Why has Rob Ford not been charged with anything? Here are eight theories and one real explanation
The Rob Ford crack scandal has taken a dark turn. On Wednesday, a new batch of police documents revealed information suggesting that the mayor has used heroin, and also that he may have tried to use money and influence to silence some alleged gang members who were trying to blackmail him with the infamous crack video.
All of which has led many Torontonians to wonder: why won’t the police just arrest this guy? While it’s impossible to say with certainty what police chief Bill Blair is up to, there are many competing theories. Here’s a rundown of eight of them, only one of which seems like a complete explanation.
1. Ford is getting special treatment because he’s a white guy, or because he’s the mayor
The refrain from a lot of commentators has been something along the lines of, “If Rob Ford were a black kid in Regent Park, he would have been arrested by now.” In fact, the Star‘s Rosie DiManno wrote almost exactly that, and during an interview with some reporters at city hall on Wednesday, councillor Joe Mihevc said something similar, although it was couched in less inflammatory language: “I would certainly urge the police to do what they need to do if he has broken the law, and not look at the title ‘mayor’ in front of Rob Ford’s name.”
2. Ford is getting special treatment because he’s rich
Being a white-guy mayor isn’t Ford’s only social advantage, according to some. He also happens to be rich. This is the line of reasoning councillor Adam Vaughan has been pursuing in his interviews over the course of the past few days. As he told the Post: “Two-tiered policing is not acceptable. A kid like Rob Ford, with a trust fund, gets policed differently? Because if that is the case, that’s wrong.”
3. Police are shaking the tree
There are plenty of theories that don’t assume the police are somehow blinded by prejudice. CTV political analyst Scott Reid believes the police and Crown prosecutors are allowing the mayor’s problems to become public knowledge because they’re playing a longer, more complicated game. As Reid put it, “It may be that they’re releasing these [police documents about Rob Ford]…because they wanted to, what they call, ‘jangle the wires.'” The theory is that the police have wiretaps going—ones the public doesn’t know about yet—and they’re hoping the tsunami of Ford media coverage will get some of their unsuspecting sources talking about his misdeeds.
4. Police have more irons in the fire
The documents released to date have dealt mainly with the arrest of Ford’s friend Sandro Lisi, which means Ford could still be under active investigation. The notion that police may still be watching the mayor and gathering evidence related to a different charge isn’t so far-fetched: just the other day, a police spokesperson confirmed that Project Brazen 2, the investigation into drug allegations against the mayor, is ongoing.
5. Police are waiting for Lisi’s extortion charge to resolve itself
Sandro Lisi’s arrest has to resolve itself sooner or later, either with a trial, or through some kind of deal with Crown prosecutors. It’s possible the police are waiting to see if Lisi has more details he’s willing to divulge in exchange for a deal. Or maybe they’re hoping more evidence will surface during a trial.
6. Police messed up the investigation
A theory being espoused by Clayton Ruby, the lawyer who almost succeeded in getting Ford booted from office on conflict-of-interest charges early this year, is that police incompetence is the reason Ford continues to walk the streets without an ankle bracelet. “I’ve never seen such a botched investigation,” he told the Canadian Press. “And I’ve seen thousands.”
7. Police were just being cautious
So say, you know, the police themselves.
8. Police just don’t have enough evidence to convict him
This is the best explanation we’ve seen. Daniel Stein, a former criminal lawyer, lays out the case in a remarkably clear-sighted post on his blog. “You need a sample of the drug,” he writes. “Every successful prosecution for possession of drugs in this country is founded on a sample of the alleged drug sent to Health Canada for analysis. I once won a case where the only thing lacking was a certificate of analysis. The Crown had police officers who described what looked like drugs. They had fishy behaviour. But no go.” The Post‘s Peter Kuitenbrouwer agrees.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/mayor-rob-ford-not-arrested-charged-crack/&title=Why has Rob Ford not been charged with anything? Here are eight theories and one real explanation&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/rob-ford-not-arrested-crack-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_250105" align="alignnone" width="656"] (Image: Christopher Drost)[/caption]
The Rob Ford crack scandal has taken a dark turn. On Wednesday, a new batch of police documents revealed information suggesting that the mayor has used heroin, and also that he may have tried to use money and influence to silence some alleged gang members who were trying to blackmail him with the infamous crack video.
All of which has led many Torontonians to wonder: why won't the police just arrest this guy? While it's impossible to say with certainty what police chief Bill Blair is up to, there are many competing theories. Here's a rundown of eight of them, only one of which seems like a complete explanation.
1. Ford is getting special treatment because he's a white guy, or because he's the mayor
The refrain from a lot of commentators has been something along the lines of, "If Rob Ford were a black kid in Regent Park, he would have been arrested by now." In fact, the Star's Rosie DiManno wrote almost exactly that, and during an interview with some reporters at city hall on Wednesday, councillor Joe Mihevc said something similar, although it was couched in less inflammatory language: "I would certainly urge the police to do what they need to do if he has broken the law, and not look at the title 'mayor' in front of Rob Ford's name."
2. Ford is getting special treatment because he's rich
Being a white-guy mayor isn't Ford's only social advantage, according to some. He also happens to be rich. This is the line of reasoning councillor Adam Vaughan has been pursuing in his interviews over the course of the past few days. As he told the Post: "Two-tiered policing is not acceptable. A kid like Rob Ford, with a trust fund, gets policed differently? Because if that is the case, that’s wrong.”
3. Police are shaking the tree
There are plenty of theories that don't assume the police are somehow blinded by prejudice. CTV political analyst Scott Reid believes the police and Crown prosecutors are allowing the mayor's problems to become public knowledge because they're playing a longer, more complicated game. As Reid put it, "It may be that they're releasing these [police documents about Rob Ford]...because they wanted to, what they call, 'jangle the wires.'" The theory is that the police have wiretaps going—ones the public doesn't know about yet—and they're hoping the tsunami of Ford media coverage will get some of their unsuspecting sources talking about his misdeeds.
