The Bay pulls controversial 'Don’t Talk to Cops!' clothing

spaminator

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The Bay pulls controversial 'Don’t Talk to Cops!' clothing
By Terry Davidson, Toronto Sun
First posted: Monday, May 09, 2016 07:55 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, May 09, 2016 08:01 PM EDT
TORONTO - Hudson’s Bay scrambled on Monday to strip caps and T-shirts that proclaimed “Don’t Talk to Cops!” from store shelves and its website.
HBC had been selling the $40 baseball caps and $35 shirts made by the OBEY Clothing line, founded by U.S. artist and skateboarder Shepard Fairey.
Both items conveyed the controversial message in big white letters across their fronts.
Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack said the clothing’s message doesn’t help officers do their jobs, particularly in high-risk neighbourhoods where there may be a distrust of his members.
“It’s a very negative message, and we have a huge problem with it,” said McCormack, who contacted the retailer’s head office about his concerns.
“It validates what some people might be saying in the community, which doesn’t make for public safety,” he insisted. “It is not helpful to police, it is not helpful to the public ... We need to protect the public, and public co-operation ... is imperative to policing.”
Early on Monday, several of the caps sat on a table on the fifth floor of chain’s flagship store on Yonge St. Just across the street is the Toronto Eaton Centre, where a food court shooting in the summer of 2012 resulted in the deaths of two men — intended targets — and the injuring of several innocent bystanders.
The revelation about the hats and shirts also comes at a time of debate around carding, a controversial police practice where citizens are stopped and questioned as a way of collecting information many officers insist is valuable to crime fighting.
HBC spokesman Tiffany Bourre confirmed in an email that the items were being axed.
“We are pulling the product from our stores and online,” said Bourre, who stressed that the “safety and well-being of all individuals is always our number one priority.”
Bourre did not respond when asked why the retailer permitted the sale of the items in the first place.
The Toronto Police Service had little to say on the matter.
“I don’t think it is for us to comment,” spokesman Mark Pugash said. “It is up to the Bay to explain why they do what they do.”
TDavidson@postmedia.com
A hat with the slogan "Don't Talk to Cops" on display at the Hudson's Bay store in downtown Toronto on Monday, May 9, 2016. (Postmedia Network)

The Bay pulls controversial 'Don’t Talk to Cops!' clothing | Toronto & GTA | New
 

TenPenny

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Just follow the murder trial in Hamilton. The two skanky girlfriends refused to go to the cops, and one even wiped prints off the trailer. Amazing that this is what society has come to - never speak to the cops, even when it's obvious there's been a murder.


Both of those skanks should burn in hell.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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Just follow the murder trial in Hamilton. The two skanky girlfriends refused to go to the cops, and one even wiped prints off the trailer. Amazing that this is what society has come to - never speak to the cops, even when it's obvious there's been a murder.


Both of those skanks should burn in hell.
Wiping prints off the trailer is a crime. Not talking to the cops isn't. It's sound legal advice.
 

TenPenny

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Also not a crime.

Sounds like you don't want people you dislike to have legal rights.



It has nothing to do with legal rights. Your perspective is that if someone has a good idea that they know that a major crime has been committed, they should say nothing to anyone. Sort of makes the whole 'crimestoppers' pointless, doesn't it? And I guess that means there's no point in offering rewards to help with the capture of a fugitive, because nobody should ever say anything to anyone.
 

Tecumsehsbones

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It has nothing to do with legal rights. Your perspective is that if someone has a good idea that they know that a major crime has been committed, they should say nothing to anyone. Sort of makes the whole 'crimestoppers' pointless, doesn't it? And I guess that means there's no point in offering rewards to help with the capture of a fugitive, because nobody should ever say anything to anyone.
Pretty much. Might could be different in Canada, but hereabouts talking to the cops is never a good idea.
 

EagleSmack

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Not talking to the cops isn't. It's sound legal advice.

We'd like to have a few words.

Sure

We'd like you to come down town.

Why?

We'll all be more comfortable downtown.

I'm comfortable right here.

We just like to conduct our interviews at the station. It is the way we do it.

No thanks. Let's talk here.
 

tay

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I have to ponder if they actually sold any of these to 'The Bay' crowd?
I just don't see 'The Bay' shoppers as being too rowdy....
 

EagleSmack

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I have to ponder if they actually sold any of these to 'The Bay' crowd?
I just don't see 'The Bay' shoppers as being too rowdy....

So you stuck to the tourist areas eh? The Parks, the museums, Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge etc. Smart.