People who live in Granby shouldn't insult a police officer online – it could be costly.
Granby Town Council voted unanimously Monday night in favour of toughening an existing bylaw.
Insulting police officers and municipal officials is already illegal, but now the bylaw also covers social media – and the fines are steep.
The fines for a first offence range from $100 up to $1000. In the case of a second offence, the fines could go up to $2000.
The adoption of the new bylaw was triggered by the discovery of a Facebook page dedicated to complaining about police officers. In some cases, officers were insulted or threatened.
Granby Deputy Mayor Robert Riel said this isn't about trying to keep people from expressing their opinions.
“We can do it respectfully, respecting each individual. I find today, and it's unfortunate, there's no more there's no more respect for authority. We've lost it,” said Riel.
Constitutional lawyer Julius Grey said Granby council has gone too far.
“I think it is terrible and I hope courts strike it down,” said Grey, adding that police officers who feel they've been targeted are already protected under Civil Code libel laws – just like everyone else – so there's no need for separate municipal penalties.
“I do not see why police officers or municipal officials should be particularly protected, and why it should be punishable,” he said.
The Granby Town Council said the new bylaw is already making a difference; the administrator of the Facebook page has deleted a series of offensive comments.