4. Police have more irons in the fire
The documents released to date have dealt mainly with the arrest of Ford's friend Sandro Lisi, which means Ford could still be under active investigation. The notion that police may still be watching the mayor and gathering evidence related to a different charge isn't so far-fetched: just the other day, a police spokesperson confirmed that Project Brazen 2, the investigation into drug allegations against the mayor, is ongoing.
5. Police are waiting for Lisi's extortion charge to resolve itself
Sandro Lisi's arrest has to resolve itself sooner or later, either with a trial, or through some kind of deal with Crown prosecutors. It's possible the police are waiting to see if Lisi has more details he's willing to divulge in exchange for a deal. Or maybe they're hoping more evidence will surface during a trial.
6. Police messed up the investigation
A theory being espoused by Clayton Ruby, the lawyer who almost succeeded in getting Ford booted from office on conflict-of-interest charges early this year, is that police incompetence is the reason Ford continues to walk the streets without an ankle bracelet. "I've never seen such a botched investigation," he told the Canadian Press. "And I've seen thousands."
7. Police were just being cautious
So say, you know, the police themselves.
8. Police just don't have enough evidence to convict him
This is the best explanation we've seen. Daniel Stein, a former criminal lawyer, lays out the case in a remarkably clear-sighted post on his blog. "You need a sample of the drug," he writes. "Every successful prosecution for possession of drugs in this country is founded on a sample of the alleged drug sent to Health Canada for analysis. I once won a case where the only thing lacking was a certificate of analysis. The Crown had police officers who described what looked like drugs. They had fishy behaviour. But no go." The Post's Peter Kuitenbrouwer agrees.){kind=link}
So how come everybody else involved is either in jail or dead? #8 is just an example of how the system works for rich/white people but for the poor/black guy, they will tear up his house to find a weapon. Thanks for being part of the system, TOLife.
Actually that’s a pretty lousy explanation. The question immediately following is “Why don’t you have enough evidence?” It’s not as though there isn’t enough suspicious activity or the alleged crimes weren’t serious enough to justify a more rigorous investigation.
As unlikely as it is that he became mayor it is equally as unbelievable that he could quite possible be a SNITCH. The police won’t arrest him because he is their best asset. Plus, that would explain his transition from being photographed with the Dixon Bloods to having his picture taken with the Hell’s Angels.
I read Stein’s analysis and his position is all about the concept that a prosecution must be a winning prosecution. I disagree. Frankly I don’t think it matters if the charges stick. Charge the man and let the process begin. We need a catharsis here for the City. The heck with the idea that there has to be a win. When he’s done on the stand he’ll be done like dinner. Get Rob Ford and all his ‘associates’ up on the stand and let the chips fall.
That’s nice and fine but no counsel in their right mind goes to trial without a winning hand, not the way it’s done
So far there has just been the pictures of Ford and the envelopes, if the cops swoop in and there are no drugs in the envelope then the investigation is over and lots of heads would roll.
This supposedly correct explanation #8 is also wrong. It assumes that drug possession is the crime Ford might be charged with. The big crime is extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion to get the video and other compromising information.
That would be perfect. Now that his cover has been blown as a police informant, we can send him to Humboldt, Saskatchewan in the witless protection program.
Does everyone have that short of a memory. Eaton Center shooting, Danzig shooting, Rob Ford saying he WILL bring down the gangs in TO…..No matter what he has to do. Well seems to me, he got in with them, every gangster, drug dealer ( they ARE money hungry thieves would just eat up the chance to befriend a rich major, looking for possible ways to blackmail, threaten and expose him in hope of the big bucks), Then when in with them started, at a high risk I might add, to get to know the players. Therefore helping the police to arrange and do both Projects ( more to come I am sure). He may have egg on his face now, BUT, have the police not been able to take down ALOT of the gang players so far. And do you not think that they may be waiting for the even bigger players to come out on tap. Ya, Rob Ford may have got himself into a legal snag along the line, no doult, he told lies, he played the game, did what was needed to gain the trust of the players. Those lies might be neccesary to keep him and his family out of danger, a little egg on his face now, but I think he knows what is coming and will not leave office and plans to be re-elected once all the players are taken care of, he MAY get charged with something, but in the long run people, has this not ended well in the fight against gangs, drugs and weapons in Toronto? YES it has, they have made huge arrests because of this, taken hundreds of gang members down, and I think you will see alot more getting busted in the near future. Just my opinion of course, watching from the cheap seats….I say thanks Mr.Ford, it is starting to feel a little safer in the city. Get down and get dirty, do what it takes. Are you people not happy that so many arrests have been made, and that your children have a lesser chance of being lured into the gang way. Take them down, I don’t care how just do it. This gang stuff is getting really old, chop it down. It will be a very difficult job.
I would tear up a house if I thought it had weapons too. Black or white, get the weapons off our streets.
I’m sure they will.
I can’t quite tell what you are saying, but is it possible that you are suggesting that Ford heroically got himself in with the gangs to gain the trust of the gangs and help the police arrest them? If that is the case, you are a lunatic.
Lisi’s extortion charge has put his credibility on the line in the eyes of the court. It does not matter how much more evidence police can get from Lisi, the defence lawyers will be all over him and he will become more of a liabilities than an asset for the prosecuting team.
Lisi will wind up dead.
that’s the way i perceived the comment too! completely out there – NUTS!
Disgusting! So sickening! No one from this point on should be charged for crack! He is a joke now turns to God for help, you dirty fat liar!