Toronto police spending $337K on a podcast to avoid perception they're making 'copaganda'

Toronto police are spending more than $300,000 worth of taxpayer money on a podcast with a limited audience.

The podcast, produced by a third-party company, is called 24 Shades of Blue. Its objective, according to a statement provided by police, is to offer a "behind the scenes" look at policing that takes more time than traditional media would offer.

Toronto police declined to be interviewed for this story.

CBC Toronto was only able to obtain the price tag by filing a freedom of information request. That request took months to get back, resulting in this story being published now, as city council prepares for the final debate on a budget that includes $48 million in new money for the Toronto Police Service (TPS).

TPS said the podcast has reached 94,500 people — tracked as either plays on streaming services or views on YouTube. Some videos have attracted more than 10,000 views, but most totals are in the hundreds. 

That means each audience member was worth about $3 of public money.

Documents obtained by CBC Toronto show the podcast's creation was a sole-source deal, initially worth some $90,000. 

Despite the pilot season's limited reach, former chief James Ramer signed off on a three-year extension worth $247,800 on Nov. 2, 2021, documents show. 

This situation shows just how little control the public has over police spending. A spokesperson said TPS followed its own purchasing rules — which are different from those the City of Toronto has in place — but the podcast was obtained without ever being opened to a competitive bidding process that could potentially net a better price or product. 

Many, if not most, Torontonians have never heard of this podcast, which further reduces any scrutiny it might receive. City councillors, meanwhile, don't have a say in this type of spending, despite being members of the body that approves the overall TPS budget. That responsibility falls to the Toronto Police Services Board.

John Sewell, a former mayor of Toronto who frequently attends police board meetings, said it amounts to the service having a "free hand."

"The police get money for anything they want. This is business as usual," he told CBC Toronto.

He said it's unclear why police need a podcast. 

"They're in the media all the time; what do they need a podcast for?"