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As body-worn cameras are rolled out at and are , they've been worn for about a year by employees of a hired by Newton Business Improvement Association (BIA). Patrol members are contracted through , a private not-for-profit company whose security team takes on "non-core police duties" in the neighbourhood, allowing for local police "to take on more critical issues," according to . "We have bodycams at a number of our sites, and Newton BIA is one of them," noted Chris Mitchell, president and CEO of Commissionaires BC, a 97-year-old organization. In Newton Town Centre, four of the company's 1,300 security guards in B.C. are employed to daily patrol the business district in teams of two, as part of a safety program launched nine years ago by the BIA. "It's been hugely successful," raved Philip Aguirre, BIA executive director. "We've always looked for ways to improve and be on the cutting edge of how we can improve the community. Bodycams were a no-brainer for us that we wanted to provide security for our members. "Bodycams are something that we're going to continue with, and it's great that other organizations like the RCMP are getting on board," added Aguirre, also the owner-operator of on 72 Avenue. Mike Keller, Newton site supervisor with Commissionaires BC, says he feels safer with a body-worn camera on the job. "The camera, the video, adds more security for your statement that yes, this actually did happen," Keller said. "It goes a long way, and it gives the members a lot of security as well so they're not playing a guessing game. It's safeguarding the member and the company as well because now it's getting everything in real time, it's uploading in real time. It protects everybody including the individual you're dealing with, yourself, the company. It's an amazing tool to have." Mitchell underlined that video data from Commissionaires' body-worn cameras is securely stored offsite and retrieved "on a case-by-case request basis" by police and the courts. "These cameras are not out there just sort of filming everything with data going," Mitchell said. "We have a whole legal infrastructure around that.... For example, if police wanted access to specific information pertaining to a specific event, that request would come to us, we would then access that information, provide the very concise (video) snip that's relevant to that incident to them. So it's a very tight process whereby the information is stored and accessed. "Anybody can throw a bodycam on a guard, but it's how you manage the information that is the very important part of what we do." Critics of body-worn cameras say they can't be counted on to reduce law-enforcement violence, nor provide greater transparency. "They are not the reform that some would like them to be," wrote Dr. Jeff Shantz, department of criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, . "Criminological research finds that, at best, the outcomes of bodycam use are contradictory. Sometimes they are paradoxical. In some jurisdictions, studies even show police violence going up after the introduction of body cameras. For one thing, they do not show what the police actually do. They are positioned on officers and show their perspective. They can be turned off and on. There are questions about access to footage and about what happens with recorded data, including video of bystanders." Starting the week of Nov. 25, to roll out the use of body-worn cameras, followed by Ucluelet, Tofino, Prince George, Cranbrook and Kamloops. In total, 3,000 officers in 144 detachments serving 150 municipalities will be using body-worn cameras in the province. Meantime, criminologist Curt Griffiths says there's . He presented an executive summary of the results of a 2024 Surrey Police Service Community Consultation campaign during a Surrey Police Board meeting on Oct. 29. for more than two years. Among business organizations in B.C., Aguirre said, "we're the only BIA where security guards use bodycams, definitely in Surrey, and I suspect in the rest of the province as well. "Ideally," he added, "the body camera is a deterrent and you're going into an altercation that has been requested by the business community, a phone call or a passive patrol, and the bodycam is deescalating the scenario. The person can see the camera and that the blue light is on, indicating that they are being filmed, and ideally that scenario is then deescalated and their compliance is through the roof and they move along, which is great."CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Ten yards into a scramble, Patrick Mahomes could have easily slid for a first down or simply ducked out of bounds and moved on to the next play. Instead, the three-time Super Bowl MVP cut back inside and raced another 23 yards up the field, helping to set up Spencer Schrader's 31-yard field goal as time expired as the Chiefs held on to beat the Carolina Panthers 30-27 on Sunday. “At that point, yards are more important than getting out of bounds,” Mahomes said. “With three timeouts, I just tried to just cut through and Justin Watson had a great block and was able to get down the field and get out of bounds.” The game-winning drive was the 21st of Mahomes' career, and the Chiefs won a game decided in the final seconds for the fifth time this season. Eight of the Chiefs' wins have come by one-score margins. “You always want to have some blowouts and be a little calmer in the fourth quarter, but I've always said it could be a good thing when you get to the playoffs later in the season knowing that you have been in those moments before, and knowing how to attack it play by play not making it too big of a moment,” Mahomes said. Then he smiled and said: “But I would say this more than anybody, I would love to win a game not by the very last play.” Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns in his first game at Bank of America Stadium and ran for 60 yards — including 33 on that last-minute play — as the Chiefs (10-1) scored on six of their eight possessions. Noah Gray caught four passes for 66 yards and scored two touchdowns for the second straight week, and DeAndre Hopkins also found the end zone for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Kareem Hunt ran for 68 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for 19 yards. Bryce Young played well for Carolina (3-8), finishing 21 of 35 for 262 yards and a touchdown while leading the Panthers back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game on Chuba Hubbard's 1-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion with 1:46 remaining. Panthers coach Dave Canales, who benched Young earlier this season for veteran Andy Dalton, said last year's No. 1 overall draft pick “absolutely” will remain the team's starting QB next week. That's a break from Canales' recent pattern of waiting a few days to name a starter. “Bryce is certainly making the most of his opportunities,” Canales said. “And he is making a statement to all of us. Showing us he can make plays in critical areas. He did a great job extending today.” Said Young: “For me, I just want to focus on what I can control. Regardless, I always have the same mindset and preparation, wanting to be better throughout the week. I am definitely grateful for confidence.” Still, there is room for improvement. The Panthers moved the ball well but struggled in the red zone, resulting in field goals of 30, 32, 29 and 33 yards for Eddy Pineiro, the most accurate kicker in NFL history. The Chiefs wasted no time setting the tone as Samaje Perine returned the opening kickoff 56 yards and Mahomes found Gray for a 35-yard touchdown strike on the third play of scrimmage for a 7-0 lead. Gray went nine games without a TD catch before hauling in two last week against Buffalo. His 11-yard score late in the second quarter gave him two more against the Panthers . Chiefs coach Andy Reid praised Mahomes' poise but said he was concerned about his team's nine penalties for 90 yards. Kansas City's Travis Kelce had six catches for 62 yards and moved into third place in career yards receiving by a tight end. He ranks behind only Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten. However, Kelce failed to find the end zone for the ninth time in 11 games this season. Running back Jonathan Brooks made his NFL debut for Carolina, but the second-round pick was limited to 7 yards on two carries. Panthers: Rookie TE Ja'Tavion Sanders was taken to a hospital, where he was evaluated for a neck injury and released . He landed awkwardly on his head after making a catch near the end of the second quarter. Chiefs: Host Las Vegas on Friday. Panthers: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Waiting for a tram, crossing a road or catching a bus around Greater Manchester is something millions of people do across the region every day. It is part of everyday life for many, as they use the thousands of roads and complex transport network to get from A to B. But there is a little-known team of people who, for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, watch over the mammoth operation. The Manchester Evening News was invited inside the huge new control room at Transport for Greater Manchester's headquarters. A hive of activity; hundreds of staff keep a close eye on the region's transport network and make sure everything 'runs like clockwork'. READ MORE The AI camera images shaming motorists on mobile phones or without seatbelts on It's no small feat. A variety of teams, including police, the Travel Safe Partnership, network intelligence, a resilience team and a drone unit among others, operate from the control room. There are over 40 screens, with live, real-time feeds from around 4,000 stationary cameras covering movement on major roads, tram stations, bus stops and busy areas in Manchester city centre and beyond. All new buses are also fitted with hundreds of HD cameras, with trams also fitted out with the surveillance equipment. It's a hub of activity inside the Operation Control Centre (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) But the job is more than just keeping an eye on the seamless movement of millions of people and keeping them safe. Specialist equipment allows staff to use mobile phone data to track who is travelling and where from, utilise AI systems and flying drones to improve roads, and collate intricate data to prepare for the future and manage huge influxes of people heading into the city region. In short - there is always somebody watching. An omnipresent team of people working around the clock. As Control Centre Manager Luke Rodger said: "We are a team of hidden angels that nobody knows is there... smoke is coming off our fingers trying to keep our city moving." Intelligence teams track crime incidents across the network to identify trends and how best to target them. The M.E.N was told how incidents involving young people peak in the winter months and after dark. There is a particular focus on this during the festive period, with nine million people expected to attend the city's huge Christmas Markets. There have been 'persistent issues' at Stockport's new interchange and also in Bury . This data can be passed on to partners, including police, for various tactics to be implemented to tackle growing issues. They are even able to tap into mobile phone data, working with BT and EE, to determine which cohorts of people are travelling across Manchester; where they have come from, how old they are and what gender they are. There is a science to it. David Atkin, Analysis and Reporting Manager, said this can be used to 'help improve service delivery for events'. The insights into demographics travelling to the Etihad, Co-op Live and the city centre can help to 'inform service provision' and 'shape customer messaging ahead of future events'. David Atkin, Analysis and Reporting Manager speaks to reporter James Holt (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) Congestion, an increasing problem clogging up the roads around Greater Manchester, is a top priority. