The Toronto Police Services Board says it has extended Chief Mark Saunders’ contract to include a sixth year, keeping him in the job until 2021.

“The Board is confident in Chief Saunders' ability to continue to advance the organization in this final phase of his mandate, which will cap off a distinguished 38-year career with the Toronto Police Service,” the board said in a statement issued Tuesday morning.

The former homicide squad leader has served as chief since April 2015, a term which saw him lead security for major events such as the Pan Am Games and the Toronto Raptors NBA championship victory, but also oversee responses to tragedies such as the 2018 North York Van Attack and the Danforth Mass Shooting.

Saunders now finds himself guiding officers through a special city-wide effort to curb rising gun violence in Toronto, while also continuing to implement a modernization program that keeps officer numbers down and hands off certain functions to other authorities in a bid to keep costs flat.

"It has been a great privilege to lead the members of the Toronto Police Service, Canada's largest, and in my opinion, best municipal police service," the Chief said in a statement issued Tuesday. "I am humbled to be continuing in this role and I thank the members of the Toronto Police Service for their commitment to keeping our city safe and to building strong communities."

Police union president Mike McCormack said he is looking ahead to how Saunders will hand over the reins to his replacement, given the fact that the police service has approximately 800 fewer officers than it did in 2010 with gun crime on the rise.

“We have morale at an all-time low, we have a staffing crisis, so the Chief has his work cut out for him,” McCormack told CP24.

The Board says this is only the second time in the last 40 years where a Chief has served more than one five-year term.

Saunders’ predecessor, now Liberal MP Bill Blair, served two full terms, from April 2005 to April 2015.

“We’re going to be really interested in what the Chief’s plan is going to be over the next year to make that transition to a new chief to deal with these issues that as I said are the worst that I’ve seen in my 30 year career as a Toronto police officer,” McCormack said.

Toronto Mayor John Tory said Tuesday that Saunders’ extension will allow him to complete more of the modernization program the service embarked upon earlier in his first term.

“Extending his contract will ensure he can complete more of the important work of that modernization. I’m confident that he will continue to provide that leadership over his extended term – ensuring stability within the police service – and leave the Service in a much stronger position to provide modern, effective and trusted policing in our growing city.”