Incoming OPP commissioner Ron Taverner is returning to his old job while the province's integrity commissioner investigates his appointment.
Taverner, who was originally supposed to take over as commissioner of the OPP today, resigned from the Toronto Police Service on Friday but Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray confirmed this morning that he rescinded his resignation papers over the weekend.
"That was considered and approved by the chief of police last night and today he resumes his role as unit commander of our northwest district," Gray told CP24.
The news comes after Taverner sent an email to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones asking that his appointment of OPP commissioner be delayed until the integrity commissioner completes an investigation into Premier Doug Ford’s involvement in the hiring.
The appointment has been heavily scrutinized given the premier’s longtime friendship with Taverner.
NDP MPP Kevin Yarde has asked the integrity commissioner to investigate Ford’s role in selecting Taverner and last week, Interim OPP Commissioner Brad Blair formally asked Paul Dubé, the province’s ombudsman, to look into the hiring.
In Blair’s letter to the ombudsman, he said there are “growing concerns” from the public and members of the legislature about the process.
The request was denied by Dubé, and Blair is now seeking a decision from the courts on the matter.
On Saturday, Blair confirmed that he would be replaced as interim commissioner by Gary Couture, who served as the OPP’s deputy commissioner and provincial commander for field operations.
Couture will take over as commissioner today and in a statement to OPP members, Blair said he would be “fully supportive in assisting his transition.”
One of the concerns raised by those skeptical of Taverner's appointment is that the qualifications for the position were altered after the job was posted.
The initial job posting required those applying for the commissioner's position to have served at the rank of deputy police chief or higher or assistant commissioner or higher in a major police service, experience Taverner did not have.
The government later lowered the experience required for the position.
Ford maintains that he had “zero influence” in Taverner’s appointment.
"It was the right thing for Mr. Taverner to do, to step aside from this appointment at least until the investigations have occurred and we get the bottom of what’s happened," Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday.
"If Mr. Taverner is now looking to have his old job back because he is suspecting that his appointment will be scuttled permanently than that is a decision he’s made based on information he has. I certainly don’t have any further information to that."
It is not clear if Taverner intends to stay on at the Toronto Police Service temporarily or permanently.
Mayor John Tory spoke to reporters about Taverner’s decision on Monday and said his return to the Toronto Police Service is “a most welcome development.”
“He was an excellent police officer who took a keen and a very deep interest in the local community that he served,” Tory said.
“I commend him for stepping to one side… I think the notion of some kind of transparent examination of all of this when a controversy has arisen is the best way in which to determine exactly what did happen and that serves to the benefit of himself."
