POLICE SHAKE-UP TO BOOST WAR ON CRIME

Fantino Shuffle To Target Drug Trade On Streets

Three months into his new job, Toronto police Chief Julian Fantino is
poised to orchestrate one of the largest reorganizations in the force's
history.

His top priorities will be to go after street-level drug dealers, improve
the record of solving homicides and increase the number of officers and
cruisers on the street answering emergency calls.

Fantino's plan, to be unveiled to senior commanders in a month or so,
follows some of the strategies used in American cities, such as New York,
that target petty crime in order to combat larger criminal activity. What
this new approach means for the force's community-based policing
initiative, which saw officers working hand in hand with members of the
community, is unclear.

Police insiders say details include:

a.. A new boss for the homicide squad. The squad came under scrutiny after
its rate of solving murders fell from nearly 90 per cent in the early '90s
to a low of just 61 per cent in 1997. The squad just underwent an extensive
internal review of its operations, the results of which have not been released.

b.. Bolstering the number of front-line officers who answer 911 calls and
other calls for help. Guidelines will be set to ensure a certain number of
police cruisers are on the road at all times. There have been complaints
from field officers that at times there are fewer than three cars available
in a division to answer emergency calls.

c.. Four of the 17 police stations will be designated as training centres
for new officers, starting in September. The four that have been chosen are
52 Division on Dundas St. West downtown; 14 Division on Harrison St. in
Parkdale; 31 Division on Norfinch Dr., in the city's north end; and 42
Division at Ellesmere and McCowan Rds. in Scarborough. New officers will
work alongside veterans at these stations, which are among the busiest in
Toronto.

d.. The beleaguered drug squads will be given a new focus - street-level
drug dealing. Fantino wants drug officers to target people openly dealing
drugs on street corners and housing projects. While the force would not
give up on big drug investigations, there is a feeling that going after the
drug kingpins is the job of the RCMP, sources say. Focusing on street-level
criminals is an approach modelled after the success of New York's so-called
"broken windows" strategy to crime-fighting, based on the theory that
smaller problems pave the way for greater disorder.

Putting more officers into squad cars could mean some specialized squads -
such as youth crime - will see their numbers reduced, sources say.

Rick Gauthier, a former homicide detective who handled some of the biggest
cases in the force's history, will be moving back into the homicide squad
in the next few weeks, although the move has not been made official.

Gauthier, now an inspector, was the lead detective on the murders of Andrea
Atkinson, 6, in 1990 and 3-year-old Kayla Klaudusz in 1991. He also was in
charge of the 1994 Just Desserts murder case. There were convictions in all
three cases.

Fantino has brought in some outside help for the transition. Last week,
lawyer Faye McWatt was hired on a six-month contract to advise Fantino on
community issues. McWatt is a former crown attorney as well as a defence
lawyer.

One of the biggest changes will likely come in the way the force is structured.

Following years of decentralization under former police chief David
Boothby, Fantino will make police headquarters on College St. the heart of
police operations once again.

There also may be a return to the old system of seniority, possibly
including the rank of staff superintendent, which disappeared in mid-90s.

Those with that rank - as many as five officers - would take over some of
the responsibilities handled by the force's five deputy chiefs.

The plan, say sources, is to reduce the number of deputy chiefs through
retirement to three, leading to greater overall control by the chief.

One of those deputies, Robert Kerr, already packed it in earlier this year.

Minutes after being sworn in as chief on March 6, Fantino pledged to carry
out a 90-day review of police operations.

Senior commanders were handed specific jobs during the review, but the
biggest task was given to Deputy Chief Steve Reesor.

Reesor will report to Fantino this month on how to best redeploy the
force's 5,000 officers to meet the new goals.

The police union, representing 7,000 civilian and officer members, has been
consulted on the proposed changes.

Craig Bromell, president of the Toronto police association, said he and
Fantino have agreed on many issues, but have disagreed on others.

"His job is to run the service, my job is to make sure everything stays on
an even keel," said Bromell, who described his discussions with the chief
as frank and constructive.

"I'm sure certain people have been disappointed we haven't had a fight
during this review," said Bromell.

Lawyer Gary Clewley, counsel for the union, also has been involved in the
discussions.

He said that, for the most part, everyone in the union command is
supportive of what's being proposed.

"I think the police community will benefit from this," said Clewley.

One issue dividing the union and the chief is Fantino's belief that he
should be able to suspend officers without pay in cases of alleged serious
wrongdoing.