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of cars on the roads in the region increased by 41 per cent, from 1.06 million to 1.46 million. Aside from live cameras, TfGM have also begun using drones. It follows in the footsteps of Transport for West Midlands, who recently won a National Transport Award for the use of their congestion-busting flying devices. Drone cameras can be used to assess the region's roads (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) They are used to give a more accurate, wide-angled view of busy roads and quickly seek the root of the problem. Whether that be queues in entering or leaving a car park, a broken down vehicle or faulty traffic lights, they allow specialist teams to get out on the ground and conduct traffic management procedures to curb the problem. Urban Traffic Control have overseen the rollout of AI and 5G technology. This can be used at smart junctions, which use artificial intelligence to improve traffic signal control efficiency by reducing waiting times at signals, which in turn reduces journey times and cuts pollution. Specialist AI technology is also being rolled out (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) David Watts, senior engineer, revealed how specialist cameras identify in real time whether road users are in cars, buses or are walking or cycling. It creates a digital map of people's journeys, and can identify incident hotspots. It also can inform where is best to implement the likes of bus lanes, traffic lights or crossings. In some areas, delays and cancellations are the norm, and inner-city traffic jams have become an accepted part of life. Working with AI traffic monitoring firm VivaCity, TfGM has now installed over 100 camera sensors at junctions across Manchester to gain deeper travel data insights into the city. There are over 4,000 cameras across the region's network (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) While existing sensors are able to detect when an object moves across them, the cohort of new cameras uses AI and machine learning to identify the exact type of object, such as a bike, car, lorry, or pedestrian, and then communicate with each other via a 5G network. The AI capabilities don't stop there. The Ma nchester Evening News revealed in September new AI cameras that can detect whether drivers are on their mobile phone or not wearing a seat belt were being rolled out on highways across Greater Manchester. It forms as part of the region's 'Vision Zero' initiative - which aims to eliminate road death and life-changing injury by 2040, with 50 per cent reduction by the end of the decade. A recent trial of the new technology revealed how a total of 3,205 drivers or passengers were caught out on Greater Manchester roads over a five-week period using their phones or failing to wear a seatbelt. The 'Heads Up' technology captures footage of passing vehicles, which is then run through artificial intelligence (AI) to detect whether drivers are breaking the law. It is then examined by a human to confirm that the software is correct, and that an offence has been committed. Shaming CCTV images of drivers on mobile phones behind the wheel and without seatbelts on have been released (Image: Acusensus/AECOM) During the deployment, the system recorded 812 drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel, and 2,393 incidents of people not wearing seatbelts in cars. Elsewhere, a technological road model is assessed by the Transport Planning teams. Software essentially mimics the way Greater Manchester's 6,000 miles of roads are used - creating a predictive image of how motorists use the roads and how this could change in the future. The data is collated to provide recommendations on planning applications, advising local authorities and changes to road layouts, bus lanes and crossings. The Christmas Markets is just one operation that takes months of planning. Ben Cookson, senior control centre manager, revealed how a dedicated channel is set up for the festive period for transport teams and emergency crews to communicate with one another. The wall of screens providing real-time updates from cameras in the control room (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) Specialist shifts are introduced to keep 'a close eye on city congestion' - making sure trams and buses are running on time to transport over nine million extra people visiting the area. It also gives teams the ability to keep an eye on people travelling into the city from Greater Manchester boroughs and beyond, with incidents more likely and stations and services much busier than normal. Teams even have control over all traffic signals. They don't just go from red to green at repeated intervals. At peak times when there are queues of traffic, the press of a button can keep lights on red or green for longer and keep traffic moving. They too have connections with the 999 emergency network and can send alerts about roadworks and road closures for incidents or repairs, diverting