In an effort to stop hateful comments about its members from spreading on Facebook, The Toronto Police Association has asked the province's independent investigators to release preliminary autopsy findings for a young man who died in a police pursuit near York University last month.
Facebook sites memorializing Junior Alexander Manon, whose death is being probed by the Special Investigations Unit, accuse the police of killing the 18-year-old and have launched a campaign of threats against them, said president Mike McCormack.
"Rumours and innuendo" spread on Facebook about the death are hurting efforts to connect with people in the area, he added, and it's something police officers, who are members of his association, have noted.
"There's starting to be an erosion between police and community relationship," he said. "There's definitely tension and it's precipitated by a lack of information."
Rumours about the early autopsy results have circulated for a while, and he thinks it would be better if everyone had the same information. He's appealing to SIU director Ian Scott to release it.
Efforts to contact Mr. Scott and the SIU Tuesday night were unsuccessful.
The TPA expressed specific concern about a comment on a Facebook group about local officers, which reads [sic]"31 division aint getting away nd we all makin sure dat happening everyman wishes de had a bazooka or sumting to blow dat place up right now."
Facebook groups such as POLICE KILLED TEEN, WE CAN'T LET THEM GET AWAY! have been packed with comments alleging "police brutality."
Toronto lawyer Julian Falconer, who is now representing Mr. Manon's family, said his clients are offended by the TPA's plea.
"From the family's perspective, I'm utterly astounded that police officers with a statutory duty to maintain confidentiality on information around a criminal investigation - which is precisely what an SIU investigation is - would be providing half information as a public relations exercise."
He said the family is pleased with the investigation and is confident the SIU, which is an independent body of civilians who probe incidents involving police and citizens that result in injury or death, is doing its job.
While the Toronto Police can't control what people say online, it can improve communication with people by getting on social networks, said Constable Scott Mills, who was named the service's Social Media Officer in April.
Sadly, many police and provincial agencies are still unwilling to or unknowledgeable about how to connect with the community in that way, he said.
"For me, social media is most definitely my most effective way to connect with community, especially the youth I work with," he said. "It can be frustrating, the lack of professional organizations and professional agencies that have that presence. You have to devote resources to it."
He said he had to go through many bureaucratic levels to get permission to post the name of the SIU investigator on the Facebook groups about the Manon case so people with information can contact the investigator.
Constable Mills agrees the anger and frustration expressed online is hurting, not helping.
"It's not the end of the world, but it's definitely a set-back and we're going to have to work very hard going forward to mend some of these fences."