For a community grappling with “emotional exhaustion” after the arrest of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, local activists say controversies about the case’s handling affect police participation in the Pride Parade.

Police are in discussions with Pride Toronto on the status of their parade presence in June, but “no final decisions have been made, as yet,” said a Toronto police spokesperson, Meaghan Gray, in an email.

Last year, officers were invited to attend the parade under the condition that they did not wear their uniforms nor bring weapons and cruisers. Police floats were also banned, in keeping with demands set by the Toronto chapter of Black Lives Matter following a 2016 protest during the parade.

“I think this year, more than any year, Pride is going to be a time of reflection, and may feel more sombre perhaps in the wake of all the deaths,” said Syrus Marcus Ware, a team member at BLM Toronto and trans-man.

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McArthur, a 66-year-old landscaper, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder of Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Soroush Mahmudi, Dean Lisowick and Skandaraj Navaratnam.

In an interview published in the Globe and Mail, police Chief Mark Saunders was quoted as suggesting that the alleged killer might have been arrested sooner if civilians had come forward to police with vital information.

“We’ve witnessed tremendous horrors and a police Chief who … had the audacity to say this week that it was community members’ faults, sort of blaming the victims,” Ware said of the Feb. 27 Globe story.

Police union president Mike McCormack said officers are hoping that Pride will reconsider its position this year by allowing police to march in uniform.

“The chief’s comments are very unfortunate, and again, as far as we’re concerned, our hearts go out to the victims and the families of this horrific act,” he said. “We’re hoping that those comments don’t sour a lot of … the good work that our members have been doing.”

Two of the men McArthur is accused of killing were the subjects of a specialized police project known as Project Houston, which examined the disappearances of three brown-skinned, middle-aged men from the Village between 2010 and 2012.

The project kicked off in November 2012 and ended 18 months later, in April 2014, without any arrests because the probe returned no criminal evidence. McArthur was never singled out as a subject during Project Houston.

Police have since faced criticism for failing to identify McArthur during the Project Houston investigation, particularly since it’s alleged that McArthur went on to kill other men.

His arrest will probably influence the June festivities for an “emotionally exhausted” community, said Councilor Kristyn Wong-Tam (Ward 27 Toronto Centre—Rosedale).

“I think the community wants to work with Toronto Police, I honestly believe that,” she said. “Giving up on our relationships with each other is not an option.”

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Wong-Tam called this relationship ongoing, and not just anchored around the annual festival.

“The police will need to understand that it’s much more than whether or not the police should march, but it’s about getting to the core of community relationships here. It’s about building respect and trust.”

Pride Toronto did not respond to multiple request for comment. The parade takes place on June 22 to 24.