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| quote: | Originally posted by malek
are we talking about police officers/crowd ratio? which must be paid for (double and triple hourly wages) ?
i am very curious as what is the ratio, we have a similar bylaw in Montreal btw.
And how could the ACC be much more expensive than the Bell Center (4th busiest in the world)?
Would a 150$-200$ ticket price be too much in Toronto for such event? |
| quote: |
Do cops want rave-free T.O.?
Police make promoters hire so many expensive off-duty cops, it will drive them out of business
By SCOTT ANDERSON
The city's so-called protocol for the operation of safe raves is carrying all the authority of a birdcage liner. As Toronto police arbitrarily escalate their presence at legal all-night dance parties, the safe rave guidelines are in danger of becoming a joke.
Critics charge that the cops are trying to price raves out of business.
One promoter, Hullabaloo, faced with increased security costs and the possibility of arrest, cancelled a recent event at the Docks.
Kim Stanford, chair of the Toronto Dance Safety Committee, which developed the protocol with police and city council, says the cops are trying to do an end run around the guidelines.
The protocol calls for one pay-duty officer for every 500 patrons. However, the rules also allow police to use their discretion.
Upped number
"Certain divisions have upped that number because of the clause 'at the discretion of the divisional head,'" says Stanford. "It appears that what some police are trying to do is to price the protocol out of reality, so that the number they are requiring is not feasible in terms of the budget the promoters are working with."
The police presence at the Eminem-headlining hiphop DJ event at the Better Living Centre last weekend looked more like an occupational force than a security detail.
Police arrested 24 people on 57 mostly drug-related charges. (Police could not provide NOW with a breakdown of the arrests.)
There were 70 pay-duty officers, including 15 undercovers, policing a crowd of approximately 8,000. That's nearly one police officer for every 100 patrons. The promoter's total police bill? Over $45,000.
But that wasn't the total security bill. The promoter had to cough up an additional $22,000 for 97 private security staff.
The promoter, Goin' Deep Productions, could not be reached for comment.
Compare this event to the police detail at Dose Productions' rave at the Better Living Centre last month. Even though there were more ravers, about 12,000, there were fewer pay-duty cops, 32 (and that included 10 undercovers).
Sergeant Steve Clark, the officer at 14 Division who arranged the police detail for the Eminem party, denies that they are trying to drive raves out of business. He maintains that he beefed up the presence because it was a hiphop show, not a traditional rave.
"I was concerned about a clash between the hiphoppers and the ravers, because they don't go together," he says.
Clark also disputes the one-officer-per-500-patrons number. He says the protocol number is more like one to 350.
"First of all, it's just a rough guide," he says.
As well, Clark maintains that Exhibition Place has its own protocol. "When we met and tried to set up this protocol, (city councillor) Olivia Chow did it very quickly. I told them, quite frankly, 'You can set up any protocol you want, but I, along with (councillor Joe) Pantalone and the board of governors of Exhibition Place, already have a protocol in place for the Ex. You can set up anything you want, but if it doesn't meet our protocol, (the rave) still isn't going to happen here.'"
Word out of city hall is that Mayor Mel is considering banning raves altogether in city-owned buildings. This could create a venue squeeze, since police are already discouraging other legal raves around town.
Hullabaloo was slated to host a party at the Docks on April 15. But two days before, the promoter and the club's management met with police from 51 Division and superintendent Ron Tavener, who heads up the police rave "strike force."
Although Hullabaloo had hosted a rave for 2,600 at the Docks in February that went off without incident with only five pay-duties, police were now requiring 15 officers to police the same number of patrons.
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source:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/19...s/feature2.html
some more interesting blah blah blah ..
http://www.popcenter.org/Problems/S...cregulation.pdf
http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/fren...mmendations.pdf
http://www.tribemagazine.com/board/...read.php?t=3136
this is one comparing cities across Canada:
http://www.djdoubled.com/citysurveycanada.pdf
And last but not least..
Bill 73, Raves Act 2000 - City of Toronto
http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bi...essionID=37%3A1
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Palm Trees > Pine Trees , Sand > Snow
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