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Toronto mayor-elect John Tory addresses the media during a press conference held in the West Tower of City Hall on November 27, 2014.Brian B. Bettencourt

Mayor-elect John Tory says he is "not at all satisfied" with the relationship between Toronto Police and its civilian oversight board, arguing that tension between the groups has stalled progress in policing.

Ahead of his swearing-in as mayor next week, Mr. Tory waded into the controversy surrounding the Toronto Police Service and its seven-member board while addressing reporters Thursday. The past year has seen clashes between board chair Alok Mukherjee and Chief Bill Blair, along with friction between board members.

"I understand the fact and accept that there will always be some healthy tension in these relationships," Mr. Tory said.

"However, without any attempt to assess blame, I believe those relationships have become increasingly polarized on all sides and this has led to a lack of progress on achieving our goal of safe, effective policing and of maintaining the confidence of the entire community in our police services."

The mayor-elect said he plans on taking "a strong leadership role" in addressing the relationship between the parties, but declined to provide details.

Mr. Tory's comments come ahead of major upheaval for the board. Over the next month, four of the council-appointed members' terms will expire, meaning they will either be reappointed or replaced. Mr. Tory would not say whether he plans on taking a seat at the board, or appoint a designate instead.

After years of tension surrounding cost-cutting and budgets, hostility between Mr. Blair and the police board exploded into public view in July, after the board refused to grant the chief another contract . Afterward, Mr. Mukherjee spoke of the need for "unorthodox ideas" and "fundamental transformation" within the force.

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