^ pa-c 12 October 20. 2005 news ® University of Saskatchewan researchers discovered that injecting rats with THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, stimuiated new brain ceils. - Harper's Toronto top cop talks tough on gun violence by nick kyonka There have been 40 gun-relat- because somebody is having diffi- NEWS REPORTER ed homicides in Ibronto this year, culties finding work, or even just 24 of tliem this summer getting a decent wage," Blair said. Ibionto Police Chief Bill Blair Blcur said despite the number of "You have to be very careful in spoke out against the recent giiii gun crimes in the cit)'. citizens suggesting tliat these crimes are violence that has beset the city, shouki feel safe. being committed by young people during a barl)ecue last week at "Overwhelmingly the people who are having difficulty getting number's Noitli Campus that were involveil in that violence employment. That's not the case I "We're j;oing to try cvciythiiig and were victims of that violence want tlie employment opportuni- we can," Blair said at the event last were people who were involved in ties to be tliere for our young jjeo- Thursday. "We've got to tn' every- guns and gangs and drug activity ple. but (crime) is a problem witli thing wc can to get tliose guns off in certain niMghbourhoods," Blair hardened criminals, not with the street and reduce the violence said. "If you're not involved in young people generally." " in our communities those activities then the likelihood A report card of tlie city's socio- Gun crime has tiinieil uito a of being the victim of a violent economic situation connected the much-discussed topic witlun tlie city crime in Toronto is actually veiy increase in gun- and gang related this summer as murder rates contin- small." crimes to skyrocketing unemploy- ued to clnnb and innocent ment rates among the city's bystanders became \ictiins. youth "We've ^^ot to try everything "The past few months, cer- The Vital Signs 2005 report tainly through July and August, we can to f>et those guns off said tlie city's youtli unemploy- the city of Toronto diti experi- ment rate readied a 10-ycar high the street and reduce the ence a significant spike in gun last year at 17 per cent. The " violence," Blair said. "Some of violence in our communities. report was released tlie day after that violence has occurred in the barbecue at Noith Campus. - Bill Blair, Toronto Police Chi<. P veiy public settings and put Blair said police have taken innocent people at risk," he .strides thts summer to combat said. This past weekend, however, a violence in the city and that they On Aug. 3, the issue was TTC bus dnver was shot in tlie will contmue to tlo so. brought to the forefront when face by an assailant aiming for a "We've worked verj bard this four-year-old Shaquan Cadougan young man boarding a bus in summer and 1 think we've been was shot during a drive-by shoot- Scarborough. The driver, Jason very alfective in disni[)ting and dis- ing Pereira, 41, has lost the sight in his mantling the gangs that are ^ Cadougan was shot in the left eye and is recovering in responsible for that violence," Blair Driftwood Avenue area, the same Sunnybrook Hospital. said. "We've taken a lot of gang- Jane and Finch neighbourhood Blair also said the increase in sters off the street, a lot of gunmen that has been home to much of the violence should not be linked to off the street and a lot of guns off city's gunplay this year Wliile economic issues. the street. And wc are committed Cadougan sun.'ived the attack, not "It is not my experience that to continuing to rid all of our all victims have been so lucky poor people become criminals ju.st neighbourhoods of that violence." October 20, 2005 ^ news This week in Florida, one Walgreens employee stabbed another during an argument at lunch over who would be first to microwave her soup. - Hsiper's Police step up job action liy nkk kyonka stalled in September when the two the city safe," Blair said in an inter- NEWS REPORTER sides could not reach an agreement. view With CablePulse 24. One concern for the board is the "I understand their fnjstration 'ITus week Toronto Pblice escalat- 3.5 hours of incentive pay officers with the lack of progress in tlie ed job action tactics against stalled receive eacli montfi New police negotiations and I'm urging botii labour negotiations with the city. board chair. Or Alok Mukherjee, parties to get back to the table, to " Police began a work-to-rule said he wants officers to actually get back to work campaign earlier this month after work these hours. 