After community groups raised concerns about police involvement in a proposed external review of missing-persons cases, Mayor John Tory and Toronto police confirm it will be the civilian board officially initiating the independent probe when it meets next week — not the chief.In a statement Friday, Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders responded to mounting criticism about his force’s handling of the ongoing investigation into alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, including criticism over the revelation that McArthur was questioned by police in 2016 but let go. Calling the concerns raised “serious enough to warrant a review,” Saunders announced that he would be “pursuing an independent external review,” with the support of Tory and police board chair Andy Pringle.The remarks prompted concerns from community members that a review initiated by the chief would not be truly independent. In a statement released hours after Saunders’, the Alliance for South Asian Aids Prevention (ASAAP) criticized the chief’s language, saying the independent review must be commissioned not by Toronto police but by its civilian board, “whose scope and procedure is determined with direct representation from the LGBTQ community.”In a statement to the Star this week, a spokesperson for Tory said when the mayor presents a motion for an external missing-persons review next week, it will be “very clear” that the board is making the request.Pringle told the Star that he didn’t think it mattered who initiated it, but later said in a statement that the review will be commissioned by the board. He stressed that Saunders suggested the review “as early as a number of weeks ago.”Meaghan Gray, Toronto police spokesperson, said the service supports an external report commissioned by the board. In his statement Friday, Saunders said the review should consider the force’s investigative processes as well as syst ...
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