Halton Police Chief Hangs onto his Job

Halton Region’s Police Board says it has “full and unequivocal confidence” in Stephen Tanner to remain the service’s top cop.  This after three days of behind-closed-door meetings in the wake of revelations that Tanner travelled to Florida over the holidays, despite the call for Canadians to stay at home to curb the surging number of COVID-19 cases.

Tanner was given permission to travel by former Chair and Oakville Mayor Rob Burton, but other members of the police services board were not made aware.   Burton has since resigned as chair and apologized for his decision.

Today the board says Chief Tanner cited “the essential need to travel to address extensive damage to a residential property for which he has a significant personal financial interest. He further needed to arrange the house’s sale as the significant damage and the pandemic delayed the ability to list the property for sale resulting in mounting financial losses and concern for him and his common-law partner.”

The board says it accepts Chief Tanner’s apology for his decision to travel and will take no further actions.  In a statement new board chair Jeff Knoll added: “There are no air travel restrictions to the United States other than Canada’s Government declaring a Level 3 Warning to Avoid non-essential travel. The Government advises that “It is up to you to decide what “nonessential travel” means, based on family or business requirements, knowledge of or familiarity with a country, territory or region, and other factors”.

Tanner has been in the job since 2012.