PULSE OF TORONTO

This Angus Reid/CFRB/Toronto Sun poll was conducted by telephone between September 27th and 28th, 1998 among a representative cross-section of 400 residents of the new city of Toronto.

These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Toronto population according to the 1996 Census data. With a sample of 400, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results are within +5.0 percentage points of what they would have been had the entire adult Toronto population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population.

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PULSE OF TORONTO

• TOP COP, CHOPPERS and CHASES...Public gives cops the edge
• Chief Boothby gets resounding "thumbs up" but public split on police union advertising tactics

This year, the Pulse of Toronto Poll presented Torontonians with a series of statements related to law enforcement and asked respondents whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement. These statements dealt with the performance of Chief Boothby, high-speed chases on Toronto's streets, the use of a helicopter to help patrol the streets and a series of ads that the Toronto police union has created that criticize individual Toronto politicians.

Chief Boothby gets resounding thumbs up

Three-quarters (74%) of Torontonians approve of the over-all performance of Toronto Police Chief Boothby. Only one in ten (11%) disagree with the statement, "I approve of the overall performance of Toronto Police Chief Boothby."

While support for Chief Boothby is strong in all regions of the new city of Toronto and among both men and women, it is highest among older Torontonians (81% among those over 55 years of age).

Two thirds (63%) believe police exercise good judgement in police chases

A majority (63%) agree that Metro Police exercise good judgement when it comes to police chases, opposed to three in ten (30%) do not share this confidence. This comes in the wake of some high profile incidents involving police chases and charges laid against metro officers in at least one circumstance.

Torontonians of all ages and both men and women are just as likely as one another to indicate that Metro Police use good judgement in high-speed chases. However, those with lower levels of education (71% among those for whom high school is the highest level of education completed) are more likely to believe that Metro Police exercise good judgement when it comes to police chases than those who have pursued some post-secondary education (60%).

Women (33%) and those with at least some post secondary education (32%) are more likely to disagree with the assertion that Metro Police exercise good judgement when it comes to police chases than men (26%) and those with lower levels of education (21% among those for whom high school is the highest level of education completed).

Half (52%) want a chopper...even if it means raising taxes

Half (52%) of Torontonians indicate that the new city should have a helicopter for the police to use to patrol Toronto's streets even if it means increased taxes. Two in five (44%) would not support this initiative. Support for this decision is highest among men (58%).

Torontonians split on whether police union's ads criticizing politicians are right or wrong

Fifty percent (50%) of Torontonians agree that it is wrong for the Toronto police union to run ads criticizing individual politicians who point out problems with the police force. The other half (48%) do not believe the Toronto police is wrong to run these ads.

Torontonians between 35 and 54 (59%) and those who have completed university (54%) are the most likely to take issue with the use of these ads.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

John Wright
Senior Vice-President
Angus Reid Group
(416) 324-2900