Toronto

Veteran police officer Mark Saunders will become Toronto’s next top cop, sources say.

After an exhaustive selection process, members of the Toronto Police Services Board have chosen 52-year-old Deputy Chief Mark Saunders as a replacement for outgoing chief Bill Blair, sources said.

“The announcement will be made at 10 a.m. Monday,” said a source. “It is a historic day for the City of Toronto.”

Toronto’s first black police chief will officially take over next month, said sources. Blair steps down on April 25.

Mayor John Tory and Alok Mukherjee, chair of the Toronto Police Services Board, could not be reached for comment. No members of the board were publicly confirming the appointment Sunday night.

Saunders, a 32-year-veteran who has been a deputy chief since November 2012, has been in charge of Specialized Operations Command, where he oversees 1,200 police officers and 164 civilian members. In the past, he headed up 12 Division and the homicide squad.

He was also section head of the Urban Gang unit in Intelligence Operations and co-chair of the Black Community Consultative Committee.

When Saunders — born in England to parents who were originally from Jamaica — received his promotion to deputy chief, Mukherjee stated that “this is a tremendously positive step forward for our organization. He is an accomplished police leader, with exceptional investigative skills and law enforcement experience.”

Mukherjee described him as “innovative and progressive, with a keen awareness of the need to ensure that the police engage and respond to the community in an inclusive, unbiased and collaborative manner, using a variety of outreach and education initiatives.”

Saunders possessed an understanding of the importance of fostering a positive relationship between the police and the public, added Mukherjee.

Sources said Saunders was chosen over Toronto Police Deputy Chief Peter Sloly and an outside candidate, former chief Dale McFee from Prince Albert, Sask.

In the end, the decision was to go for Saunders, said a source, because “he is a respected cop — a terrific leader who is liked by everybody.”

"Chief Mark Saunders is an excellent choice," said Dr. Gary Ellis, a former Toronto Police superintendent who was a finalist for the chief's job when Blair was chosen and is currently program head of Justice Studies at the University of Guelph-Humber.

"Mark knows Toronto, is respected by his peers, and has distinguished himself as a police officer working his way up the ranks. He will serve us all well."

The officers on the street seemed happy with the decision.

But not everybody is.

"This is not the right decision or the fair decision," said one source close to the process. "The most qualified person for this job was Peter Sloly but he was not the old guard's choice in the senior ranks and has been the victim of a long-running smear campaign. The board bowed to the pressure and went with Saunders, who is more well liked."

Added one member of city council: "I thought this was supposed to be an international search for a policing innovator and budget specialist. This wasn't a search at all and the status quo is still in place."

Terms of Saunders contract were still being worked out. According to the Sunshine List, Blair made $349,259.68 in earnings last year.

joe.warmington@sunmedia.ca

Watch the announcement live