There is not enough transparency at the province’s police watchdog, according to Toronto’s top politician.

Speaking to reporters on Friday afternoon, Mayor John Tory suggested the lack of disclosure of how the Special Investigations Unit probes incidents including police shooting deaths of members of the public, has contributed to public mistrust of police.

“When people can’t see what’s going on, no matter what the result is they tend to have less faith in the process that lies behind it,” Tory said. “There’s not enough transparency now and I think as a result people misunderstand what goes or what they think goes on.”

He added that even his membership on the Toronto Police Services Board does not allow him to seek additional information from the SIU.

“We basically get the same document you do,” he said, referring to the media.

The Black Lives Matter movement began demonstrating with a long-term sit-in in the entryway to Toronto police headquarters on College Street 11 days ago. The sit-in began in response to the SIU clearing a Toronto police officer of any wrongdoing in connection with the shooting death of Andrew Loku, a South Sudanese immigrant who was shot by police in the hallway of his apartment building last July.

The protesters have demanded that the police name the officer who pulled the trigger in that incident, and pay compensation to Loku’s wife and children.

Tory said he’s “not sure” the officer responsible for each shooting should be named publicly.

Later on Friday, Tory and 37 other councillors voted to approve a motion requesting that the provincial government review police conduct in Toronto and how the SIU conducts investigations that involve racialized people.

The Black Lives Matter movement said on Twitter that it welcomed the motion as a “victory for thousands of people who have been” protesting at police headquarters. But they also said the move is not enough and more must be done.

Tory said he is willing to meet with the demonstrators, but at first in private, as he says the dialogue will be more constructive that way.

Black Lives Matter demonstrator Yusra Khogali said the movement wants to speak to Tory publicly because everyone with concerns should be able to attend and have a chance to speak.

“This is a community that is speaking to these issues, we’re not the only ones speaking to this, and we’re only representatives,” she said.

“So this has to be a community meeting and it should be accessible.”