The head of Torontoīs homicide squad said it should come as no surprise that his long time colleague, Supt. Ronald Taverner has been appointed commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.Taverner is unit commander at 23, 12 and 31 Divisions.Taverner is a longtime friend of the Ford family. His north Etobicoke police division borders the Fordīs home. He attended Rob Fordīs 2016 funeral, where he was welcomed by family matriarch Diane Ford.Acting Insp. Hank Idsinga echoed sentiments shared by the police community and leaders of various community agencies, as cited by the police, lauding Taverner as an advocate for building relationships with marginalized communities.`Itīs a big loss for us, but heīs put in a lot of years,` Idsinga said of Tavernerīs departure after five decades serving in various divisions and units, including intelligence, organized crime enforcement, outlaw motorcycle gangs and community policing. `He has definitely made things better for us. Heīs going to be an asset for the OPP.Tavernerīs appointment was announced Thursday by Sylvia Jones, Ontarioīs Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. He will assume his role as Ontarioīs top cop, Dec. 17. He replaces Vince Hawkes, who recently retired after over four years at the helm.`With over 50 yearsī experience, Ron brings (with him) the support of front-line officers, community leaders and our respected law enforcement professionals,` said Jones. `We will be well served by an officer who has dedicated his life to making our communities a safer place to live.``Iīve known Taverner for 30 years,` Idsinga said Thursday. `He was staff sergeant at 14 division when I started there.`Idsinga said Tavernerīs leadership skills fit him for the task of managing the big challenge of leading the OPP, which consists of more than 6,000 uniformed officers and nearly 3,000 civilian members.`I donīt think his appointment comes as a surprise at all,` Idsinga said. `Toronto produces some of the best poli ...
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