Toronto cop coming out with his own version of Bold Face Names

Clearly the Toronto Police Service has never heard of the Streisand Effect. Constable Brent Pilkey is going ahead with releasing Lethal Rage, a fictionalized account of his 15 years serving in Toronto’s 51 Division after the TPS’s human resources department dropped claims that the book is a conflict of interest and that Pilkey could be charged under the Police Services Act. The novel, the first of three in a series and scheduled to be released May 1 by ECW Press, centres around Jack Warren, a rookie cop transferred to 51 Division (the downtown zone that stretches from the lakeshore to Bloor and from Yonge to the DVP), where he has to face conflict within the ranks and high crime rates.

Consider this to be similar to Shinan Govani’s Bold Face Names, a fictionalized account of the gossip columnist’s romp with the rich and famous, but with more guns and a few more references to coke. We’re pretty sure Bill Blair will be among Pilkey’s bold faces (Will Flair?), since Blair started his career in 51 Division and returned in 1995 to restore order as the superintendent. Also likely to be mentioned: the Star’s (in)famous series on police racial profiling in 2002.

Let the speculation begin!

• Cops want to close the book on constable’s novel [Toronto Sun]
• Police brass backs down on beat cop’s crime novel [Toronto Star]
• Officer will not be sanctioned for book [National Post]
• Chief Bill Blair, the most popular man in Toronto [National Post]