Ron Taverner has put his appointment as commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police on hold, pending a review into his hiring by the Office of the Integrity Commissioner.“Out of the greatest of respect for the brave men and women of the Ontario Provincial Police, I am requesting my appointment as commissioner be postponed until as such time the integrity commissioner has completed his review,” Taverner said in statement issued Saturday afternoon.Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services Sylvia Jones accepted Taverner’s decision.“While the government has full confidence in Mr. Taverner, we will respect his request for a delay in his appointment, until such time as the integrity commissioner has conducted a review of the selection process,” Jones said in statement.Taverner, 72, was set to be sworn in as Ontario’s top cop on Monday.It’s not clear how long a review would take, or if the results would be made public.Read more: Acting OPP chief asks court to examine ombudsman’s decision not to review Ron Taverner appointmentTories blast OPP commissioner’s ‘unfounded allegations’ about Taverner hiring‘No concerns’ about hiring of Ron Taverner to head the OPP, says Ontario Safety Minister Sylvia JonesThe NDP has called on the integrity commissioner to look into “potential political interference” in the appointment of Taverner, a long-time family friend of Premier Doug Ford. Taverner, who recently retired from the Toronto Police Service at the rank of superintendent, had been unit commander at 23, 12 and 31 Divisions. It was also revealed Saturday that Gary Couture, OPP deputy commissioner of field operations, has been appointed Interim Commissioner of the OPP while the review is conducted, replacing Brad Blair, who held that position since the retirement of commissioner Vince Hawkes in early November.Blair asked the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario to investigate & ...
|
