Police budget meeting postponed

A meeting to discuss potential cuts to the Toronto police budget has been postponed.

The Police Services Board meetingwas to take place Friday afternoon. There was no word on when it would be re-scheduled.

Two weeks ago, Blair asked for a 1.5 per cent increase to the police budget rather than the 10 per cent cut demanded by Mayor Rob Ford.

For months, Blair has repeatedlytold his superiors there is no roomto trim his budget. Blair has said the cuts would mean taking hundreds of officers off the street, something he told the board he "couldn't recommend in good conscience because it would impact public safety."

Coun. Michael Thompson is the police board's vice-chairman. He believes the police can find ways to trim its budget.

"I must say that I don't buy any of the comments that have been made by the chief that in fact, if there were a reduction in the number of officers, that it would actually put the city in jeopardy," said Thompson.

Blair was expected to put forward a more streamlined budget in the now-cancelled Friday meeting.

"As I understand it as we move forward, well more than likely see something totally different," said Thompson. "Im very pleased to see that."

Police costs must come down, Thompson says

In the end it will be the board that sets the budget and Thompson said it is time to control policing costs once and for all.

"We've got a compliment of about 5,600 [officers] and there are some that say, Lets make that number higher. We know across the board that the crime stats are down," he said.

Thompson would not say what consequences Blair would face if he does not produce a reduced budget.