Pubdate: Fri, 04 Mar 2005
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Alan Cairns And Himani Ediriweera, Toronto Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

'SACRIFICE JUST AWFUL'

Massacre Stuns Fantino, 40 Top Cops

THE MURDERS of four RCMP officers at an Alberta pot farm has "devastated" a 
delegation of 40 top Ontario cops studying anti-terrorism measures in 
strife-torn Israel. "It is the middle of the night and not too many people 
are sleeping right now after hearing about this tragedy," former Toronto 
chief and Ontario's new emergency czar Julian Fantino said from Tel Aviv 
early this morning.

"The sacrifice these young men have made ... is just awful ... there have 
been too many people sleeping on this issue."

One day into his new portfolio, Fantino led a group of 33 police chiefs and 
deputy chiefs under the umbrella of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of 
Police (OACP), Ontario's Community Safety Minister Monte Kwinter and OPP 
Commissioner Gwen Boniface to Israel to study anti-terrorism strategies.

Fantino said OACP has warned about the perils of marijuana grow houses "for 
years."

"It is just so tragic that such a point had to be made as it has been in 
this way," Fantino said.

"What a tragedy. Words escape me," Fantino added.

Fantino's replacement in Toronto, interim chief Michael Boyd, said the 
murders stunned Toronto Police.

"The policing family across the country -- we're all very supportive of one 
another," Boyd said.

"The four slain officers are heroes," said Dave Wilson, president of the 
Toronto Police Association.

"We must never forget how they sacrificed their lives to protect others," 
he added.
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MAP posted-by: Beth