Andy Pringle (left) and Mayor John Tory listen to remarks from Desmond Cole at a meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board in Toronto on June 18, 2015.Chris Young/The Globe and Mail
Toronto city council has approved the reappointment of Andy Pringle to the Toronto Police Services Board – despite some councillors' warnings that the move would drive a "further wedge" between police and diverse communities.
In a 28-11 vote Thursday, council decided to give Mr. Pringle, an ally of Mayor John Tory's, another term on the police board. This decision came after pleas by several councillors – including one current and one former member of the police board – who said that the appointment could further inflame tensions between police and black communities over the issue of carding.
"We do not need to see a further wedge created by the appointment of Mr. Pringle," Councillor Michael Thompson said Thursday. Since he was replaced by Mayor Tory on the police board late last year, Mr. Thompson has emerged as one of the mayor's most vocal critics on the controversial issue of carding – a police practice which critics say amounts to racial profiling, and which the mayor has vowed to reform.
In recent months, Mr. Thompson has accused Mr. Pringle of being supportive of carding in the past. "He consistently rubber-stamped police actions and initiatives that were not in the best interests of the community," Mr. Thompson said.
Last month, Mr. Pringle told The Globe that his position on carding has been "misunderstood," and that in the past, he has just been looking for a balance between the needs of the police and the community. In an e-mail Thursday, Mr. Pringle said he is "pleased" by the re-appointment. "I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow board members," he said.
In an interview last month, Mr. Pringle told The Globe that his position on carding has been "misunderstood," and that in the past, he has just been looking for a balance between the needs of the police and the community. As vice-chair of the board, Mr. Pringle is expected to step in after chair Alok Mukherjee resigns next month, though he has said he is not interested in staying on as chair in the long-term.
The council decision comes amid lingering tensions within black communities on policing. On Thursday, several community groups held a press conference to speak out after the fatal shooting on Sunday of Andrew Loku, a black Toronto resident, after an interaction with police.
Councillor Shelley Carroll, who is a current member of the seven-person police board, said the board needs change.
"Some of the things that have continued there are not good things," she said.
But in an impassioned speech Thursday, the mayor defended his long-time friend and former adviser.
"Let's be honest about what this is really all about: This is about politics," Mr. Tory said. "… People want to reject this man who is, by all admissions – even those opposing him – one of our most accomplished and distinguished citizens."
Ann Hui