The notorious alleged crack video? Talk on wire taps about buying or selling the video?
Nothing?
The chief, brilliantly, would not answer either way.
In fact more than ten times, in ten different ways, the dogged reporters tried to trip up Chief Bill Blair to draw the link between Mayor Rob Ford and the Dixon Rd. raids.
Like Nick Wallenda on the high wire, the chief was cautious.
“I am not able to disclose any of the investigative methodologies that were employed in this case or to disclose any of the evidence that has (been) obtained,” said the chief about ten times. “The only place for the legal disclosure is in a court of law.”
What was that code for? Or was it just a chief laying out the facts?
You have to read into it yourself what you think it all means. You can be sure there will be reporters at the court hearings of those who were charged in this operation.
The conundrum continues. It is, as they say, a riddle wrapped up in an enigma.
Meanwhile, the irritated mayor was more concise.
“You guys can’t get it through your thick skulls,” Ford angrily told reporters following him into an elevator at City Hall. “I’ve already answered all these questions. I have nothing to do with this.”
He didn’t call them maggots this time at least — although clearly media vans following him and reporters and camera people approaching him on his personal driveway is starting to look more like harassment than fostering accountability.
If he was concerned about what police were up to Thursday, he didn’t show it. In fact, had nothing but kudos for them.
“I congratulate the police on doing their work,” said Ford.
Congratulations are in order.
The bottom line is the city is safer today because of it.
After the Eaton Centre and Danzig St. massacres a year ago and the head-in-the-sand approach of “one idiot with a gun” there is nothing but praise for shutting down violent criminal enterprise from me.
It was incredible police work.
“Police shut down a stream of guns into the GTA which gangs use to build their criminal enterprise, to terrorize, wound and murder to protect their million dollar drug operations,” said crime specialist Ross McLean. “It was impressive and I think the chief and Toronto Police deserve congratulations.”
In fact I offered just that when talking to Blair after the news conference while teasing him on how adept he was in the news conference.
That was some fine footwork by the big guy.
“I kept bringing it back to the (bust)” Blair told me with a grin. “It was a very important operation.”
You better believe it.
More than $572,000 in cash seized, 40 guns, $3-million in drugs, 43 arrested and an alleged criminal organization, temporarily at least, shut down.
Think of the lives that may have been saved.
But who are we kidding? The only reason there was so much interest in this news conference is because people are hoping it’s another piece in the puzzle linking the mayor to some alleged crack video.
The dogged media peppered the chief.
They did their job.
He did his.
In doing it, Blair managed not to throw Ford to the blood-thirsty sharks if indeed there is a connection, but didn’t protect him from possible future revelations either.
In fact everything after this news conference was exactly where it was before it: Plenty of rumour, gossip and speculation but still, so far at least, no smoking pipe.
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