A public dispute between Mayor Olivia Chow and police Chief Myron Demkiw, first reported by Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington, has raised an uncomfortable question for Toronto residents: is internal legal advice discouraging hate-crime arrests at pro-Hamas protests?

Chow told Newstalk 1010 that Demkiw explained police sometimes avoid laying charges because a lawyer at police headquarters believes cases won’t survive Crown review.

“So you do all the work, and then it gets thrown out,” Chow said, adding that officers may be told not to bother pursuing charges.

Demkiw has flatly denied that account, saying no Toronto Police Services lawyer tells officers not to arrest anyone and that charging decisions are based on evidence and Crown guidance, not TPS legal counsel. Toronto police later reinforced that position, stating their general counsel does not advise on criminal prosecutions.

But Chow has not retracted her remarks.

The contradiction has placed new attention on TPS General Counsel Falguni Debnath, who joined the service in 2024 after working for the federal Department of Justice, the Ontario Attorney General, and the Ontario Court of Appeal.

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Her role is to manage legal risk and advise the chief, not to make charging decisions with relation to street-level policing.

Public donation records show an individual with the same name has made numerous contributions to the federal Liberal Party since 2012.

The dispute comes amid ongoing criticism of Toronto police’s handling of weekly protests featuring Hamas-aligned rhetoric, where hate-crime arrests remain rare.

It also follows earlier Sun reporting by Brian Lilley revealing internal TPS documents that described Israel as engaging in “ethnic cleansing,” fuelling claims of two-tier policing.

If hate-crime laws are rarely enforced on the street, who is effectively deciding not to act — police leadership, Crown prosecutors, or legal advisors behind the scenes?

These people can't get their stories straight and Torontonians deserve the truth.