Letter to the Toronto Police Services Board and Toronto City Council Regarding the Search for a New Toronto Police Chief

June 25, 2020 by Cate MacLeod

CrimSL faculty, including Kamari Clarke, Catherine Evans, Beatrice Jauregui, Ayobami Laniyonu, Audrey Macklin, Mariana Valverde, and Scot Wortley have released a letter to the Toronto Police Services Board and Toronto City Council regarding the search for a new Toronto police chief. CrimSL, they note "has conducted world-leading research on policing and related issues for many years."

In the letter, "instead of offering ready-made specific reforms," faculty make two suggestions, one short term and one longer term.

In the short term, faculty recommend "courage in choosing a non-traditional chief." They also present a "higher-level, longer-term idea about how civic leaders might usefully respond to the current crisis with true innovation" through the creation of a civic ‘safety and justice’ table.

"We are always ready," they write, "to engage with public authorities that want to improve aspects of our legal system, including policing, since we believe that in any field, the best policy is evidence-based policy."

Read the full letter here PDF iconCentre letter to Police Board and City Council)