Ford government abandons plan that would have given it more control over police boards [Video]

After receiving pushback from within the Progressive Conservative caucus, the Ford government is scrapping portions of yet-to-be-tabled legislation that would have effectively given the province the ability to hand-pick members of police services boards, Global News has learned.

The government has been working on a wide-ranging bill called the Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act that touches on everything from VIN-related theft to the online sale of illegal cannabis and restrictions on supervised consumption sites.

But while the legislation was scheduled to be tabled on Nov. 4, the province was forced to pull the bill and re-tool it after a fierce reaction from caucus members behind closed doors about changes to police services boards.

The changes to the Community Safety and Policing Act — which were initially approved by cabinet — would have targeted the community representative position on policing boards, which are currently appointed by municipalities.

The government wanted to ensure “increased provincial control and influence” over …