bus routes and notifying motorists about real-time alerts. Cameras at interchanges and stations are in place for the purpose of recording crime and safety. "We monitor the entire network," Ben explained. "From traffic signals, to the Metrolink , safety and security on buses and our interchanges. "We can use it to manage disruptions. We have access to over 4,000 cameras across Greater Manchester. We monitor it constantly to see the impact around the network. The busy corridors into Manchester are the key areas of focus. When something goes wrong, it all comes into here." That is why, on busy weekends with major events happening across the city, action is taken in advance to make sure the movement of people can remain as seamless as possible. TfGM regularly issue public updates about increased frequency in services and alternate timetables. The latest of these was issued on Wednesday (November 20) ahead of the following weekend, warning of two football games coinciding with major events at the Co-op Live Arena. And despite the regeneration of the bus network, Stagecoach and Go North West teams work together alongside the Bee Network teams. Looking over the wall of live camera screens, Steven Delaney and his team regularly assess the punctuality of services and make real-time changes. There are frustrations when bus services around the region are delayed - but they don't go unnoticed. It's a 24 hour operation at the TfGM headquarters (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) Live updates into the control room show how ahead or behind the hundreds of services are running. They too can change the frequency of traffic lights, divert routes and liaise directly with drivers on the ground, in real-time, to resolve incidents within a matter of minutes. During the M.E.N's visit, a man was hit by a car along Chester Road in Stretford . A lane closure, causing congestion and delays to buses using the busy route, are instantly identified. Updates are provided to travellers on social media and by the Bee Network apps. "We have access to thousands of cameras, all in live time," Steven said. "We can see where there are regular problems at busy junctions or routes and can see any impacts on buses, to relay that information to the public." TfGM said: "The Operational Control Centre (OCC) is the incident management centre for TfGM and plays a key tactical command role in the day to day operations and delivery of the Bee Network. Their main responsibility is to ensure our networks are safe and reliable, and that our public transport offering provides people with access to work or leisure opportunities, helping Greater Manchester to thrive. "With all incidents the OCC aim to minimise the impact on customers travelling across our networks, ensuring they have access to clear travel advice and where necessary we can support passengers by activating ticket acceptance on alternative transport modes such as buses or trams. "On average the OCC deal with around 300 disruptive incidents across our network every week as well supporting major events, such as the Christmas markets, to ensure that our customers have a positive experience which will help us grow patronage and provide an integrated transport network that supports the long term economic growth across our region."Japanese companies are ramping up policies and protections against a rise in rude and abusive customer behaviour, with Narita International Airport becoming the first in the country to adopt a strict zero-tolerance policy. The new rule, which includes measures against verbal abuse, threats, and discrimination, reflects growing concerns in Japan’s service sector, where staff face more frequent confrontations from frustrated customers. Other businesses and even local governments are taking action. Last month, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government passed an ordinance aimed at safeguarding service industry workers from rising levels of abuse and harassment. A survey by the UA Zensen Union showed that nearly 47% of service workers in Japan had experienced some form of harassment from customers over the past two years, with some requiring counselling to cope. A new airport employee described how common these incidents are becoming, citing a recent case where a passenger reacted aggressively over excess baggage fees. “He was banging on the counter and yelling, refusing to pay,” she said. Airlines like All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines have also announced new guidelines that explicitly ban abusive language, threats, and unreasonable demands on their staff. Other companies are turning to technology to help their workers handle customer outbursts. Telecommunications giant Softbank, for instance, has created an AI-powered tool to alter the voices of angry callers, making them sound calm on the line. Many convenience stores have introduced staff training and signs warning that misbehaviour will not be tolerated. While Japan is known for high standards of customer service, Roy Larke, a retail expert, explains that those standards also set high expectations for customer decorum. “This breakdown of norms can be shocking, as both staff and customers expect polite interactions,” he said. Morinosuke Kawaguchi, a technology analyst, suggests that the increase in recorded incidents on social media makes the trend appear more widespread than it may be, though some companies say aggression is clearly growing.None
