Toronto's civilian police oversight board inches closer to a review of Toronto Police and its handling of missing persons cases.

Members of the Toronto Police Services Board unanimously passed a motion on Thursday to move forward with the planning stages of such an external review.

A team will be assembled by April 28th to decide on the framework.

A preliminary report on that work is due in June.

These steps comes as a result of outcry that started in the city's gay community over what's been learned so far in the case of accused serial killer Bruce McArthur.

He faces 6 charges of first degree murder connected to allegations he preyed on men in Toronto's gay village.

The accusation from some advocates in the city's gay community is that it was 'systemic discrimination' that led investigators to fumble the case.

The allegations is that cops over several years dismissed concerns raised by the community about men who had vanished and that the police allowed McArthur to escape their grasp, even though he had previous run-ins with the law.

Several people addressed the police board meeting with scathing criticism over the way some police officers see people as deserving or undeserving of their protection.

While the review at the centre of Thursday's board motion moves a step ahead, it could take years and another review before there is meaningful light shed on the work Toronto Police did to catch McArthur.

The lead-up to his arrest is almost untouchable until McArthur's case completes its journey through the courts.

Before the meeting, about 20 demonstrators gathered near the steps of Toronto Police headquarters to call on Chief Mark Saunders to resign.

"I am the leader of this organization and (I understand) those emotions are going to be put specifically to me," Saunders said after the meeting adjourned.

"I do have the endorsement of the Mayor and the (Police Services) Board and I have endorsement from many segments of the community who say, 'you have to keep going.'"

The Chief says he's in the early stages of mapping out what a specific review into the McArthur case might look like.