No one is above the law. Clearly updated policies and continued education on effective communication, accountability and the use/misuse of force are needed.
“Even when police chiefs want stricter punishment, though, their hands are often tied. Andalib-Goortani, the only Toronto police officer convicted for his actions during the G20 summit, was originally sentenced to 45 days in jail. But that was overturned on appeal. The Toronto Police Service then wanted him busted down in rank for a year. After an internal disciplinary hearing, an independent arbitrator decided even that was too harsh. Andalib-Goortani lost five days pay, then went back to work. His case reflects a larger problem in Canadian policing, says Alok Mukherjee, former chairman of the Toronto Police Services Board.”
“The whole process for dealing with misconduct by a police officer is so cumbersome and complex that it doesn’t seem that anybody has control over it in the same way that an employer has control over dealing with misconduct by any other employee,” he said.”
“Police discipline in Ontario is governed by the provincial Police Services Act, which has not been updated since 1990. Uniformed officers cannot be fired or seriously sanctioned directly by their superiors for misconduct. Instead, they face a quasi-judicial tribunal.”
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/1112-na-badcops