In a rare and raw public speech, a longtime guns-and-gangs police officer took the mic at Tuesday’s Toronto police board meeting to tell Chief Mark Saunders and the service’s civilian board that rising violence in the city is impacting police, and more communication and mental health support is badly needed.

“I stand before you today as a member of Toronto police Service,” began Detective Const. Peter Boncardo, father to a young son and an officer of 15 years who identified himself as an expert in guns and gangs.

“I’m currently off right now. I went off in October on stress leave.”

In a three-minute speech to the board, Boncardo said that with rising gang violence, officers who deal with “guns, drugs, violence and death” are “not immune” to the impacts of the job. And yet, he’s experienced insufficient mental health support compounded by a “gap” in communication between officers and higher-ups about how to fix increasing violence.

“There’s a gap there between guns-and-gang violence: what we know about it, and what we do about it. And because of that, you have people that are going off sick, that are trying to express what that issue is, and it’s not being heard,” he said.

Feeling some relief that “today it’s been heard,” he nonetheless shared his concerns about the cost of speaking out.

“And what do we say? Sometimes career suicide’s better than the other one,” Boncardo said, ending his deputation.

The speech came at a Toronto police board meeting that began with a moment of silence for Toronto police Const. Mike Austin. The 21-year veteran of the service died by suicide inside Toronto police headquarters earlier this month.

“He leaves an important legacy of great professionalism, sincere dedication and invaluable mentorship and is dearly missed both by his family and by the members of this organization,” said Toronto police board chair Jim Hart.

Boncardo suggested that, as gang violence has increased there has been a lack of communication between frontline experts like himself and the decision-makers, a disconnect causing stress among officers, he said.

“Ever heard of me?” he asked the seven-member board, Saunders and upper command officers. “I’m an expert on this, and we have numerous ones on that unit. We travel all around the province talking on guns-and-gang issues. We’ve got them in the city. There’s probably nobody here at this table or at this office that’s ever heard of me.”

Boncardo also noted that mental health supports have, in his experience, been insufficient.

“I won’t go so far as ‘it’s failed me,’ but there’s certainly a long stretch that it needs to go,” he said.

One of the biggest things that he needs, Boncardo said, is someone to listen.

“I’d love nothing more than to talk,” he said. “I’ve asked for help and listening for quite a while. I need that to be done.”

He offered himself an asset to the board and the service to help determine how to fix the problems. As a police officer off on stress leave, “I think I’d be a valuable asset to discuss this with.”

Responding to his own officer’s deputation, Saunders told Boncardo he does know who he is.

“First off Peter, I have heard of you and I want to say, thank you for the work that you have done,” Saunders said, assuring him what he was doing was not career suicide.

Saunders said he would take Boncardo’s offer of help, conceding that while Toronto police is taking officer wellness seriously, more needs to be done. Officers are “exposed to some incredibly horrible environments,” Saunders said.

“One of the hardest pieces, one of the biggest disconnects that we have right now, is we don’t recognize it until it’s too late,” Saunders said.

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He thanked Boncardo for coming forward, noting: “I’m sorry that it took this forum for you to have to come to.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mayor John Tory said the deputation showed progress has been made in fighting the stigma that comes with discussions around mental health.

“That we had a police officer who had the courage to come forward and indicated that he had some issues, which years ago you wouldn’t have seen,” Tory said. “I admire his courage in doing so.”

If you are considering suicide, there is help. Find a list of local crisis centres at the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Or call 911 or in Ontario call Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000

Wendy Gillis is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and policing. Reach her by email at wgillis@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @wendygillis

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