Ron Taverner says he is withdrawing from consideration to be the next commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, citing the need to protect the integrity of front-line officers.
The 72-year-old Toronto police superintendent said in a statement Wednesday evening that he will not take on the role given the controversy surrounding his appointment late last year.
Taverner initially did not meet the criteria listed for the commissioner position and the government has admitted it lowered the requirements to attract a wider range of candidates. Ford thanked Taverner for putting his name forward in a statement of his own on Wednesday, saying his "50 years of policing experience and support for the front-lines would have been a tremendous asset to the OPP and to the people of Ontario."
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said despite Taverner's withdrawal, a full investigation into the matter is still needed. "This decision is in the best interest of the OPP and the people of Ontario," Schreiner said in a statement. "The job as the province's highest ranking police officer is too important to be saddled with even the appearance of political interference."
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