Toronto cop won't face sanctions for writing crime novel

by: Matthew Coutts

A controversial crime novel written by an active Toronto police constable will not earn its author official sanction, after the Toronto Police Service reversed its original decision to censor the book for painting an unflattering image of policing in the city’s downtown.

Constable Brent Pilkey, author of the forthcoming Lethal Rage, said he was told Wednesday that he would not be charged under the Police Services Act for publishing the book, despite having permission denied by Police Services.

“I’m beginning to hear that. I haven’t heard official word,” Const. Pilkey said Wednesday. “It’s amazing what a little bit of publicity can do.”

The decision comes one month after Const. Pilkey spoke with the National Post about writing Lethal Rage, a fictional recount of his time policing in the gritty downtown streets of 51 Division.

“It’s a fictional story. I’m not revealing secrets, I’m not revealing investigative techniques or anything like that. Why they are against it, there are things in there that the cops aren’t portrayed in positive light. But if I wrote a book where the cops were all squeaky clean, the book would never be published,” Const. Pilkey told the National Post in March, saying he was ready to accept any consequence that came from writing the book.

“This has been a dream since longer than I have been a cop ... I’d love if they got behind it instead of trying to slap me down for this.”

Aileen Ashman, Toronto Police Service’s director of human resources management, sent a letter to Const. Pilkey in March officially denying him permission to publish the novel, stating, “The staging of locations and events may be viewed by individuals resident in the area as disparaging and disrespectful, including suggestions of differential policing in the area.” Mark Pugash, Toronto Police Service’s director of public information, said Wednesday they had “dropped any opposition for the book.

“We considered her decision and decided it should be reversed,” he said, denying it had anything to do with the publicity Lethal Rage had received.

Lethal Rage, published by ECW Press, is set to launch in May. Const. Pilkey is under contract to write at least two sequels.

Const. Pilkey had said it was orginally suggested that he remove any reference to the city of Toronto, as a way to avoid the perception of a conflict of interest. “You take the references out and you are gutting the book. It just becomes another generic cop story,” he said.

Including Const. Pilkey’s request to author a novel, eight police officers had their request to hold secondary jobs rejected last year because they conflicted with the Police Services Act.

One rejected officer sought ownership of a liquor licensed establishment, another wanted to run a limousine service and four others were court officers seeking security guard positions.

The eighth rejected request was not made public, but was denied based on the member’s medical restrictions.

Forty other requests were accepted.

From: National Post