Mark Saunders (police officer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Saunders OOM
Saunders in 2015
Chief of the Toronto Police Service
In office April 26, 2015 – July 31, 2020
Preceded by	Bill Blair
Succeeded by	James Ramer (interim)
Personal details
Born	1962 (age 62–63) London, England
Citizenship	Canada United Kingdom
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Spouse	Stacey Saunders
Residences	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Alma mater	University of Guelph-Humber
Occupation	Police officer

Mark Saunders (born in 1962) is a Canadian politician and a retired police officer. He was the chief of police for the Toronto Police Service (TPS) from 2015 to 2020.

After his police career, Saunders became involved in politics. He ran as a candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in the 2022 Ontario election. He also ran for mayor of Toronto in a special election in 2023. In this election, he focused his campaign on making communities safer.

Early Life and Education

Mark Saunders was born in England. His parents were from Jamaica. In 1967, his family moved from England to Quebec, Canada. Two years later, in 1969, they settled in Milton, Ontario.

While growing up, Saunders attended several schools, including W. I. Dick Middle School, J.M. Denyes School, and Martin Street Middle School. He was also the student council president at Milton District High School. Later, he earned a special degree in justice studies from the University of Guelph-Humber.

Leading the Toronto Police Service

Mark Saunders started his career in policing right after finishing high school. Before he became the chief of police in 2015, he was a deputy chief. This meant he was in charge of special police operations.

Becoming Chief of Police

On April 17, 2015, the Toronto Police Services Board chose Mark Saunders to be the new chief of police. He took over from Bill Blair. This was a big moment because Saunders became the first Black Canadian to lead the Toronto police force. He was also the second Black Canadian to lead any police force in Canada. The first was Devon Clunis, who led the Winnipeg Police Service in 2012.

In August 2019, the police board decided to extend Saunders' contract for another year, until April 2021. However, on June 8, 2020, Saunders announced he would retire sooner. He left his role on July 31, 2020, saying he wanted to "put family first."

After His Police Career

After leaving the police force, Mark Saunders took on new roles. In December 2020, he joined a special team in Ontario that helped with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

He was also named a special advisor for a big project to redevelop Ontario Place. This was from February 2021 to June 2022. As of August 2024, Saunders works for a real estate company in Toronto called Spotlight Developments Inc. He helps with community outreach for them.

Running for Provincial Election in 2022

In 2022, Mark Saunders decided to run for a seat in the provincial government. He was the candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario in the area called Don Valley West. This area had been represented by former premier Kathleen Wynne.

Saunders did not win this election. He was defeated by the Liberal candidate, Stephanie Bowman.

Running for Mayor in 2023

On March 20, 2023, Saunders announced he would run for mayor of Toronto in a special election. During his campaign, he talked a lot about making communities safer. He said he would focus on the main reasons why crime happens. He also mentioned that he would work to make sure people could get mental health care 24 hours a day. He finished third in the election.

Personal Life

Mark Saunders is married to Stacey Saunders. They have four children and live in North York, a part of Toronto.

In October 2017, Mark Saunders had a kidney transplant surgery. His wife, Stacey, was the donor. Mark was born with only one kidney. Before the surgery, he had to do kidney dialysis at home every night for 15 months. The family shared their story to help people learn more about organ donation.

Mark's sister, Yvonne Saunders, is a famous former track and field athlete. She competed for Canada in the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Honours

Mark Saunders has received several awards for his service:

Ribbon Bars
Ribbons Order of Merit of the Police Forces Officer Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Canadian version of the medal Police Exemplary Service Medal With One Bar