Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent has already covered some of the city's not-so-proud moments, but a set in Bickford Park has some people online thinking they've taken it too far.
The show is currently filming an episode revolving around park encampments, and has set up a fake community of tents in the park, located at Bloor Street West and Grace Street. Photos from the set show a cluster of tents, with cardboard signs that read "Housing is a human right" and "Evictions kill."
Some people have said they think this is in poor taste, as the City of Toronto forcefully removed encampments across the city in 2021. "So @lawandorderto are you going to be supporting those living in the encampments before, during, and after filming?" one person posted on X.
Michael DeForge — the original creator of the "I support my neighbours in tents" signs that circulated around the city, shared an email he was sent by someone working on Law & Order Toronto. They asked him for permission to use the signs, to which he declined. "Not gonna help w set dressing on a cop show [sic]," he posted.
Others are calling the outcry a "stretch," saying that it is merely a TV set. Some are also claiming to wait until the episode airs before passing judgment, hoping that the show portrays encampment dwellers with dignity.
While less controversial, other topics Law & Order Toronto have covered include a Galen Weston Jr. stand-in being killed over high grocery prices and a play on the Rob Ford crack scandal.