Talk:William J. McCormack

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[edit] NPOV

His perceived charisma and style soon got him noticed by brass and press alike.

When he was made Chief of Police he was touted as a "Cops Cop" and the "Silver Fox". His reputation as a gentleman carried him through difficult political times dealing with both a unfriendly Police Board as well as a NDP government which in the early 1990s slashed police resources.

McCormack left his office after a tumultuous tenure but he had won the hearts of the men and women of the Toronto Police Force as well as the support of many citizens.

Although the McCormack name has recently come under investigation, sources close to them feel the degree of this situation has been blown out of proportion in the media to suit political ends.

Sorry. Try again with an eye to WP:NPOV rules, thankee. Bearcat 09:49, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

Not necessarily so much NPOV as WP:NOR. "Sources close to" is something you hear in news reports when the reporter has actually acquired this information from those sources. If this blown-out-of-proportion feeling has been publically expressed, cite it. Otherwise, it's original research. -Joshuapaquin 14:18, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

Well, that's not the only part I'm concerned about. "Won the hearts of the men and women of the Toronto Police Force"? Characterizing the police as the defenders of all goodness and holiness in the world against an unreasonable police services board and provincial government? Presenting their side of the investigation matter without even going into the slightest detail about what the allegations were? (We can't assume every potential reader of this article already has the same background knowledge of the police corruption investigations that you and I have as locals; we have to explain it neutrally but clearly.) Bearcat 00:38, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

"...decorated as a "Member of the British Empire" by King George..." Any idea which King George? Britain alone has had 6 of them. Dancarney 22:19, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

While I don't know, not being the guy who added that statement, it would obviously have to be either George V or George VI, the only two who reigned during a time when the father of a man who was chief of police in the 1990s could conceivably have been alive. At any rate, this article needs a serious cleanup anyway, so let's add this matter to the list. Bearcat 22:24, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Anon reversions

Wikipedia's NPOV rule largely forbids a large part of the content you insist on reverting back into the article. Wikipedia articles are not permitted to report things as if one side of a dispute is clearly right and the other is clearly wrong (e.g. describing McCormick as perfect and "winning hearts", or either the police services board or the provincial government as intransigent forces trying to interfere with the perfection of the police). Wikipedia has to report the facts as neutrally as possible; subjective opinions are not acceptable. Wikipedia articles are not permitted to rely on unnamed sources; if you want to present McCormick's side of the corruption investigation, you must provide an actual published source showing the facts. You also are not to recategorize McCormack as simply a police officer; he was a police chief and is to be filed in the Toronto police chiefs category. Bearcat 00:58, 29 August 2006 (UTC)