A long-time police officer, Mark Hayward, has written to Mayor Tory accusing him of fuelling gun violence and gang activity in Toronto by cancelling the program related to carding in 2016. The letter goes on to says that this, and other police board decisions, have reduced Chief Saunders to the status of a “puppet.” The Chief has responded with a statement saying a departmental investigation is underway into the letter and the accusations made in it. Hayward stands to face discipline. This letter and the media focus on it has raised again the nature of a divided community on carding. Some feel there’s nothing very wrong with carding if it is conducted impartially while others say it destroys the lives of black youth. CBC
FORD HIRES FORMER PC PRESIDENT
Prermier Ford has appointed a former Progressive Conservative party president as a special adviser on health care. Dr. Rueben Devlin will, as chair of a new council on improving health care, make $348,000 salary plus paid expenses. Devlin is said to have previously served as CEO of Humber River hospital where he made close to $500,000, according to the salaries list. We were hoping for something like a dollar-a-year man.