OPP pulls a prick move

[QuietChaos]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/05/01/canadian-police-pull-over-entire-mini-convoy/

Well, not just the OPP, but a local station as well.

"Every year, the Southern Ontario Mini Club organizes two charity drives – one in the Spring and one in the Fall. Over time, the event has grown from a handful of participating cars to over 30, and as such, this year the organizers let local law enforcement know where the caravan would be and when it would be there as a courtesy. So far, so good, right? Not exactly.

During the first part of the drive, the convoy ran into a few members of the Ontario Provincial Police without incident. One officer even went so far as to tell the organizers that there was only one other patrol for the rest of the route. Turns out that wasn't quite true.

Instead of providing an escort for the convoy or thanking the organizers for a heads up, the OPP set up a speed trap along the route where the limit changes from 100 km/h to 90 km/h. When the parade of Minis came past, officers pulled over the whole lot, and cited three cars for going 121-123 kmh in a 90 kmh zone, or about 76 in a 55. One driver was also cited for having a radar detector and had his equipment confiscated.

Yes, setting up a speed trap on a charity drive is a prick move, but it gets worse. The OPP evidently called the local television station beforehand so they could film the whole sting. Once the station had the film, they broadcast a story claiming that 11 of the Mini drivers had been arrested for doing 50 kmh over the speed limit and that they had their vehicles confiscated as a result. Even worse, the story claimed that some of the Mini drivers had their children with them and that the OPP had called the Canadian equivalent of child services on the parents.

Members of the Mini club complained to the station, and the video was taken down as a result, though no apology or retraction has been issued so far."

[raijin-xiii]

wow wtf?

after the first paragraph I thought "hey calling the police in advance before we have meets might be a good idea!" but I guess not.

[DreadedFist]

Yes, setting up a speed trap on a charity drive is a prick move, but it gets worse. The OPP evidently called the local television station beforehand so they could film the whole sting.

mind boggling.

[falcon]

Classic OOP. Dicks.

I thought our cops are bad out here but I am SO glad I don't live in corruptville TO.

[QuietChaos]

That was a low blow. People are trying to do good, and this is how they're rewarded. "No good deed goes unpunished." True, that.

[NismoS-tune]

Thank god for Ontario in Canada. They're so smart. No wonder we're getting so many new workers from Ontario coming to alberta, they're tired of the political crap

[G.T.R]

So your telling me that the OPP are dicks because people want to speed break HTA law and not have consequences. Yeah makes ton of sense. You would think that knowing the police would be around SINCE THEY TOLD THEM. One would say to themselves.....HEY maybe I should not speed maybe I should not use my radar detector because I plan to speed and don't want to get caught my ontario illegal radar detector? Yeah the OPP are real dicks, not allowing people break the law blatantly and look the other way. Its like telling the police I am going to go sell crack to school kids and be offended when they arrest me for selling crack to kids.

[QuietChaos]

1. "One officer even went so far as to tell the organizers that there was only one other patrol for the rest of the route."

2. THREE cars (out of over THIRTY) were hit for doing 30 over in a transition zone from 100 to 90. That's essentially doing 20 over. Tell me you've never done this.

3. Setting up a sting to intercept a group of enthusiasts doing a good thing is cheap. It was a bloody charity drive. To also inform the news channel is even lower, and it lowers the reputation of a good group of people who really did nothing wrong. To then allow said news channel to broadcast an exaggeration and twisted version of the story is pathetic.

"The organizers acted in good faith by attempting to co-operate with the OPP beforehand and during the cruise. They were rewarded by being used as a rather pathetic media stunt. "

^That's exactly what it was. A publicity stunt.

Read this again. Tell me that this was justified.

"Once the station had the film, they broadcast a story claiming that 11 of the Mini drivers had been arrested for doing 50 kmh over the speed limit and that they had their vehicles confiscated as a result. Even worse, the story claimed that some of the Mini drivers had their children with them and that the OPP had called the Canadian equivalent of child services on the parents."

I'm not putting all of this on the OPP, but the station also-which by the way did NOT issue an apology OR retraction of any kind to the Mini owners.


"For the record, the MINI folks are fully intending to continue their annual charity cruises, collecting donations for the OSPCA."

