A new beginning?

June 8, 2020

Toronto’s Police Chief has made the unexpected decision to step down. Today, Mark Saunders has handed in his resignation to the Toronto Police Department. He will be officially leaving the role at the end of July.

Today, I announced that my last day as Chief of the Toronto Police Service will be July 31, 2020. I’m honoured to have served & I have every confidence in the members of the @TorontoPolice to continue to serve and protect the best city in the world. https://t.co/YjOIiHfEep

— Mark Saunders (@marksaunderstps) June 8, 2020

At this point, people can only speculate as to the reason he’s departing.

On Twitter, some people had kind words for Mark Saunders.

All the best, @marksaunderstps! Thank You for your service. ?

— Silver Sadie (@SilverSadie1) June 8, 2020

However, some residents were more skeptical of his decision to leave.

Yeah so Mark Saunders sees the shits gonna hit the fan, with T.O city council tabling defund the police nonsense and gang crime rising. I'd do the exact same thing after 35 years of service too, #topoli lefty councillors let this be an early warning of your idiotic policy outcome

— Ricardo Da Silva (@rickydee82) June 8, 2020

Either way, this is a welcome move, as it can be seen to signify the end of an era.

Police Brutality and Systemic Racism are just as real in Canada as they are in the US or Russia. I welcome this move, and hope it signifies better times for the black community of Toronto.

Do you agree with Mark Saunders’s choice to leave? Take our survey!

Do you agree with Mark Saunders' choice to resign from the @TorontoPolice?#BlackLivesMatter #JusticeForRegis

— St. Jamestown Local News (@stjamestownnews) June 8, 2020

Written by: Mark Slapinski