1 le said tliis would Despite reassurances by the negotiations broke off. Officers help get more officci-s on tlie sti^-et. police assoaation, several Huniber started wearing baseball caps and "We are asking oH'icers to work student-s are woiried, threatened to work on a stnctly by- all tlie hours for which tliey arc "Little tilings still count," said the-book basis Provincial laws pro- Ashleigh Almeida, a second-year hibit police ofticers from .striking accounting .student, "Little things can "Our job is to look after As of Wednesday morning, olFi- lead to bigger tilings and more seri- cers discontinued .their regular the community and we'll ous issues." patrols and will only be on the streets " While many aie hoping to reach continue to do that. when driving to and from police sta- an agreement through discussions, tions on dispatched calls. Tliey will - Sgt L.irry Dec, 2^ Division tfie board has re(|uested arbitrator still respond to all eniei;genc)' calls. William Kaplan to reschedule hear- Sgt. Lany Dee, of 23 Division, ings to tlie earliest ilate possible. said liLs coninuinity response unit paid," .'aid Muklierjee in a joint At a press conference yesterday. would continue to make sure press-release with former chair Mayor David Miller urged tlie police [lumber .students are safe. f^am McConneil la.st month association to resume tlLsciissions. "Our job IS to look alter the coni- Police Chief Bill Blair s;iid he is "'Hk.' |)olice semccs board has munit)' and schools aiid we'll con- .sympathetic with tiie officers, but asked the police association to come tinue to do tliat," Dee said. "We'll reminded them tliey are still need- back ti5 the table to bai-gain." .Miller sull be taking care of tlie communi- ed to [irotect tiie city. said at die press conference, "If an ty and going into tlie sdiools." "I'm asking the men and agieement can't be reached tlirough Pre-service firefighter students Peter Temoche and Danielle Contract negotiations between women of our sei-vice to go out bargauiing, (we'll) deal vvitli tlie mat- Bratton show off their charitable spirit. Students from the pro- the police association and the there and do dieir jobs and do ters in arbitration as soon as possi- gram are collecting donations for the burn unit at Sunnybrook 'Ibronto Police Services Board everything they have to do to keep ble" Hospital. Firefighter students will be circulating around North Campus collecting donations in boots until the end of today. Capturing disaster's aftermath Hogtown underground by pu|> uppfll homes, flooded storm Jeanne. He's won a National NEWS REPORTER neighbourhoods Newspaper Award for a picture he Cops target gang members in DVD in New Orleans, took on the coverage of Jeanne. Toronto Star photojournalist dehydrated citi- He has an English degree from byjadynbucfc Lucas Oleniuk captivated a zens and the University of Saskatchewan SENIOR REPORTER Guelph-Humber audience as he shocked resi- and studied art photography dur- shared his e.xpenence covenng the dents. "It was like ing his four years diere. He's Toronto Police have set up a devastation of Hurricane Katnna. being in a war worked for the Saskatoon special taskforce to track down the In his presentation Monday, zone," he SEiid. StarPhoemx, freelanced for The gang members, drag dealers aind iu.|.i u|.|ul Oleniuk descnbcd what it was like 1 k Globe and Mail and has worked for rappers featured in tlie much-pub- Lucas Oleniuk taking pictures of the "worst condi- described how the Star for over three years. licized underground documentary. tions" he had ever seen he had to take cover behind a metal He criticized the delayed relief The Real Toronto, filmed in housing He descnbed how he survived hydro pole when gun shots were response for Katrina victims. He projects across the city. a gunfight, and how he managed fired between two New Orleans res- said "there's no excuse" as to why "I am prepared to tell you that to capture the despair and misciy idents and Eimergcncy Task Force help wasn't provided earlier espe- (the investigation) is not being held of Katnna's aftermatli amid the officers. cially since he was able to drive at a divisional level, we have spe- stench of dead bodies and treach- During die gunfight, Oleniuk into the city on day three. cialist units and it would be han- erous weather conditions. managed to take pictures when offi- "I just don't understand it. It's dled that way," said Mark Pugash, Guelph-Humber media studies cere caught tlie two suspects. One unfathomable to me how people Director of Communications for .student Krista Woof found officer pundied a suspect in the face.