‘Our members are upset:’ Toronto police union speaks out over Gardiner, DVP changes

Construction cranes feature on the skyline in Toronto seen from the Gardiner Expressway on Wednesday, July 5, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

The head of the union representing Toronto police officers says it is both “ineffective and inefficient” to bring in provincial police to patrol the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway.

“Our members are upset,” Toronto Police Association (TPA) President Clayton Campbell told Newstalk 1010 on Monday morning.

Last week, the Ford government announced that Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) may soon be taking over policing of the highways, which are operated by the province along with other King’s Highways, including 400-series highways.

Toronto police will maintain responsibility for non-traffic related criminal matters on the Gardiner and DVP.

In a statement released last week, the TPA said it “fundamentally opposes” the change, calling it a “gross overreach.”

“Almost every call in the city, regardless of its location, requires a multi-agency response. It does not make operational sense to bring in another response unit, such as the OPP,” TPA President Clayton Campbell said in the online statement.

“We believe this move will inevitably fragment the delivery of traffic enforcement and general policing services, increasing stress for commuters and posing a potential risk to public safety.”

Speaking about the decision on Monday, Campbell said the union will be speaking with the Solicitor General to urge him to reconsider.

“I’m struggling to understand this decision,” Campbell said Monday, suggesting that the move will duplicate work.

He added that very little consultation was done on the subject.

“Both the chief and I learned about it late last week,” he said. “I think those highways are different than other King’s Highways.”

A spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria’s office said a “due diligence review” of the two highways is underway, which includes an assessment of the highways, financial and legal reviews, and corridor management controls.

Control of the Gardiner and the DVP was transferred back to the province as part of deal that was brokered by Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford amid the city’s financial troubles in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deal is estimated to save the city billions of dollars in upkeep for the highways.

Clayton noted that there is still time to reverse course on the policing change, suggesting that the transition is not expected to happen for another year or two.

“In the end, I think our traffic officers have done just done a fantastic job,” he said.

With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman