Rise in handgun seizures is a concern, Saunders says in year-end interview

Police Chief Mark Saunders says that a successful operation to receive a kidney from his wife has given him a newfound appreciation for just how ‘lucky’ he is.

Saunders made the comment to CP24 during a year-end interview at Toronto police headquarters on Tuesday.

“I learned how lucky I am and I also learned that the medical system in Toronto is second to none,” the police chief said of the surgery that kept him off the job for two months this past fall. “This is one of the best cities when it comes to medicine and the medical field.”

Saunders received the organ from his wife Stacey on Oct. 2 after kidney disease resulted in a sharp decline in the functionality of the lone kidney that he was born with.

Prior to his surgery, Saunders told CTV News that he was spending seven to eight hours a day undergoing dialysis just to “stay alive” but now, two-and-a-half months later, he says his health is much better.

“It was quite a journey,” Saunders said on Tuesday. “The first couple of weeks were complicated but after that the road to recovery has increased and we are feeling good. So many people offered their well wishes and things and it really helped us.”

Prevalence of guns a concern

In addition to his health, Saunders also took time on Tuesday to talk about some of the most pressing issues facing the Toronto Police Service.

While there hasn’t been a noticeable increase in shootings in 2017 – the number of shootings resulting in injuries so far this year is 144 compared to 149 at this point in 2016 – he said that he does worry about the number of guns on the streets.

“We have seized over 800 firearms this year and have seen a 10 per cent, if not higher, increase in handguns and handguns are used for shooting other people. There is a concern with that,” he said. “There needs to be a multi-agency approach with how the guns are getting here. That is something we need to do.”

Saunders said that the Toronto Police Service must continue working to reduce the number of guns coming into the city while also working to address other emerging threats, like the opioid crisis.

He said that seven people died as a result of opioid overdoses in 2016 and that 68 perished for the same reason in 2017.

There have been calls for police to carry naloxone, which can help reverse the effects of an overdose, though Saunders said “a lot of research” needs to be done before he would sign off on that. Paramedics and firefighters already carry the drug, though Saunders says that police are only the first responders to about three per cent of all overdose calls and are often “the last to arrive.”

“I have a couple of issues. Number one is that right now with the SIU it becomes a criminal investigation if the outcome results in death,” Saunders said. “That needs to be properly addressed. Secondly, the storage of naloxone. It can only be kept in temperatures higher than 15 C and below 25 C. How are my officers going to be storing it?”

Looking ahead to the legalization of marijuana

One of the biggest changes lying ahead for police forces across the country in 2018 is the legalization of marijuana sometime before July 1.

While Saunders said it is not his place to comment on the decision to legalize the drug, he said that he is committed to making sure that the TPS is “well equipped and prepared” to respond to legalization.

That preparation, he said, should include extensive training for officers on how to recognize drug-impaired driving.

“As the end of the day the government has made a decision and they are going to be going ahead with this. One of my big asks is to ensure that the funding is there for the training,” he said. “The training is comprehensive and it is expensive. I don’t want that extra burden on me.”

Saunders hopes for return of SRO program

One thing to keep an eye on in 2018 is the fate of the school resource officers program.

The Toronto District School Board voted to scrap the program in November amid concerns that the presence of officers was intimidating some students.

Saunders, however, told CP24 on Tuesday that while he “respects” the decisions of the board, he nonetheless views the program as a beneficial one and does have “hope” that it will be brought back.

“It did create the bridges strengthen relationships not just for students but also for my officers,” he said. “It made my officers better officers by helping them to understand some of the dynamics and issues that young men and women are going through in this city.”