54 candidates vie for vacant London Police Services Board seat

When London city council votes to pick a new member of the London Police Services Board, they certainly won't be lacking for options.

No less than 54 candidates have put their names forward to fill the seat vacated in January when former chair Susan Toth stepped down. 

At that time, Toth implored council to strive to seek a replacement from a diverse community in London. You can read the full list of names and the background information they submitted here. 

The board's function is to provide direction, civilian input, and oversight into police operations. The board is composed of seven members: Three elected members from city council and one person appointed by city council.

Among the candidates to fill the board seat are Ryan Gauss, who currently works as director of operations and personnel for London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos.

Other names on the list are people who've run for office in London before, including Prabh Gill, who ran unsuccessfully for a city council seat in Ward 3 last fall. The seat was won by Peter Cuddy. 

Gill, a paralegal who does advocacy work for the United Sikhs, said bringing diversity is crucial but he said that shouldn't be the only attribute.

"It's not just because I wear a turban," he said in explaining why he's running. "Being a visible minority, that's an asset but I think I also have experience and skills as well." 

Zeba Hashmi, who ran in London as a Liberal in London-Fanshawe losing to the NDP's Teresa Armstrong, is also seeking the vacant board seat. 

Another candidate on the long list is lawyer Muhammad (Hamoody) Hassan. He's 71 years old and has practised law in London for 44 years. A Muslim, Hassan has experience representing clients from diverse backgrounds. 

"I thought there might be five or six candidates," said Hassan. "But obviously 54 people in the community feel that they have something to offer. I'm happy to see that there are so many good candidates and my feelings wouldn't be hurt if I wasn't selected." 

Current London Police Services Board Chair Ali Chabar said he believes Toth's call for diverse applicants may have widened the field. 

"I think the outreach that city hall has done to reach out to communities who may not have otherwise historically had access to that information, it's a byproduct of that," he said.

The list of applicants will be considered by members of council's strategic priorities and policy committee at its Tuesday meeting.