Blair differs with G20 report
Chief Bill Blair on Friday acknowledged “lessons learned” from a new report criticizing the Toronto Police Services Board’s inaction on G20 summit planning, but denied a fundamental communication problem between police and the civilian body tasked with overseeing them.
His comments appeared to contradict key findings of the report by former Ontario associate chief justice John Morden, which outlined a systemic misunderstanding of what information should flow between the two bodies, leaving the board “virtually voiceless” in the G20 planning process.
“There are very many examples that I can cite over the course of my tenure as chief where I have worked very collaboratively with this board, even during the G20,” Chief Blair said. “I can tell you the board was quite engaged with the preparation for that event, but frankly there was more that could have been done… had we had the time to do it.”
All 38 recommendations in the Morden report deserve the board’s full consideration, Chief Blair said, citing an opportunity to “improve the quality of policing in Ontario.”
While the chief says he was constantly available to answer any questions on the G20 file, Mr. Morden suggests the board wrongly eschewed discussion of operational matters due to a generalized misapprehension of its mandate.
Board chair Alok Mukherjee admitted “mistakes were made,” but stopped short of apologizing for the board’s inaction in G20 planning, which Mr. Morden cited as a contributing factor in confusion among police on the ground, historic mass arrests and inadequate treatment of hundreds of detainees.
“We are committed to ensuring that the lessons learned through this experience are applied in the future,” Mr. Mukherjee said in a brief address to reporters Friday, adding the board would ensure Mr. Morden’s recommendations “result in substantive change.”
Mr. Mukherjee could not explain why the board misunderstood its role so dramatically on the G20 file, when on other matters — including issues around Taser use and racial profiling — the board has provided effective oversight.
“We will be asking those questions ourselves,” Mr. Mukherjee said.
Among the key findings of the Morden report, which cost the city in excess of $1-million, were that the board never reviewed key G20 planning documents, did not understand the specific role Toronto police were to play in summit policing and was consequently unable to evaluate whether officers were performing their roles effectively.
Former board members Pam McConnell and Adam Vaughan welcomed Mr. Morden’s recommendations, with Ms. McConnell hailing the report as “a sea change” for policing in Ontario and across the country.
The perception of an absolute divide between operational policing matters and the board’s policy role had persisted as “a common cultural understanding,” even as board members tried unsuccessfully to push back against it, she said.
“We pushed many, many, many times and were pushed back, [told] that this was not our jurisdiction,” she said.
The pushback came not only from Chief Blair, but from legal advisors and other board members, Mr. Vaughan noted, saying the public deserves an apology for how the G20 file was handled.
“When you undermine civilian oversight, you eventually end up like we did in Toronto with the G20, where your police are pinned to a fence, not allowed to protect the citizens and the property of Toronto,” he said.