Known To Police | Code/cliche | A dangerous, implication-loaded turn of phrase employed by local media when reporting on crime. Its typical use infers to the reading public one of two things: that the alleged perpetrator is very likely guilty, or that the victim got what they ultimately deserved. The general effect – intended or not – is public indifference to the fates of anyone unfortunate enough to be “known to police”. Some media outlets in other Canadian cities are already backing away from (or at least questioning) the phrase.

Usage | “DTES man found dead was known to police.”