The Toronto Police Services Board – the civilian body which oversees the city’s police force &
The Toronto Police Services Board – the civilian body which oversees the city’s police force – has named Mark Saunders as the chief of police in Canada’s largest city. Born to Jamaican parents, the 32-year veteran is the first Black police chief in Toronto’s history. The board described Saunders’ appointment as “a positive, transformational opportunity.”Saunders said the historical significance of the moment hit home when he told his 10-year-old son: “He said to me, ‘You know, Dad, that’s history and that’s something they can never take away from you’. If it offers any hope to anybody that is a person of colour, then I’m glad that it does.”He added, “Being Black is fantastic, but it doesn’t give me superpowers. So if you’re expecting that all of a sudden, the curtains will open up and miracles will happen, that’s not going to happen. What will happen is there will be lots of open dialogue, there’ll be lots of talking – more so than ever before.”“The city deserves a police force that is bias-free and whose members treat everybody with respect and dignity. You have my promise that I’ll do everything in my power to provide that. Community relationships determine the success or failures of our service. I do not take this lightly.”Police Union director Mike McCormack described Saunders as “a cop’s cop” with “a large amount of credibility” within the force. In response to murmurs that Saunders’ appointment was politically motivated, McCormick said, “That’s nonsense. This is a guy who did this on his own merit, with his own experience and his own qualifications and this should not be diminished by anyone who wants to detract from that process.”Police critics are guardedly optimistic. Topping the list of priorities which Saunders must immediately tackle is the city’s controversial “carding” policy which disproportionately targets young Black folks. Saunders beat out fellow candidate Peter Sloly (another deputy chief of Jamaican descent) for the job, who flat-out opposes “carding” and has authored many recommended changes to the policy. Time will tell. -- source link
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