One year ago, police Chief Mark Saunders was sworn in. He was a bit of a wild-card pick — less-known than other candidates — but the one thing those who chose him emphasized is that he won the job because he’d bring about “transformative change.”

“Not only expressed desire to bring about change, but the ability to bring about that change,” Mayor and police board member John Tory said of the criteria that led to Saunders’ unanimous selection. He’s someone who “will be able to make change happen,” then police board chair Alok Mukherjee told CBC.

“History teaches us that the greatest opportunities for change often come when the willingness and desire to change are matched by the urgency for change,” Saunders said, in just about the changiest speech you could ask for, at his swearing-in ceremony.

“The stakes are higher than ever before. But so are the opportunities to take bold steps. We have no excuses. We know what we have to do,” he said. “Waiting is not an option.”

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Chief Mark Saunders: One year in, he’s walking softly

Judging by the words of Saunders and those who chose him, the Toronto Police Service was about to see more change than a TTC farebox. Many were skeptical — after all, Peter Sloly was seen as the candidate for chief most likely to transform the force; lower-profile Saunders was thought to be favoured by the police union and to be less of a boat-rocker.

But Saunders had an answer to that skepticism in his speech: “Judge us by what we do. I’m interested in results,” he said.

You can see why he’d prefer being judged by his actions rather than his words. He gives the impression, when speaking to the press and the public, of a man who’s not quite sure what he’s supposed to say.

This is maybe more important than it might be in most jobs. The police chief’s role has two components: one administrative, as the manager of the department actually calling the shots on what should and will be done, and one public, as the face and voice of the force to the people it serves and protects.

The second is not some irrelevant afterthought: the faith of the public in the force is essential. Allowing citizens a life relatively free from fear, secure in the knowledge that police have things under control, is one of the key functions of a police department.

Whatever their faults — and there were many for various critics to focus on — Toronto’s last two chiefs were expert at projecting the authority the job demands. When Julian Fantino or Bill Blair spoke after a high-profile shooting, or responded to criticism of how their force operated, the public was left with the distinct impression that they knew what they were talking about, that they were confident they knew what needed to be done, and they were already in the process of getting it done.

When you disagreed with their approach, this determined bearing could be frustrating. But it certainly left no doubt that they were on top of things. With Saunders, you usually get the impression he’s uncertain about what he plans to do, or uncertain what he should say about his plans, or both.

What about results? What about action? Well, our heads are not exactly spinning from the transformation in policing thus far.

When his police budget came forward, it was the very definition of a status quo document. When changes to carding procedures were forced on Saunders, first by the police board and then by new provincial guidelines, the response was tentative, and Saunders is still dragging his feet on implementing a new firm policy. When Black Lives Matter set up a protest outside Saunders’ office, he hid from them rather than addressing them or even meeting with them.

Deputy Chief Peter Sloly, who had spoken publicly of the changes he thought were needed, was marginalized and walked towards retirement.

On the other hand, Saunders did set up a task force to “guide the transformation of policing in Toronto.” Which could seem like a sign of forthcoming action if you weren’t aware of the long history of substituting task forces for actions in this city, and on this police force. Faced with a choice between doing something — even something as simple as declaring you’re not going to do anything — and setting up a task force to study and consider and consult and make recommendations for futher study, Toronto’s authorities will always prefer the latter. They will never hesitate to hesitate. Plus c’est la même chose.

The chief has not lacked high-profile opportunities to show change, in rhetoric or in actions: the budget, the conviction of one of his officers on an attempted murder charge, the recent questions about handling SIU reports, the carding debate, the protests, even the approach to handling the recent wave of increased gun crime. All have been opportunities to publicly define a transformational approach to the job. All passed up.

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It is what we might have expected, if we had not been told so clearly by the chief and everyone involved in appointing him to expect the opposite.

One year on, we’re still waiting for Chief Saunders to show any sign of the bold steps he told us we would not have to wait for, the transformation he was hired to deliver.

Edward Keenan writes on city issues ekeenan@thestar.ca . Follow: @thekeenanwire

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