Angels cutting ties with former Blue Jays all‑star after troubling start to season

Ex-Disney star turned porn actress: 'You were just a product being sold'

Rogers to offer voluntary buyouts to 10,000 employees: Report

LILLEY: Mark Carney's new Sovereign Wealth Fund just like all other funds

LILLEY: How GardaWorld lobbying could cost thousands of Canadian veterans their jobs

Share this Story : Toronto Sun Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

AGAR: Retired Toronto cop needs to back his allegations of antisemitism by naming names

Hank Idsinga spoke about antisemitism and anti-black racism during his time on the job in a recent CBC interview

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Canada is a country troubled by racism and anti-police sentiment, and perhaps no more so than in Toronto.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.

Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.

Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Don't have an account? Create Account

Now, former head of Homicide in Toronto Hank Idsinga has thrown fuel on that fire in his memoir, The High Road: Confessions of a Homicide Cop.

AGAR: Retired Toronto cop needs to back his allegations of antisemitism by naming names Back to video

Joe Warmington writes in the Toronto Sun that in an “interview with the CBC’s chief correspondent Adrienne Arseneault where he talked of hearing antisemitic and racist language and discovered officers handling such complaints may have been expressing such sentiments.”

Idsinga has also said, “he witnessed a ‘culture’ problem within the Toronto Police Service.”

Given nearly daily protests in the city, many of which target Jews in Canada, it is especially troubling to think that the soft approach police have taken to the situation might be because there is antipathy toward Jews in the officers themselves.

A different opinion from another cop

Another long-time homicide detective with the Toronto Police Service is Mark Mendelson, who told me he was the third Jew ever hired by TPS.

What was his experience?

On my NEWSTALK1010 radio show, Mendelson, who serves as a police and crime expert and commentator for the station and for CTV, discussed the issue.

Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.

There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

“In my over thirty years with the Toronto Police Service from 1977 on, I worked in uniform, I worked in undercover drugs, I was one of the original members of what has now become the hate crime unit, and I spent half of my career in the homicide squad,” Mendelson said.

“Hank has his lived experience, and I don’t have any qualms with that at all. I have mine as well, and all I can tell you is that in all my years, not one time did I ever experience any form of antisemitism whether it was overt, whether it was to my face, I just didn’t experience it.”

Toronto police’s response

Naturally, Toronto police want to investigate and, to that end, have requested that Idsinga talk with them and give information. No names are given in the book.

So far, it appears Idsinga has not accepted that offer.

Mendelson says, “Hank’s a good man, he isn’t stupid, but from my experience I can’t say in all honesty that I ever experienced one moment of it.”

I followed by saying that while we have Idsinga’s story, but if it was the case that TPS had a systemic problem, institutional racism in the force, “I think you would have encountered it.”

Mendelson said, “Oh, without question. It has been suggested by other organizations that it is a systemic problem within the police service. I think people are wrapping in what happened with Hamas and Gaza and Israel a couple of years ago in October and police response.”

“I have no issue being critical of the police,” Mendelson said, “and we talked about how they reacted to these demonstration early on. I don’t give a damn about the thin blue line. Reality is reality. But I don’t see anything that would warrant the suggestion there is systemic antisemitism within the Toronto police.”

Mendelson said, “It all has to start with naming names, giving details and giving context. He’s a big boy; he can stand on his own feet quite well.”

Idsinga served the city well, but if he wants to be seen as someone more than just a guy trying to sell a book, he has to step up one more time.

HOMICIDE HERO: Retired cop Hank Idsinga solved some of Toronto's biggest murders

WARMINGTON: Toronto Police offer to discuss antisemitism and racism allegation with retired cop

Share this Story : Toronto Sun Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Angels cutting ties with former Blue Jays all‑star after troubling start to season Toronto Blue Jays

Angels cutting ties with former Blue Jays all‑star after troubling start to season

Ex-Disney star turned porn actress: 'You were just a product being sold' Television

Ex-Disney star turned porn actress: 'You were just a product being sold'

Rogers to offer voluntary buyouts to 10,000 employees: Report Canada

Rogers to offer voluntary buyouts to 10,000 employees: Report

LILLEY: Mark Carney's new Sovereign Wealth Fund just like all other funds Columnists

LILLEY: Mark Carney's new Sovereign Wealth Fund just like all other funds

LILLEY: How GardaWorld lobbying could cost thousands of Canadian veterans their jobs Columnists

LILLEY: How GardaWorld lobbying could cost thousands of Canadian veterans their jobs

© Toronto Sun