The Toronto Police Association is taking the unusual step of holding a confidence vote, in the leadership of Chief Mark Saunders.
Online voting opened Thursday at 3 p.m. and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 21.
In an internal memo sent to its members, the Toronto Police Association Board of Directors explains a “No Confidence Vote sends a message to the Chief, our elected City leaders, and the community that our members have lost confidence in the Chief’s ability to act in the best interests of the membership and the community.”
The memo cites numerous attempts to address relief measures for its members, yet the chief “has continuously failed to put forward any meaningful solutions to relieve stress.”
The association says Saunders has been slow to act on a number of issues, including concerns about delayed response to 911 calls, highlighted in a series of recent Global News stories.
In fact, Chief Saunders admitted to Global News there “may be room for improvement” after initially rejecting claims about ongoing problems at Communications.
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The union representing Toronto Police Service officers claims a lack of leadership by the chief is jeopardizing member and public safety.
While a non-confidence vote is not binding on Chief Saunders, it underscores the growing rift between his office and many Toronto Police Association members.
Toronto Mayor John Tory said in a statement that he has “complete confidence in Chief Mark Saunders.”
“Toronto is the safest city in North America thanks to the hard work of the members of the Toronto Police Service. I remain committed to the plan to modernize the Toronto Police Service and know the Chief is dedicated to addressing the concerns which always arise when significant change takes place,” the statement read.
“At this very moment, more than 80 new police officers are being hired and staffing is being significantly increased at 911. Responsibilities are being taken on by the City so police officers can be deployed where they are needed most instead of directing traffic or answering noise calls.
“I strongly believe that continuing constructive discussion is far preferable to billboards and online votes as a way to address genuinely held concerns on the part of our police officers,” read the statement.
The TPA notes the cancellation of recruit classes, freeze on hiring and promotions, and high attrition rate are the key drivers in a “morale crisis” among members.
Toronto Police Service declined to comment.
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