Zen Ruryk

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Mayor: I prefer T.O. cop for chief

Wants to hire 'from within'

Mayor Mel Lastman says he'd like the next police chief chosen from within the ranks of Toronto's force.

The Toronto Police Services Board has commissioned a $600,000 search to find a replacement for Chief David Boothby, who retires in February.

"I'd prefer somebody that's with the police force," Lastman said yesterday. "I always like somebody within first… because it's always better to select from within."

National search

A consulting firm will place ads nationally to attract applicants to the job which paid Boothby $164,689 last year.

The firm will provide the police board with a short list of candidates. Board members will choose the city's new chief in November.

Lastman is the police board's newest member, replacing Councillor Judy Sgro who resigned this week.

Sgro, who was the mayor's designate to the board, will run as the Liberal candidate in the soon-to be called by-election in the federal riding on York West.

Lastman insisted he has no favourite in mind as the search goes on for someone to step in as the city's top cop.

He added that it would be best to select someone from inside the department because "it makes everybody there feel better."

Police board chairman Norm Gardner said he, too, thinks it would be best to hire a new chief from within the force.

Ad campaign

"We're not going after people, but we're making a national ad campaign because that's what we're done previously," said Gardner.

As a result, we want to make sure that we don't shut out any potential candidates — or all star candidates — that are not a member of the organization."

Gardner said he doubts one high-profile, Toronto-area police chief, York Region's Julian Fantino, has any interest in replacing Boothby.

My understanding is that he is very happy as chief of York; he also has commitments that he has obligated himself to," said Gardner. Fantino could not be reached for comment yesterday.