It’s been a rocky year for relations between the Jewish community and Toronto’s municipal government following the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel—which led to an ongoing regional war in the Middle East and repeated anti-Israel demonstrations and attacks on Jewish institutions in Canada. Local and nationwide organizations have urged their elected representatives to demonstrate stronger leadership in condemning antisemitism in Toronto. But the responses they report receiving remain largely lukewarm. Mayor Olivia Chow’s absence at the Oct. 7, 2024, memorial event organized by UJA Federation of Greater Toronto—attended by multiple federal parliamentarians, Ontario premier Doug Ford and other provincial lawmakers, along with several city councillors—amplified the perception that the mayor’s support is lacking. It’s a thread of criticism that started over a year ago when the mayor’s office posted remarks attributed to Chow a few hours after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, which were publicly posted and quickly deleted twice on social media before a final version was settled upon. My earlier tweets on this have been deleted because of the harm and confusion they caused. — Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) October 8, 2023 Chow’s handling of her no-show at the memorial did nothing to improve the Jewish community’s confidence in her support, already seen as inconsistent. The office of the mayor offered three separate reasons for her absence, including not having received the invitation. Then came a TV news interview where Chow said “it doesn’t matter” why she missed the commemoration, but she ultimately apologized to the Jewish community. A petition urging Chow to resign for neglecting the Jewish community gathered more than 12,000 signatures during that period. 'I should have been there': Toronto mayor says she regrets not being at Oct. 7 vigil https://t.co/u2xeRK3zvS — CP24 (@CP24) October 13, 2024 The imbroglio over the memorial exemplifies the disappointment many Jewish Torontonians associate with Chow. The sense of insult and political calculus linked to Chow has permeated, despite her apology. Jewish advocacy groups say the community wants to see more leadership from Chow on condemning antisemitism when it shows up in displays of Hamas headbands, or a Hezbollah flag. Toronto police arrested two people on public incitement of hatred charges following a protest in late September where they continued to display the flag of Hezbollah despite officers’ warnings. Chow also skipped the Walk with Israel in early June, which drew an estimated 50,000 people. That same weekend, Chow enthusiastically attended the annual Grilled Cheese Festival in Etobicoke—an appearance publicized a few days later with some extra-cheesy puns. Toronto the gouda! 🧀 I had a feta-stic time at the Grilled Cheese Festival this weekend with @CllrAmberMorley in Etobicoke. Always grate to brie with so many out enjoying their neighbourhoods. It makes our city a cheddar place to live. I mean, better—better place to live. pic.twitter.com/9dX1I0Yjod — Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) June 12, 2024 Later in June, Chow marched in the annual Pride parade (which she has regularly attended throughout her four-decade political career), but did not comment when a demonstration over sponsors’ Israeli investments led the parade procession to be halted prematurely—with some of participants and crowds still lining Yonge Street. Some fences mended with mayor The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), which called out Chow’s no-show at the Oct. 7 memorial, met with the mayor, her chief of staff Michal Hay, and a UJA executive, at Chow’s office in October. Michelle Stock, CIJA’s vice-president for Ontario, says she told Chow she wants her to take a tougher, more vocal posture in denouncing antisemitism. The mayor needs to show up more consistently for the Jewish community, says Stock—regardless of perceived political support for Israel. Chow has appeared at a number of major events, including UJA’s emergency rally on Oct. 9, 2023, and a gathering of support following the first of two early Saturday morning gunfire incidents—which took place in May and October outside the empty Bais Chaya Mushka Elementary School in North York. Politicians, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, Solicitior-General Michael Kerzner, Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Toronto city councillor James Pasternak speak at a rally, May 27, 2024 after a Chabad girls’ school was shot the previous Shabbat. Stock maintains that “[Chow] needs to be clear... the Jewish community in Toronto are her constituents. We are taxpayers... we have a right to have law and order, to have safety in our streets, and feel that we can be openly Jewish and not feel like you have to hide that.” Stock says she’d like to see Chow speak up unequivocally and that the mayor “needs to continue to show presence in the community” and “acknowledge the experience of the Jewish [community] in Toronto,” including demonstrations taking to Jewish neighbourhoods. CIJA’s vice-president for Ontario adds that by not standing with the Jewish community, Chow, who campaigned on diversity and inclusion in her mayoral campaign, is creating the opposite effect. “Hateful chants in [the] streets... terrorist flags at these protests, people dressing up like Hamas... those are unacceptable behaviours, and by her not going out and publicly denouncing these things and being very clear that she doesn’t want to see these things in her street—and taking that leadership position—she’s countering what her brand is about: diversity and inclusion. “She’s emboldening... more division in her city rather than bringing people together to find the common ground... the shared values we all have as Torontonians.” It was an honour to join @thethmuseum this evening for the start of Holocaust Education Week. In the present, we must continue to fight against antisemitism and the fear and terror that feed fascism. Check out events all week: https://t.co/YMRA2zjk1M pic.twitter.com/OcLkb3K7dw — Mayor Olivia Chow (@MayorOliviaChow) November 5, 2024 Despite the Oct. 7 memorial letdown, Stock gives Chow credit for attending the Toronto Holocaust Museum one month later for a tour and discussion on contemporary antisemitism. Social media postings claimed the mayor made a hasty exit partway through the program—a falsehood amplified by independent downtown MP Kevin Vuong without a subsequent correction or apology—but Stock confirms that Chow participated in the entire event as scheduled. “People had an opportunity to voice their concerns with her about what was going on in Toronto, and she gave people a lot of airtime.” Bubble bill defeated at council It’s not simply that Chow has not appeared consistently at Jewish community events, but that raucous anti-Israel protests have gone on throughout the city, which make some Jews feel protesters have gotten a free pass. ‘Bubble zone’ legislation which would have prevented protests near religious institutions was introduced to city council in October 2023—but councillors narrowly voted down the bylaw the following May, instead asking the city manager to devise an action plan and refer it to the police. (Similar legislation has been passed in municipalities near Toronto, including Vaughan and Brampton.) ‘Keeping Toronto Safe from Hate’ came to the police board as a draft proposal in September. Following a unanimous Oct. 12 vote on a motion by Chow—one year after council adopted an initial motion of the same name around anti-hate measures—the city’s website launched a resource page for the initiative. Toronto’s greatest strength is its diversity. If you call Toronto home, you are welcome here. There is space for you. There is no place for Islamophobia, antisemitism or hate. Learn more about what the City is doing to stop hate and build peace at https://t.co/JlIRhk2YqD pic.twitter.com/9OaURrUBLe — City of Toronto (@cityoftoronto) February 27, 2024 The plan covers six categories: infrastructure, legislation, community safety and funding, public education and awareness, incident management and response, and increased collaboration between the City of Toronto and Toronto Police Service. The plan does not propose new municipal departments or entities, and instead draws on the city’s existing diversity, equity, inclusion, and community safety efforts, and policies “promoting respectful conduct, inclusion and an environment free from hate.” In a statement from Chow’s office to The CJN, the mayor noted her support for the Jewish community included affirming a council motion in June from uptown York Centre city councillor James Pasternak—one of four of Toronto’s elected municipal politicians who is Jewish, along with Josh Matlow, Dianne Saxe and newcomer Rachel Chernos Lin—which was called “Fostering Belonging, Community and Inclusion, and Combating Hate in Toronto.” The city committed to relaunch its anti-hate public education campaigns displayed on city-owned bus shelters and benches, maximize safety on city streets through urban design, explore additional city funding for gathering spaces, and direct city staff to review the graffiti management plan to ensure there is a rapid response to hate graffiti. Stickers affixed to the backs of City of Toronto street signs near Ossington Avenue in Toronto’s west end, earlier in 2024. (Credit: Jonathan Rothman) Chow also signed a declaration from multifaith coalition Rally for Humanity, which Pasternak introduced at the most recent monthly meeting of city council. Chow told The CJN in a statement she is committed to the safety and well being of Toronto’s Jewish community. “There is no place for antisemitism in our city—full stop.” This month, the police board passed a long-term hiring plan designed to boost the number of officers. “This plan is responsive to the needs of Torontonians, including members of the Jewish community who have felt unsafe in our city over the last year,” wrote Chow, saying she’ll work with other levels of government to fund the plan. Budget chief Shelley Carroll, a councillor and member of the police board, confirmed in a written response that the Jewish community was among those helping to “shape [the city’s] priorities” during pre-budget consultations that ended Oct. 31. Speaking to The CJN last month, Pasternak—whose riding has a significant Jewish population—called bubble legislation an important step. But leadership and law enforcement are the key issues, he says. “Our big problem is we are not getting universal condemnation and the strong law enforcement aspect that we need to stop... these hateful mobs. One of the most severe consequences [of those] since Oct. 7 is that they have left the city very vulnerable when it comes to law and order. “From the Jewish community point of view, we want to see [TPS] get the resources they need to keep our city safe, to keep our community safe.” Pasternak thanked community leaders when he introduced the declaration at council on Nov. 13, saying “government alone cannot do all the things necessary to keep the city liveable, safe and free from hate, and one of high purpose, through social cohesion.” He told The CJN that protest bubble zones are a “crucial part of keeping our faith-based institutions safe” by creating spaces protesters cannot access. But his colleague Josh Matlow of the midtown St. Paul’s riding–where the Jewish population is also significant— says that “community safety zones,” or bubble zones, and similar measures do not resolve the challenges the city’s