This year, I’ve spent more time thinking about community safety than at any other point in my public service career. As Chair of the Toronto Police Service Board, I’ve been working closely with the Service to support long-overdue improvements. City-wide, we’re seeing real progress: major crimes are down 10.3% year-to-date, homicides have dropped by 53.9%, auto thefts are down 30.5%, robberies are down 16.2%, and break-and-enters have decreased by 12.5%. These improvements are

City Council met last week for another busy couple of days. We thoroughly debated the Neighbourhood Retail Report, strengthened our Winter Maintenance Plan after our early snowfall showed where service needs to improve, and expanded the City’s work on basement-flooding protection. Council also approved important updates to the Encampment Response Strategy to improve safety and support for residents in need. And right here at home, the Hillcrest Tennis Club stepped forward wi

On Sunday morning, I stood on the steps of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church to greet the annual parade of Toronto Police Service members who are veterans of the Armed Forces. Each year, they march to the church led by the Chief of Police, with the sound of bagpipes driving their rhythm.   This year, the first snowflakes began to fall as they marched, making the moment especially poignant. It reminded me of spending Remembrance Days in Ottawa with my grandfather, who flew in Wo