Maybe today's stepped up work - to - rule campaign by the City of Toronto's Police isn't such a bad thing. I mean, drivers will likely not be subjected to receiving those annoying speeding tickets anymore.

On the other hand, police will only be responding when called - which means there will be no pre-emptive police service until this issue is resolved. Do I blame the police? Absolutely not. They are already overworked and are not properly provided with the amount of force and equipment that they rightly deserved.

That fact, coupled with the reality that Toronto is becoming more violent, leads me to once again attribute this fiasco to none other than David Miller.

Now, please do not jump to the conclusion that I have a personal vendetta against David Miller. I recognize the fact that several of my recent posts have been highly critical of the Mayor - but what can I say? The Mayor has been neglecting some VERY important challenges facing the city.

When it comes to addressing the crime issue David Miller has done very little aside for setting up some after-school, at-risk youth programs. I want to be very clear that I am a BIG supporter of these sort of initatives - it addresses the problem at a young age and at its source before crimes have even been committed in many instances. Miller should be commended for these programs.

However, there is a time and place for everything and it all boils down to priorities. There is a time and place to address issues of poverty, transportation, taxation, the environment, garbage, and violent crime. The reality has been for some months now that violent crime is a serious issue - yet for some reason David Miller has yet to catch on. Not only was he late in visiting several of the communities severely affected by violent crime, but he has done nothing in the way of showing his support, either symbollically or finacially.

Where has Mayor Miller been? If I had a choice of securing a "new deal for Toronto" or addressing the emergence of violent crime, and the deaths of several of Toronto's youth, I would support the latter. I am the furthest thing from a union supporter - however, I am going to have to make this the exception. Our beloved police force has been overworked for too long, they need to have the resources made available to them now.

We cannot wait any longer for our after school programs to begin showing results - we need to ensure that they are maintained no doubt, but we must stop this violence now. David Miller, please take the message being sent to you by Toronto's finest seriously, and finally develop a plan to address violent crime.