Jewish community is facing, which Matlow says are too important for “symbolic gestures... that don’t mean, or achieve, anything.” The initial bylaw was too broadly worded to be enforceable, he said. “It didn’t focus in on the real problem, which is when members of the Jewish community are being harassed and intimidated by protesters. “In many cases before Oct. 7, and certainly since, there’s been a heightened level of insecurity in Toronto’s Jewish community when it comes to their safety. Jewish Torontonians want to feel “that the city and the police are doing everything they can to keep them safe,” said Matlow, including protecting Jewish spaces like schools, synagogues, and community centres, and enforcing existing laws. “It’s really important that whenever any one of our communities is subject to hate and harassment and intimidation, whether that be Black, LGBTQ2S+, Asian, Muslim, or Jewish community, that leaders take a stand and make it very clear we don’t accept that... we stand with the community that’s being victimized. “And what I hear from the Jewish community is that far too often they feel that they’re not treated that way.” The new action plan is taking important steps, he says, with improved coordination between police and the city. “The police have come a long way, and I think they’ve adapted their approach, working with the city. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I think that things have come a long way.” the “yes” vote prevented (and was against) the request for bubble zones. It supported a do nothing approach to the mayhem in our city. https://t.co/wVvKBTF6gD pic.twitter.com/78SC398DvA — James Pasternak (@PasternakTO) May 24, 2024 Josh Matlow, meanwhile, continues to caution that the focus on places of worship—including several prominent Jewish institutions in his own ward—won’t entirely address the issue. “The evidence has shown us that the vast majority of incidents where Jews in our city have been harassed, have been intimidated, have actually not been at synagogues,” he said. “It’s, sadly, almost everywhere else: it’s been in parks... it’s been at Jewish-owned businesses. “The reality is there’s no such thing as a safety [zone] in real life. What we need to do is actually address the surge in antisemitic incidents throughout our city... and that’s not as simple as suggesting that we’re going to create some magic safety bubble.” The view from downtown streets For some Jewish residents, there’s a sense that their local councillors have been ineffective in denouncing antisemitism, especially when it shows up as violent and anti-Israel images and graffiti. Joanna Salit, who lives in the west-end riding of Davenport, where Alejandra Bravo is the city councillor, started a WhatsApp group for concerned residents, saying the graffiti on the streets that is violently anti-Israel makes her and others unsafe. Salit initially met with Bravo in August, followed by another meeting in late September where she was joined by about 20 other concerned members of the Davenport group. Posters and graffiti the community has found threatening and offensive include one recent flyer seen near Oakwood Collegiate, featuring ‘Resistance’ language alongside caricatures of women bearing assault rifles. A poster in Davenport, in the west end of Toronto, seen near a high school in the district. (Submitted to The CJN) Salit says she’s tried to get Bravo to make public statements addressing harmful messages littering the area. Toronto Police Service launched a web form for reporting hate-motivated graffiti in November last yearin the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks—and, in March 2024, TPS statistics showed 342 hate related graffiti occurrences. In a statement to The CJN, Bravo wrote that her office directs residents who report graffiti and posters to refer to the city’s process for removal under existing bylaws, and that TPS investigates reports of hate propaganda and hate-related incidents. “Individual city councillors and their offices do not have the authority to direct bylaw enforcement or police enforcement activities,” she wrote. “While views within Davenport and Toronto may diverge on global events, one thing is clear to me: Antisemitism is a scourge, and it is unacceptable. Hate speech and intimidation of any kind are unacceptable. I unequivocally condemn the recent occurrences of bomb threats, gunshots, and vandalism at Jewish institutions including synagogues and schools.” Bravo also commented after an online video showed an antisemitic rant outside a mechanic’s garage on Geary Avenue. She recently denounced the attack on a mother outside the Chabad of Midtown pre-school—an affiliated location recently opened in her ward—which police are still investigating. My statement on the recent assault outside of a Chabad of Midtown child care centre. pic.twitter.com/r22fc5urLq — Alejandra Bravo (@BravoDavenport) November 15, 2024 “Antisemitic hatred and violence is abhorrent and unacceptable in our communities,” Bravo posted on Nov. 15, after the attack. Salit has emailed Bravo and Chow photos of the posters that call for “resistance” with assault rifles, and says she wants to see a strong stance against those, too. “She [Bravo] really needs to be standing up for all constituents,” said Salit. “And say that Jew hatred in Davenport is not OK.” Sarah Margles is a Davenport resident who attended the meeting at City Hall with Bravo, and says the failure in leadership she sees shows the need to establish and uphold common values in the city. She says her city councillor’s office sent a warm reply to her offer to further discuss subjects like antisemitism on the left wing of the political spectrum, though