The Ford government is giving itself the power to set the priorities of individual police services boards across the province, but is adamant the move won’t allow it to direct law enforcement.
As part of its spring omnibus justice legislation, the government is creating policies that would let the solicitor general set expectations for areas police boards should focus on.
“What we want to do is we want to align the priorities of the police service boards across the province with the priorities of the government,” Minister Michael Kerzner told reporters this week.
“Some municipal police service boards do a great job. And others kind of go it their own way. What we want to do is, for lack of confusion and enhanced clarity, say to police service boards across the province: these are the priorities of the government, be aware of it and take that into consideration in the decisions you make, as a municipal police service board, do.”
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The legislation giving the solicitor general the power to direct boards on their priorities has not yet been passed, and some details will be resolved through the legislative and regulatory process.
His office said priorities could be set for individual forces or province-wide.
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In Toronto, for example, the board could be told to focus on hate crimes, while a rural municipality could be told to consider impaired driving. Some priorities could be set for every board in the province.
Kerzner’s team suggests the way the legislation is used will keep them at arm’s length and isn’t different from the directive powers they already have for the Ontario Provincial Police.
The directive would be sent by the solicitor general to the police services board, which would then adopt it and include it as part of its strategic plan. The chief would then carry out that plan.
If a police services board failed to follow the directive, anyone could submit a complaint for the Inspector General of Policing to investigate.
Kerzner insisted the move shouldn’t be confused with him interfering in police operations.
“I don’t direct any police,” he told reporters. “I don’t direct the OPP, I don’t direct municipal, I don’t direct First Nations police services.”
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The government’s critics aren’t convinced it should be given enhanced powers over how police boards guide their forces to direct resources.
“I am concerned about this government having the kind of power to direct police in that way,” Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles. “I find it concerning that the solicitor general seems unable to answer direct questions about this. We’re concerned about it, for sure.”
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While Kerzner does not possess the power to direct police, he has publicly scolded Toronto police for how it has handled protests about the war in Gaza.
In December, he twice wrote to Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw and board chair Shelley Carroll to “underscore the need for firm, consistent and visible enforcement of hate, intimidation and harassment- motivated offences” by the force.
“Strong action is required to prevent further escalation and hold offenders to account,” he wrote at the end of December 2025.
“It will also assure Toronto residents and people across Ontario that intimidation, harassment and hate-motivated conduct will not be tolerated anywhere in the province.”
Kerzner’s office said the new powers likely wouldn’t be used to set priorities around individual protests, but could set broader focuses around hate crimes, public order or major events like the FIFA World Cup.
Ontario Liberal MPP Rob Cerjanic said he wasn’t sure about the move.
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“I think this is a bit of a complicated issue when we look at it,” he said.
“I don’t think that we can trust what this government is necessarily doing with police, but there needs to be accountability within policing and that goes across the board. If we look the solicitor general, I’m not confident in his ability, frankly, to manage our police in the province.”
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