At the Fairmont Royal York, Upper Canada Room
Mar 24, 2017
Chief of Police Mark Saunders
At the Fairmont Royal York, Upper Canada Room

Mark Saunders was appointed the 10th Chief of the Toronto Police Service on May 20, 2015.  The City of Toronto is a vibrant diverse city covering 636 square kilometres with a diverse population of more than 2,600,000 people.  The Toronto Police Service employs over 5300 police officers and 2700 civilian employees and has an annual budget nearing $1 billion dollars.  It is the largest municipal police service in Canada and 5th largest in North America.

During his 32-plus year policing career, Chief Saunders has had extensive investigative experience in Professional Standards, Urban Street Gang Unit, Intelligence Services, Drug Squad, Community Safety Command, and the Emergency Task Force and served as the Unit Commander of the largest Homicide Squad in Canada.

Chief Saunders is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and is a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA).  He is also a member of the Police Executive Research Foundation (PERF).  Chief Saunders is a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP).  He is also member of the National Coordinating Committee on Organized Crime (NCC) and a member of the Executive Committee for Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC).  Chief Saunders is a member of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP).  He is also a member of the Criminal Intelligence Service of Ontario (CISO) Governing Body Executive and a member of the Executive Committee for the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU). 

Recognizing current trends in technology, in his capacity as Deputy Chief, Chief Saunders created an investigative cybercrime Unit called “C3”.  This investigative unit was developed in order to maximize the use of technology in policing.

Chief Saunders is committed to continuous education and has recently completed a Justice Studies Bachelor of Arts degree at Guelph Humber University.  He has also completed the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Course (LinCT).

In recognition of his many contributions to the policing and service to the community, Chief Saunders has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for Outstanding Community Contributions.  He was also awarded the Police Exemplary Service Medal with Thirty Year Bar.  He has received the Black Canadians Award for Public Service and has twice received the Black History Month Award.  In October 2015, he was named an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.

Chief Saunders is also active in community organizations and is currently serving on the Board of Directors at Covenant House Toronto.  He is currently the Co-Chair of the United Way Campaign Cabinet and Vice-patron of the Good Neighbours’ Club.

Chief Saunders lives in Toronto with family.  He is an accomplished photographer and often donates his work to charitable organizations.