Mark Saunders ‘expressed regret‘ over some roughly-done police raids of bath houses. This happened some thirty-five years ago.
Observers don’t think this is much of an apology. The word ‘sorry’ is, er, absent.

Many were arrested, most later dismissed.

This reminds me of the infamous Toronto G20 policing incidents. A crowd was kettled in the rain for over three hours, a kilometre away from the seven-metre fence defending the G20 summit. Peaceful protesters in a designated protest area, also far from the actual summit, were ridden into / over by officers on horseback. Police removed their name tags, and all supervisors had amnesia over which officers were involved in beating of several demonstrators, including Adam Nobody.

And then, finally, (thanks to Rosie DiManno of the Toronto Star: a picture of an identifiable officer’s face relating to the ‘Nobody’ assault) one officer was charged and convicted. Of assault with a weapon.
Sort of. Here are some of the background facts.

It is worth noting that a second judge removed the jail time. At last notice, the officer was still being paid.

I bring these two incidents together to ask several questions:

• Has police practice changed much in thirty-five years? Crash raids on bath houses, kettling and mass arrests and assault far from defensive fences?
• Has police accountability changed much in thirty-five years? No officers charged in the past, I’m pretty sure; one convicted and then un-convicted today?
• Will some future Toronto police chief, without saying ‘sorry,’ apologize for the G20 roughhousing of innocent citizens?
• Will we have to wait for thirty-five years?
• Are police apologies only to be expected when the apologizer is unconnected to the relevant events?

and finally,

Will the present Toronto police chief, or the present president of the police union, or the police chief at the time of the G20, or the police union president at the time of the G20: will any of these individuals have the guts and decency to apologize to all of Toronto for the treatment of citizens at that event?

That was the dumb question. Asking for the word ‘sorry’ would be even dumber.