Police have ‘morale crisis’ after racism concerns: union head

The head of the Toronto police union is warning his members against doing anything that could be perceived as racist after both the city and the province said they would look into concerns raised by Black Lives Matter.

In a letter sent out on Tuesday night, Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack tells officers to take “all precautions” to avoid exposing themselves to “undue jeopardy,” the Toronto Sun reports.

“We recognize that the absence of sound policy and procedure relating to provincial street checks exposes our members to unnecessary risk and jeopardy,” the letter states.

“The association questions how our members can effectively carry out their duties if they don’t have the confidence and support from the (Toronto Police Services Board), city council and the province?”

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McCormack said he is not asking officers not to do their job given the current political climate.

“What we’re saying is that there is a dynamic situation and it’s an education piece, saying to the officers this is what the world looks like and everybody should be aware of it, and you follow the rules of law, and judge yourselves accordingly,” McCormack told 680 NEWS political affairs specialist John Stall on Wednesday.

Listen the full interview below with McCormack below:

When asked about McCormack’s comments, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders stood behind his officers.

“I’m going to stand affirmed that we have some of the best police officers in the country, if not in North America. And I don’t think, by any means, that we’re going to compromise on community safety in any way, shape or form. I’m going to make sure that we have inclusive delivery of service to everybody across the city.”

Saunders said that he is open to meeting with anyone who thinks that there are any issues with policing, including Black Lives Matter protesters.

“If any member of any society feels disenfranchised towards how we’re policing, then let’s sit down and let’s figure out what needs to be done,” he said.

The police chief also said that he is willing to meet with Black Lives Matter protesters but it must be behind closed doors.

Earlier this month, city council passed a motion requesting that “the manner in which police services are provided within the City of Toronto; and the mandate, procedures and outcomes of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) with respect to the treatment of cases that involve victims from racialized communities” be reviewed.

At Queen’s Park, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is consulting on a number of policing matters including police oversight and reviewing the roles of the SIU.

The letter also comes as Premier Kathleen Wynne promises to meet with Black Lives Matter protesters to discuss their allegations of systemic racism and lack of police transparency. The group staged a vigil for Andrew Loku outside of the premier’s home.

Loku was shot and killed by Toronto police last July. No charges were laid after the SIU ruled the officers’ actions were justified after Loku approached them armed with a hammer.

“The tragedy of Andrew Loku, who was fatally shot during a confrontation with police last summer and whose death has now become the focal point for a protest movement, is not about race. It never was,” the police association writes on its website.

(Click here to watch the video on mobile.)

In the letter, the union head said he fears officers risk judgment based on “political considerations and agendas driven by special interest groups” and encourages his members to continue doing their job as best they can in accordance with the law.

However, McCormack stresses that they should recognize that legislation and policy, such as provincial regulations governing street checks or carding, could “severely impact” their ability to do their jobs.

“There is so much uncertainty in the regulation – [such as] an officer’s definition of suspicion, what that means, how to conform to the regulation – we feel that until there is policy, until there is clarification, that an officer would be putting themselves at reputational [sic] risk and the potential for discipline,” McCormack told 680 NEWS.

“Until we have clarification on something like that, then we don’t our officers to be trying to interpret about this regulation.”

He said officers should be aware that there is a potential for them to be labelled as racist. He then went on to say that he is asking that officers have all the resources they need, including Tasers for front-line officers.

McCormack said officers are frustrated and fed up with the situation at hand.

“We have a morale crisis right now, and we want to make sure that the people who are out there making policy, regulations and legislation understand that it’s not done in a vacuum, and that there are real-time issues and real impacts.”

The union head is also expected to release a video to his members on Wednesday.