Chief Saunders talks carding, mental health, and the future of the TPS

It’s been almost a year since Mark Saunders was named the head of the Toronto Police Service and although he says it’s been rewarding, it’s also come with challenges.

When he was sworn in at Toronto Police Headquarters in April, Saunders was facing one of the city’s most controversial issues – carding.

Some saw Saunders, the city’s first-ever black chief of police, as a beacon of hope to repair the sometimes-strained police relations with members of the black community.

“I got put in this seat to keep this city safe, and to make sure that the men and women of Toronto Police Service are treating people with dignity and respect while they keep the city safe,” Saunders told CityNews on Monday as he sat down for a one-on-one interview with Roger Petersen.

“The good thing about this is that the debate is going to come to an end because the government is going to regulate it.”

Another pressing issue Saunders has had to face during his time as the city’s top cop is how officers deal with people in mental and emotional distress.

The death of Sammy Yatim was just one of several high profile incidents where the public demanded changes to police use of force, especially when dealing with someone with mental health issues.

In October, a group called Affected Families of Police Homicide held a rally outside Queen’s Park and called on the government to make changes to policing. Among the small but passionate group of people demanding change were family members of Michael MacIsaac, Sylvia Klibingaitis, and Jeffrey Reodica.

One of the changes the group petitioned for was mandatory drug testing for all police officers across the province.

Saunders said changes are being made to the way officers deal with people in mental and emotional distress, including training to prevent these types of calls from escalating into violent situations.

Saunders acknowledged that there is still financial pressures facing the force and says he’s going to be developing a task force to do some “very aggressive” research to see what’s best for the city.

“I don’t want to make change for the sake of making change. The change has to be transformational but it also has to be beneficial for the city,” he explained.

Although his time as chief has come with many challenges, Saunders said it’s been a good year.

“The one that I’ve really enjoyed is the tremendous support that I have got, not just from the internal folks with Toronto police, but the community,” he said. “It’s come with its challenges, but, by and large, it’s been a really good year.”