Bravo’s office has not yet taken her up on the offer. Margles’ sense is that what’s playing out in Davenport is part of a wider dynamic. “The environment is so polarized, and not just on this issue,” she said. “Jews here are feeling scared... feeling attacked because of what’s happening over there. That’s not cool. It’s also true about the experience of Muslims and Arabs and Palestinians who are feeling attacked here by Jews and the pro-Israel movement, and they’re also feeling attacked here because of what’s happening there. And that’s also not cool.” City of Toronto officials, she says, are “also just dealing with rats and power outages... the real city things.” Responses to posters, stickers, and graffiti in Toronto’s west end, including in Davenport, in 2023 and 2024 (Jonathan Rothman photos) When elected officials see signs around that say “resistance at all costs” with images “with a bunch of women holding guns,” they see that with different eyes than the Jewish community does, she said. “The city needs a comprehensive way to look at ‘How do we deal with international clashes that blow up in our city even though the actual things are happening elsewhere, but the sentiment and the emotions and the fear and the anger are exploding here?’” Margles says there’s a lack of leadership in taking that on. “I don’t see them being clear about ‘Here’s what needs to happen in Toronto. We need to figure out how to not take our frustrations out on each other [if we are] upset about what’s happening around the world.” On some of the posters and graffiti on Toronto , exchanges of duelling counter-narratives between ideological opponents lead to erasing the previous message and replacing it with a response, be it to posters, stickers, handbills, or graffiti, including in Davenport, in the year-plus since the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and ensuing war. (Jonathan Rothman photos) Along with standing against antisemitism, and Islamophobia, she says, there’s often disagreement on the line between political advocacy and discrimination. “We’re going to have to figure out how to carve those lines around ‘When is political advocacy tipping into discrimination or harassment of any group?’ And those policies need to be developed robustly and they need to be applied equitably to everyone.”
Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) says the refusal to testify publicly to Congress by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray is a slap in the face to Laken Riley’s family. Riley’s killer, an illegal alien gang member released into the United States, was convicted on Wednesday. As Breitbart News reported, just hours before Mayorkas and Wray were supposed to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, their offices announced they would not be attending the hearing. Marshall, a member of the committee, said their refusal to testify is disrespectful to Angel Families who have lost loved ones to illegal immigration. “This is a slap in the face to the families of Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, and 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, whose lives have been shattered by their sheer incompetence and inability to do their most basic job: Secure our homeland,” Marshall said. “They must be subpoenaed and held in contempt,” he said. Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan illegal alien member of the Tren de Aragua gang, was convicted on all counts of brutally murdering Laken Riley in February of this year on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus in Athens, Georgia. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The day Ibarra murdered Riley, she went for a jog on a route she ran often without any prior incident. Riley was an avid runner and nursing school student at Augusta University. When Riley did not return after her jog, her roommates searched for her and called UGA police. Riley’s body was discovered bludgeoned in a wooded area on the UGA campus. The following day, Ibarra was arrested and charged with Riley’s murder. Ibarra crossed the U.S.-Mexico border near El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 8, 2022. Biden and Harris’s DHS released Ibarra into the U.S. interior with parole. During a Senate hearing in April, Mayorkas justified Ibarra’s release into the U.S. interior, claiming there was a lack of available detention space – even as more than 8,000 detention beds were available at the time. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is sworn in before the House Committee on Homeland Security during a hearing on “A Review of the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security” on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) The same month he was released into the U.S., Ibarra ended up in the sanctuary city of New York, New York, where he requested a “humanitarian flight” to Georgia. In November 2023, just a couple of months before Riley’s murder, Ibarra applied for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). On Dec. 9, 2023, Ibarra’s work permit application was approved. In July 2023, before securing a work permit, Ibarra reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in New York City for a biometric appointment where he was fingerprinted. The results of those fingerprints show Ibarra had a prior criminal history. On Sept. 14, 2023, Ibarra was arrested for acting in a manner that could injure a child. Despite the charge, Ibarra was not prosecuted, and the arrest was expunged. John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here .Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staff
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