add how driving in a park and on a basketball court also endangers the public? What cost for a bag of dope when you run over a mom and her baby in a stroller? Did the crime fit endangering innocent civilians? Absurd.

CJ

They must love it. the ability to run amok and participate in pursuits in a relatively safe fashion chasing some kid minding his own business must be a lot of fun for them.

Like going to war without anyone shooting back at you.

Little boys dressed in their costumes playing guns in the middle of the street.

When I was in high school I was waiting on a table under a street light outside of a still open restaurant for my friends. We were going to have dinner there. This cop car drove by really slow. Then hopped the curb and sped around to the back of the building. Drove up onto the places walkway and shut its lights off. Peeled out and flew straight toward me. Then both cops in the car just stared at me for like 30 seconds from about two feet away. Then sped off.

Whatever the hell they were doing they scuffed up and chipped up concrete barriers and walkways all over this private property.

Ever since then I often wonder how much of the vandalism people love to blame on kids and "hooligans" is done by cops being tools for no apparent reason.

reply to post by boncho


It looks like the Police are trying to make amends:

Still, police are trying to make amends: Officers from 51 Division, along with volunteers from MLSE and city parks staff, will be on-site tomorrow at 9:15 a.m. to tear up the tiles and return the court to a usable blacktop surface.

When it is resurfaced, the Flex Court tiles may not be replaced, Caravaggio said.

“It probably will be better than what it was before,” she said.

The cruiser’s unexpected spin, she added, may have been “a blessing in disguise.”

So i am not to sure what you are getting at here Boncho. Yes, perhaps it was excessive that the police drove a police car onto the court, but it doesnt appear that they are denying their actions and are willing to make an effort to rectify the mistake.

Not to divert attention away from the event you have highlighted Boncho, but a really interesting story involving the police were the police raids on a small community to crack down on gangs. This also relates to the mayor Ford scandal as well. That event had many people upset at the police.

Originally posted by MDDoxs

Yes, perhaps it was excessive that the police drove a police car onto the court, but it doesnt appear that they are denying their actions and are willing to make an effort to rectify the mistake.

With tax payer dollars.

Unless the cops are paying out of their own pockets to fix the damage all the repairs are coming as extra expenses to the tax payers.

I just wrecked your car but it's cool because I'll buy you a new one with your own money.

reply to post by MDDoxs


"probably better than it was before". Ah, no. Blacktop is not better than the synthetic tiles that made that court. Although it is fun when you are shooting hoops in 90 degree weather on blacktop. And goodness me, won't spending the day fixing the court lessen the chances that they can do this again tomorrow to something else? How about instead of destroy/build/destroy in the name of a stupid misdemeanor they just don't do it?

CJ

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere

Originally posted by MDDoxs

Yes, perhaps it was excessive that the police drove a police car onto the court, but it doesnt appear that they are denying their actions and are willing to make an effort to rectify the mistake.

With tax payer dollars.

Unless the cops are paying out of their own pockets to fix the damage all the repairs are coming as extra expenses to the tax payers.

I just wrecked your car but it's cool because I'll buy you a new one with your own money.

You are just speculating that tax payer dollars are being tied up with this. How do we know they arnt going there without pay or of their own volition on their time off.

You are just making some claims you think people want to hear and stir them up.

As a Canadian, I can tell you that i am not as concerned about my tax dollars in this instance as I am appreciative that they have admitted their mistake and are trying to make amends.

Funny enough, I have been seen this court, though not played on it.

I am not to sure how they do things were you come from, but I can forgive a mistake if it indeed was that and can applaud attempts to fix them.

Seems like some shoddy construction to me, not that it gets the coppers off the hook for driving over it though. Then, I admit, that is one type of floor surface I have never put down, maybe there is a good reason it is not held down with PL. It seems to be like a floating floor, which I find to be stupid and pointless, as a guy that does floors among other things for a living lol.

reply to post by MDDoxs


That's the sort of thinking that bankrupted Detroit and scores of other US cities.

Here in the real world apologies are nice but money matters.

Speculating? Maybe. Show me one municipal project that didnt cost taxpayers a cent. Even the building of that original court paid for by donation came with some taxpayer expenses during construction and maintenance.

Forgiving mistakes permits them to continue happening. Given the number of mistakes cops, city managers, and the glorious "war on" have under their belts it's past time to stop forgiving.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

Speculating? Maybe. Show me one municipal project that didnt cost taxpayers a cent. Even the building of that original court paid for by donation came with some taxpayer expenses during construction and maintenance.

Did you read the article? I saw no mentioned of public funds being used. You are once again speculating. However I will agree as any public project does require an investment of time or money from the government. My point is, you have no clue how much if any tax payer dollars were spend on this and in case you forgot here is the pertinent portion of the article:

The court was built in the fall of 2010 with a $22,000 gift from Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. It is made of interlocking, grated plastic tiles that look like the sides of a milk crate.

Here in the real world apologies are nice but money matters.

Again, if this is how things are done where you come from, then I am sorry to hear that. Ofcourse money matters and it makes the world go round, but i think you may be under the impression this happens all the time up here...well it doesnt.

