FORMER CHIEF Mark Saunders left months earlier than expected leading to Interim Chief James Ramer. Social media is already buzzing on who will be the next Toronto Police chief.
A search for a new Toronto Police Chief is being held in Etobicoke on March 30 and those interested are invited to check out the virtual recruitment.
The search by Environics Research, on behalf of the Toronto Police Services Board (TPSB), will also hear from candidates at meetings in downtown Toronto on March 31, Scarborough on April 7 and North York on April 13, according to information released.
The two-hour virtual meeting in Etobicoke will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is open to 100 registrants.
“The sessions will help TPSB prioritize qualities and characteristics for the job description for the next Chief of Police,” Environics wrote. “Sessions will include a mix of small group discussions and polling exercises.”
Those interested are required to go to the Environics Research site and fill out a survey to be “assigned to the right discussion group.”
Once you are confirmed to attend, someone from Environics will contact you directly with further details.
These consultations are said to be the most extensive for a Chief selection process that the Board has organized to date. It will provide opportunities for people across the city to share input on this topic, ensuring that a diverse range of voices are heard.
The TPSB last summer agreed to 81 measures aimed at boosting police accountability and transparency. The board acted at a time when the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer sparked demonstrations worldwide and added new momentum to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Closer to home, the death last May of 29-year-old Regis Korchinski-Paquet, who fell to her death from her balcony after Toronto police officers were called to her west-end apartment, prompted renewed criticism of how police handle mental health calls.
The measures include commitments to build better relationships with marginalized communities, improve ways police deal with mentally ill people, implement new use of force guidelines and to be transparent about how the next chief, who’ll be expected to usher in many of the changes, will be selected.
It will cost the board about $150,000 to find a new chief.
Interim Chief James Ramer was tapped for the position after former chief Mark Saunders unexpectedly announced he was stepping down last June, with eight months still left on his term.
Transitions are often announced months in advance giving the board plenty of time to prepare.
More information can be accessed at https://tpsb.ca/consultations-and-publications/chief