Doug Ford Said 'Don’t Vote' For Toronto Mayoral Candidates Who Want To Defund The Police

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is weighing in on Toronto's mayoral race and telling folks who not to vote for.

While Ford isn't naming names, he is taking a tough stance on who should not be elected into office — and it all comes down to crime in the city.

In a press conference in Mississauga, Ford said he has never seen a crime like this before in Toronto in light of recent TTC violence, and that it should be the number one issue in the mayoral race.

Former Mayor John Tory stepped down from his position after admitting to having an affair with a staff member, and the mayoral by-election is set to take place on June 26, 2023.

"We need full-time police officers in the busiest transit system in Canada. We need to give them the resources and give them help but enough is enough with this crime," said Ford.

"That should be the number one issue for any mayoral candidate and the mayoral candidates that say they want to cut funding for the police. They want to defund the police. Don't vote for them. Simple as that."

This comes after the recent death of a 16-year-old, Gabriel Magalhaes, who was stabbed and killed at Keele Subway Station on March 25, and another stabbing on a TTC bus on March 26.

Ford urged voters to support candidates that are going to fund the police and promised that more police officers are to come.

"We're going to get more police officers in our subway and in our streets because, again, I've never seen it this bad ever. Absolutely ever, and we need to make sure when we sentence these criminals, they need to go away for a long time without bail."

Ford said he is addressing the root social causes of violence, such as addiction and mental health, and using a three-pronged approach against crime.

"Number one, we got to catch these guys, number two, we got to sentence them, and the people that need help, they need to go get help. We can't just release them," said Ford.

Ford said they are investing "unprecedented" amounts of money, with $ 3.8 billion dollars dedicated to mental health.

When it comes to who Ford wants to see as Toronto's next mayor, he said there are only one or two candidates up for the job out of "everyone and their cousin, their brother, their uncle and their aunt" who's running. Although he didn't name what candidates have his support.

"Were putting millions of dollars into policing across the province. All I'm saying is if you don't support our police and we're seeing stabbings in the subway ... car thefts coming out of our gazoo, and just enough's enough," said Ford. "We can't have anarchy in our cities."

Former Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders is in the running for mayor, and echoed Ford's call for a better bail system in light of Magalhaes's death in a recent tweet.

"For too long, the federal government’s catch and release policies have put repeat violent criminals back on the street, only for them to recommit offences,” wrote Saunders.

“I have raised this concern since 2019 and will continue to, because it is the right thing to do.”