I had to laugh out loud at this:

hat's the sort of thinking that bankrupted Detroit and scores of other US cities.

Really? Its events like publicly donated basketball courts that ruined Detroit, wake up and smell the stagnated motor industry. There are many contributing factors that have lead to the bankruptcy of Detroit.

Originally posted by MDDoxs
reply to post by thisguyrighthere

Did you read the article? I saw no mentioned of public funds being used. You are once again speculating. However I will agree as any public project does require an investment of time or money from the government. My point is, you have no clue how much if any tax payer dollars were spend on this and in case you forgot here is the pertinent portion of the article:

The court was built in the fall of 2010 with a $22,000 gift from Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. It is made of interlocking, grated plastic tiles that look like the sides of a milk crate.

Okay. So it's not but it is but it's not but it is but its....

Think of it like a puppy. Here's a free puppy! It's so cute!! Now you pay to feed it and house it and train it and it's vet bills for the next 15 years. But it's free!!

I had to laugh out loud at this:

hat's the sort of thinking that bankrupted Detroit and scores of other US cities.

Really? Its events like publicly donated basketball courts that ruined Detroit, wake up and smell the stagnated motor industry. There are many contributing factors that have lead to the bankruptcy of Detroit.

Yeah, all that killed Detroit. Well, all that collapse then politicians just paying lipservice and apologizing rather than actually taking any action. Nobody wanted to be the bad guy and risk losing their seat so they just apologized over and over until the sky fell.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

Okay. So it's not but it is but it's not but it is but its....

My issue is that you are speculating that tax payer dollars were used to build and possible repair this damaged court and that people should be outraged because of it. My position on the matter is you have no idea if any amount of tax payer dollars were spent on it and its not necessarily something to get worked up over.

You are looking for controversy where none exists...

I just wanted to state that i am well aware that public projects require some kind of public investment.

Yeah, all that killed Detroit. Well, all that collapse then politicians just paying lipservice and apologizing rather than actually taking any action. Nobody wanted to be the bad guy and risk losing their seat so they just apologized over and over until the sky fell.

And that is relevant to the discussion at hand how.....?

Originally posted by MDDoxs
reply to post by thisguyrighthere

 

Okay. So it's not but it is but it's not but it is but its....

My issue is that you are speculating that tax payer dollars were used to build and possible repair this damaged court and that people should be outraged because of it. My position on the matter is you have no idea if any amount of tax payer dollars were spent on it and its not necessarily something to get worked up over.

You are looking for controversy were none exists...

That's all relative now isnt it? You've gone from saying no tax dollars are spent to maybe an insignificant number has been spent. What's insignificant? My point is tax dollars are spent due to the police vandalism. How much isnt important. It's a liability regardless of how big one.

Yeah, all that killed Detroit. Well, all that collapse then politicians just paying lipservice and apologizing rather than actually taking any action. Nobody wanted to be the bad guy and risk losing their seat so they just apologized over and over until the sky fell.

And that is relevant to the discussion at hand how.....?

edit on 19-7-2013 by MDDoxs because: (no reason given)

It's exemplary of what your attitude brings down. A few bucks here or there it's all good.
Every city as they are run is headed straight into Detroits predicament. Canadian cities are no exception. It's the nature of politicians, voters and selfish fiscal management.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

My point is tax dollars are spent due to the police vandalism. How much isnt important. It's a liability regardless of how big one.

Why is it police vandalism and not a accident involving the police. Typically you try and make amends if you are in the wrong and according the article the are...

It's exemplary of what your attitude brings down. A few bucks here or there it's all good.
Every city as they are run is headed straight into Detroits predicament. Canadian cities are no exception. It's the nature of politicians, voters and selfish fiscal management.

I would argue that the difference between the two cities (Detroit & Toronto) are to different to compare and such discussion is going off on a tangent that could have its own dedicated thread.

The cops damaging the court and spending some time (on the tax dollar or not) will not ruin the city, nor is a controversy worthy of me getting my temper up over.

We can chalk this up to cultural differences perhaps.

Originally posted by MDDoxs

Why is it police vandalism and not a accident involving the police.

Maybe if the court jumped out in front of them it could be classed as an "accident."

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere

Originally posted by MDDoxs

Why is it police vandalism and not a accident involving the police.

Maybe if the court jumped out in front of them it could be classed as an "accident."

Where exactly does the article mention that this was an intentional act intended to destroy the court? Oh right it doesnt. It states that during the pursuit the car ends up crossing the court.

I believe you are just being argumentative now...

Vandalism would imply an intentional act of destruction.. I can imagine it now, the cops in pursuit of their suspect all of a sudden see the basketball court and think "HEY! lets screw up that basketball court."

Get real. Again, I dont know how things are done were you come from, but not everything here is an intentional act of hate...

We tore the public courts out and the crime dropped 80% best theing the city ever did then they removed the park benches to cut down prostution and that really helped clean things up. The area reaidents cut down the trees to sell the wood and that created less places to hide. Now the parks are just grassy ares the scrappers got the playground equipment just grass. If they had fences the scrappers too them too