SooToday received the following letter from reader Jeff Shantz in response to our article, Sault police chief abruptly resigns to run for federal Conservatives:
Regardless of political affiliation we should all be concerned about police officers running for political office. Unfortunately, there seems to be a growing trend in police running in elections recently and we see this at all levels, from municipal to federal, and across provinces.
Any political body overseeing, and charged with regulating, the domestic armed force in society should not consist of members of that force, including former ones who are still collecting police pensions. This is especially so in a period in which political parties are pushing for more money and resources for policing (for drugs, borders, etc.).
Such involvement in politics raises questions about the separation of policing and politics—something that is supposed to be a hallmark of democracies. It affects trust and confidence in institutions and raises issues of justice and fairness—especially regarding criticisms of policing practices.
This is not about specific candidates. Police involvement in politics is itself a dangerous mix.
Jeff Shantz
Department of Criminology
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Surrey, BC