anabolic frolic

'Disappointed' Fantino gone in March
Board opts not to renew Toronto police chief's contract


CANADIAN PRESS

Toronto police Chief Julian Fantino will soon be out of a job.
Toronto's Police Services Board announced today it has decided not to renew Fantino's contract when it expires next March.

"I managed to succeed in a career not without its ups and downs," Fantino told reporters today. "But I have no complaints. I feel blessed, and you know, I'm not complaining."

Fantino, a 35-year police veteran, said he has been given no explanation for the move, but media reports suggested Mayor David Miller, elected last year, has been pushing for a new police chief.

In an interview with TV station CFTO, Fantino declined to talk about his relationship with the mayor.

The police board said in a statement the decision was made during a meeting earlier this week.

"The board acknowledges Chief Fantino as a true leader and a man of the utmost integrity," the statement said.

"The board wishes to offer appreciation for the distinguished service which Chief Fantino has rendered to the people of Toronto over the course of his policing career."

Although the board refused to give a reason for its decision, it noted Fantino's focus on organized crime, traffic safety and youth crime, and lauded him for his performance under scrutiny.

"Faced with many challenging and complex issues during his tenure, Chief Fantino dealt with them in a clear and decisive manner," the statement said.

Fantino, 62, had told the board he wanted to return as chief. He is the highest-paid police officer in Ontario at $238,000.

"I'm disappointed. I'd asked for an extension and otherwise happened," Fantino told CFTO.

"Life goes on. I still believe we had been doing the best we could with some very difficult issues."

The city's police force has been rocked by scandal in recent months.

Several officers were charged after allegations that police were tipping off bar owners about liquor licence investigations and claiming they could influence the reduction or withdrawal of penalties in exchange for payment.

The alleged corruption was discovered during an RCMP investigation into organized crime that included investigators from Toronto police, CSIS and other agencies.

In another case, six members of a Toronto drug squad were charged with criminal offences in January and their unit disbanded. They're accused of everything from drug dealing to shaking down witnesses and falsifying search warrants.

And four other Toronto police officers were charged under the Ontario Police Services Act and face a total of 14 charges, including discreditable conduct.

The force was also accused of racial profiling in a series of Toronto Star stories that suggested officers target visible minorities, especially blacks.

Fantino has overseen several high-profile cases during his tenure, including the murders of schoolgirls Holly Jones and Cecilia Zhang.

The Toronto Police Services Board is a seven-member civilian body that oversees Canada's largest municipal police service.

But former board chair Norm Gardner's suspension in April for taking police bullets left the governing body with only six active members.

News reports indicated the vote on the chief's contract ended in a tie, and in such cases, board rules call for the motion to fail.

Fantino was named Toronto's police chief in 2000. He had previously served as the chief of the York Regional Police Service and the London Police Service.

anabolic frolic

Let's hope the next police chief focuses on enforcing the laws, not making them.

astralkid

Good ..... The man was an apathetic asshole who also defended controversial policies and his fellow officers when they were clearly in the wrong...

Dakota

indeed

__________________
~I lean against the wind...pretend that I am weightless...and in this moment I am happy~

Saffron

Or that he wont take bribes from the godfather.

Go Team Corruption!

__________________
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You look so tired unhappy
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