Ron Taverner has rescinded his resignation from the Toronto Police Service while his appointment as OPP commissioner hangs in limbo.
Taverner submitted the request over the weekend. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders approved the decision, which came into effect on Sunday night.
“(The request) was considered and approved by the chief of police last night and today he resumes his role as unit commander of our northwest district,” Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray told CP24.
“The superintendent’s resignation was effective Saturday so, in theory, he was only in absence of that position for 24 hours.”
The 72-year-old was selected for the job of Ontario Provincial Police commissioner in late November.
His appointment has drawn questions and criticism due to his longtime friendship with Premier Doug Ford and the Ford family.
The province later confirmed that it had lowered the qualifications needed for the job after its initial posting, claiming the change was made to attract more applicants.
Ford’s office has repeatedly denied having any involvement in Taverner’s hiring.
Taverner recently sent an email to Community Safety Minister Sylvia Jones, asking that the province delay his appointment until an investigation into allegations of political interference in his hiring was conducted.
Acting OPP commissioner Brad Blair, who was among 27 candidates vying for the commissioner position, had called on the Ontario Ombudsman to investigate Taverner’s appointment but his request was turned down. Blair has since applied to Ontario’s Divisional Court to force the ombudsman to conduct an investigation.
CTV News Toronto reached out to the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman on how it plans on responding to Blair’s legal action. The office says the official response will be delivered in court.
On Saturday, the province announced that Blair will be replaced by the OPP’s deputy commissioner, Gary Couture, who takes command today.
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who has been a staunch critic of the appointment, said Taverner’s return to his old job was the right move for the time being.
“This entire situation should have never started in the first place. Mr. Ford doesn’t understand that he can’t just get away with doing whatever he wants to do, that we have a democracy here,” Horwath said from Queen’s Park on Monday.
“When it comes to policing services and public safety and the integrity of the OPP -- that can never be called into question. The meddling that Mr. Ford appears to have undertaken in this process is absolutely unacceptable.”
It’s not yet clear whether Taverner’s return to his role at TPS is temporary or permanent.
Toronto Mayor John Tory also welcomed Taverner’s decision.
“Well obviously the decision about what happens with Mr. Taverner is up to the chief of police, but I’ve said in previous times when this was in the news that he was an excellent police officer who took a very keen and very deep interest in the local community that he served,” Tory said at an unrelated event Monday morning.
“So, having said those things, which I meant, if he came back to the Toronto Police Service I would find this to be a most welcome development.”
