Toronto Police say they won't march in this year's Pride Parade

After months of discussion, Police chief Mark Saunders announced that Toronto cops won't march in the 2017 Pride Parade.

In a statement released today, Saunders says he's proud of the work and progress the force has made in building relationships with Toronto's various LGBT communities, but thinks they need to take a step back.

He puts the onus on the community and not the police. "We understand the LGBT communities are divided," reads the statement."To enable those differences to be addressed, I have decided the Toronto Police Service will not participate, this year, in the Pride Parade."

The Toronto Police have been under fire since last year's Pride Parade when Black Lives Matter halted the parade to protest and present a list of demands that included the exclusion of police floats and limited participation in the festival.

The demands were accepted by Pride Toronto and then later voted in by its members at an annual general meeting last month.

Saunders says they will still hold their annual Pride reception in June and will continue outreach work.

"We will continue to develop respectful relationships and build new ones, focusing on those who feel marginalized, with the trans and racialized communities."