The Toronto Police Services Board is asking Chief Bill Blair to look at the idea of outsourcing parking enforcement — one of the city’s most valuable revenue streams.

An agenda item for Thursday’s meeting asks Blair to return in March with a report on the feasibility and financial implications of such a shift, along with a question about transferring exterior court security to the city.

The item follows a motion made at the city’s budget committee in December.

Chair Alok Mukherjee said the board’s role is to consider the public safety function of the enforcement — something that boils down to forcing people to follow the rules by setting out paid fines, he said.

Raising money for the city, Mukherjee said, is “strictly city business.”

The board has not discussed the feasibility of outsourcing enforcement before and would be open such a conversation with the city, Mukherjee said.

The board members may be interested in discussing the idea among themselves, he said, following on 2013 budget talks that considered privatizing, outsourcing or turning some police functions over to lower-paid civilians to save costs.

The board will provide an update to the city after it receives Blair’s report, Mukherjee said.

Two parking enforcement officers, a supervisor and one manager made the Sunshine List in 2012. Parking support service manager Kimberley Rossi earned $127,199 that year.

In 2001, city hall looked to reclaim parking enforcement and make it the responsibility of the Toronto Parking Authority. The city authority currently manages parking meters and city Green P parking lots.

Enforcement of parking, by police and the city, is one of the city’s largest sources of non-property-tax revenue. After unpaid fines, the city derives $80 million from parking fines annually, of which 75 per cent goes into the city’s coffers while the rest funds the TPA.

Police spokesperson Mark Pugash said there are other public benefits to having police enforce parking.

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“They are responsible each year for well over a thousand stolen vehicles,” Pugash said. “They also provide a presence on the street.”

Ticketing is handled by bylaw officers instead of police in some other Canadian cities such as Ottawa and Vancouver.