A short story illustrating why police reform is extremely difficult in Toronto & politicians don't want to touch it. 52 Division on Dundas W has a public plaza in front of it. Trees, planters, benches. My OCAD students once did a project in it. Public. Could use a touch of love. 
20 years ago it was a parking lot for police cruisers & the private vehicles of police officers. It was illegal to park there but they did. There were signs, etc., ignored. Area residents were upset, cops did not care, kept parking. Enter then City Councillor Olivia Chow.
In 2001 she made an attempt to get the cars out of the public plaza. Even taking it to council, looking to redesign plaza, etc as a way to fix. Nothing. Cops kept parking in public plaza (they have parking/underground garage in back). Read it here here: toronto.ca/legdocs/2001/a…
(This was a particular belligerent time for 52 Division in the Fantino era when officers from here raided the Pussy Palace bathhouse - another story tho dailyxtra.com/pussy-palace-c…)
It was only when a protection racket broke in 2004 involving 52 Division officers did cars finally disappear. It took major criminal activity to get this other issue cleared up. (Apart from when garage was being fixed 10yrs ago, it's mostly been car free) theglobeandmail.com/news/national/…
The single biggest civic budget item gets the least amount of civic debate. Police reform will be an incredible battle but it must be part of recovery: resource allocation + urban remaking, post-Covid. A v good thread by Elamin this morn.