[G.T.R]

I find allot of this very hard to believe. I have never heard of the OPP EVER informing news stations of things like this. Its not good publicity.What most likely happened is since the news stations watch the OPP GHQ like a hawk were most likely in the area and reported on what they saw, not so much as to what happened. And the things that were apparently said by the OPP seem very big that they arrested drivers and so forth. The matter of the fact that if I ever speed is not whats at question here. No one can say they never have. But the fact is in black and white they exceeded the speed limit. You say southern ontario eh? I am from there, that exit looks familiar but I am having trouble finding more info. But it seems according to the reference located in the link the convoy began on the 400N and they were at memorial dr. The OPP GHQ is on memorial drive....also they did it on a sunday. There is always radar on the 400 on sunday as its cottage goers that always go up the highway at fast speeds to make sure they get there on time. Also they were speeding as in that stretch of road by memorial dr. The speed limit decreases as it turns into hwy 11 N instead of the 400 this is no longer a highway it is a municipal road. with a speed limit of 70-80kmh varying. they decided not to slow down for this and got pinged with it accordingly. Just because you gave notice does not excuse illegal activities. Im sorry but people have the choice to drive the way they do. Do not see how the OPP is at fault for doing there jobs. I just see a bunch of butt hurt mini owners because there convoy got tagged because they dont observe posted speed limits. And the person with the radar detector, yeah great law abiding group there riding to follow the rules with there radar detector yes of course.

[falcon]

Don't defend corrupt and dickhead cops.

Unless you are one.

[G.T.R]

I am trying to figure out how they are corrupt and **** heads for doing there jobs. People sped on a municipal road PEOPLE LIVE AND WORK OFF OF THIS ROAD. this is not some closed highway where everyone is guarded by cement barriers. I have some complaints about this negative b.s article that makes them look like dicks for no reason. Also falcon believe it or not even though you view VAN police as corrupt and abusive does not mean the OPP is, so unless you have been to ontario and dealt directly with the OPP where they have been **** heads and corrupt your statement is as one sided as this article.

[QuietChaos]

Don't defend corrupt and dickhead cops.

Unless you are one.

Thank you, sir.

No, G.T.R, it's not good publicity for the OPP..now that the words getting out that all was not as they suggested it to be. This was a publicity stunt gone wrong for the OPP, but the majority of the public will still view Mini enthusiasts as irresponsible punks until a public apology is issued.

You say you don't think the OPP would do this -- your opinion is irrelevant because you are biased, being a future OPP officer. The article reveals both sides of the story, which is more than what the station offered.

[G.T.R]

How does this article reveal both sides read the article posted by the mini owners club organizer seems a little more level headed and co-incides with what is being done. The article you posted seems like a bash fest of an article posted by a butt hurt person who just does not like the police. I HIGHLY doubt this was a publicity stunt because no one using logic would say this is a good idea. But question for both of you if I went on your street and drove my car 50kmh in excess of the speed limit while your family and people you cared about were in occupation of said area would this be something deemed allowable? I am an aspiring police officer but not one. I am a civilian I think the article is by people who were offended by the fact that there illegal actions got tagged as much as they think it was a sting. They sped on cottage roads. Roads notorious for many radar and speed traps. So they were tagged by radar or some sort of speed measurement to get pulled like that. I don't see whats wrong with this as they sped full well knowing the speed limit. And they did it for charity awesome sounds like a very contributing community. But dont portray it as if the police took a bunch of disabled kids out of there wheel chairs and through them on the floor that is not the case. The owners knew what they were doing they took the opportunity to speed and got booked for it. This is not a case of abuse more a case of people think there allowed to get away with the world because they deserve special parameters. So if I go and drop a couple bucks into the coin box at tims, I am now allowed to go commit illegal acts because when I get stopped I can cause a fit having just donated money to the tim hortons camp foundation fund WHAT ANIMALS THESE PEOPLE ARE I GAVE MONEY TO A CHARITY I SHOULD BE EXEMPT TO EVERYTHING BAD!

[nitescream]

Yes we all speed and if you get caught going over the speed posted its your own fault! OPP just doing their jobs! Cops dont have to take into consideration that your in a charitable event!

DONT BREAK THE LAW...EASY!

[GTR-guy]

I think this discussion went far enough.
There is no arguments to be won here, people either praise the police of dislike them.
I'm the later BTW!
Thread closed!