Canadian Police Banish Families From Playing in Park: "I'm In Charge Here"

By Amanda Warren

Last Sunday, some British Columbia dads gathered their kids to a public park; a field fit for some father-son soccer time. We’ve reported in the past about America’s unfortunate export to the UK and Canada – police brutality and authoritarianism. Permit-pushing is another problem. Unfortunately, that attitude continues to grow and even mall cops, bureaucrats and bylaw officers want a piece of the power pie.

People are grateful when, during a confrontation, if officers are called they bring resolution to a situation without anyone getting hurt. Not so much when they are the confrontation.

News anchors astutely observed that while bonding in the park away from crime, the “Kids…[got] a very different lesson from a bylaw officer.”

Families are still unsure why they were targeted while playing in the park. The official line is that a permit is required for organized games – obviously, some impromptu and informal soccer does not warrant getting kicked out without a permit. They also couldn’t help but notice that some others were allowed to stay.

A female Surrey officer who seemingly suffers from small-man syndrome, actually called for the back-up of Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She clapped her hands to get their attention like they were all children, gesticulated, and said with an authoritative smile on her face,

Listen to me! I’m in charge here, today, okay?

So today…you will pick up your cones – you will go home.

Full footage of the dads trying in futility to reason with the officers and explain:

I think you will recognize the inflection when she says “okay” – it’s usually only heard from authoritarians, teachers of small children and in comedy. Instead of resolution, all activity was shut down for lack of unnecessary papers.

Apparently, the families have had to talk to their children about feelings of being bullied, reassurance that they didn’t do anything wrong and a new fear of cops and playing in the park. The backlash, the embarrassment of the park manager and negative press has caused the city to distance themselves from the behavior of “inexperienced law officers” for the time being. Surrey city has tried to reassure people that they can come back to the parks.

Would you feel like being shuffled off the field with your children if this were you and you were treated in this manner?

H/T: CopBlock

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