[URBAN NOTE] "Toronto police association head hints at job action over task force recommendations"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC News' John Rieti reports on unrest in the Toronto police force.

Toronto police officers are so concerned about the changes proposed in an upcoming report that there's already talk of job action, said the head of the Toronto Police Association.

A task force, struck by Mayor John Tory to modernize the police force and reduce its budget, is poised to make a series of recommendations, including closing six stations across the city and not hiring any officers for three years, according to details leaked by senior police officials.

Mike McCormack, President of the Toronto Police Association, said chief among his concerns about the details of the new report is how the force will operate with 350 fewer officers by 2017. He said officers are already frustrated by not having enough personnel to do proactive police work.

"They're stressed by the workload," McCormack told CBC's Metro Morning on Thursday.

McCormack said rank and file officers don't have a problem with finding efficiencies within the force, but won't do anything that jeopardizes public safety just to cut costs. The officers will read the finalized report — an interim version will be tabled at the police services board on Friday — and after that will decide whether some form of job action is necessary.