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Toronto, Admitting that policing is at a “crossroads” and is under “more scrutiny than ever before,” Mark Saunders took his oath of office on Wednesday with a promise to take “bold steps” and never accept good enough.
Standing before hundreds of uniformed officers and a number of dignitaries at police headquarters on College Street, Saunders reflected on his 32 years in uniform before turning his attention to the immediate future and his vision for the Toronto Police Service.
“We have to make sure that we get it right from the very beginning. Every interaction that we have with every member of the community — and we have millions a year – collectively define how the Toronto Police Service is seen by the community,” he said. “They determine whether or not people are willing to support us, work with us and whether or not people are willing to help us keep the city safe. It is simply not acceptable to claim that the vast majority of interactions go well and only a small few don’t. Good enough simply isn’t good enough.”
Saunders, who informally took over from Bill Blair about three weeks ago, didn’t directly address the controversial practice of carding during his remarks but seemed to allude to the issue on a number of occasions, telling attendees that police interactions with the public need to be “smarter,” “more surgical” and “marked with courtesy and respect.”
The former homicide unit boss also took some time to discuss the rising police budget, which will be another issue that could loom large during his tenure.
“We will examine everything we do. We will see how the things we do can be done more economically. We have made significant strides with civilianization but we will look at every job currently done by a police officer and ask whether that job requires the authorities and cost of a police officer,” Saunders said. “We will also look at the way in which we use our police officers and explore technology options to identify opportunities where equipment can perform a specific function more effectively and at less cost than a police officer.”
Saunders, 52, was previously in charge of Specialized Operations Command where he presided over 1,200 officers and 154 civilians.
Prior to his most recent role, the married father-of-four also held senior leadership positions with the Professional Standards Unit, Intelligence Services and the Emergency Task Force.
Drawing on his experience throughout the TPS on Wednesday, Saunders said that the agency has made great strides in crime prevention but has to go further.
“It is clear from the vast number of collaborative efforts we have made with people and agencies in this city that we are no strangers to working effectively with others to preserve public safety but we have only scratched the surface,” he said. “There is an enormous amount that we can do to try to identify problems sooner and to try to intervene sooner. Waiting is not an option.”
Family in attendance
A number of members of Saunders family were present for the ceremony, including his 10-year-old son Graham who helped Blair present a ceremonial sword to the new police chief.
Asked what he’d tell Torontonians about the city’s top cop, Graham Saunders said his dad is both “strong and honest.”
“I want them (Torontonians) to know that he’ll do great for this city. If you listen to him and his decisions, he’ll do good for the city,” the younger Saunders said.
