Last Sunday, I was at Fairview Mall before the “mall walkers”. It was 7:00 AM, to be precise. I was there to witness a massive training exercise for Police, Fire, Paramedics, and the mall’s own security forces that was organized by Staff Sergeant Shawn Gilbert of our local Toronto Police Division 33. I watched 200 volunteers act out surprise emergency scenarios so that first responders could test their ability to handle situations in a very crowded space.
This event had my heart racing even though it was all staged. The volunteer actors were very convincing, and I had to keep reminding myself that everyone was alright. I asked myself, “What would I do in any of these situations?” After witnessing the training, I know one thing for sure—I am awfully glad to have first responders around to ensure my safety.
This brings me to this week’s topic: the Toronto Police Service Board’s staffing plan. Sometimes when we talk budget at the Police Board, I get the sense that members of the Service feel like we don’t appreciate their lifesaving roles. I can firmly state that every member of the Board appreciates the work of our police force. Still, conversations about funding police efforts within our means can get tense. Let’s unpack some of the challenges and how we can move forward together to keep our city safe.
I was last on the Police Board in 2015. At that time, the Board and the Chief of Police worked together to chart a course for the modernization of police services and appointed some key community leaders to help us. The group was called the “Transformational Task Force” and they produced a multi-pronged modernization plan called “The Way Forward”. This plan proposed using the latest technology to modernize our police force, and the Board felt we could effectively use this plan to extend the Service’s reach while stabilizing the Police Budget. However, the best laid plans don’t always pan out.
The Toronto Police Service dutifully flatlined its budget for a few years in anticipation of the predicted savings from “The Way Forward”. However, several community challenges led to additional pressures on the force. The flatlining of the budget reduced the number of officers patrolling our city by 500, but the technology that was meant to make the job of police easier was never purchased. Additional challenges cropped up in communities across Toronto, including the arrival of fentanyl and a rising tide of mental health and addictions issues.
At the Service, The Way Forward efforts needed to take a backseat to issues of police trust following the widespread practice of carding. There was an immediate need to institute body worn cameras for increased police accountability.
By the time the murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked global calls to reimagine and defund policing, the Toronto Police Service was already understaffed and behind on modernization efforts. Much of the low-hanging fruit for police de-tasking had already been done, such as reassigning the duties of crossing guards and lakefront lifeguards. We have made tremendous progress over the past four years in the launch of the Toronto Community Crisis Service, Toronto’s fourth emergency service that responds to persons in mental health crisis. However, we still needed to address gaps in the police service and the steady rise of emergency response times.
The above background may seem lengthy, but it matters when you are trying to effect change in any organization. It has now been five months since I rejoined the Police Board and about the same length of time since the Province’s new Community Safety and Policing Act became properly embedded in our rules of operation.
Our Police Service is still somewhat understaffed for the community it serves and the issues it faces, but we have made steady progress on increasing the size of the force over the past few years. You may recall that this was at the heart of recent City Budget discussions. The 2023 Budget allocated funding for 200 new police officers, and the 2024 Budget allocated funding for 300 new officers. These were important short-term steps to address rising response times and growing community safety issues.
I’m proud to report that these investments are working. Response times for what we call “Priority Response” calls have dropped significantly, from an average of 22 minutes down to 17. In our own Division 33, that response time is even faster at an average of 16 minutes. We want to bring those numbers even lower, which is why hiring to cover retirements and to add strength to the force are understood goals.
Toronto City Council wants to do right by our Police Service and our residents. With some long-range planning, that will be possible while staying within our financial means. The Service is developing a multi-year hiring plan for inclusion in their budget request. This means Toronto Police will outline how many new officers they want to hire for the next several years, allowing us to account for these costs early and develop stronger budget plans. This is different from our current model where the Police Service asks for service enhancements one year at a time.
As a Board member, as Budget Chief, and most important as a City Councillor who is accountable to you, I’m working hard to understand the hiring needs of the police and how they can be incorporated into the City’s overall needs. We need this long-term staffing plan to ensure a responsible, sustainable path forward to ensure the safety of Torontonians.
We got our first look at Toronto Police Service’s proposed hiring plan at our July Board meeting. They presented four options, from only hiring replacement officers all the way up to meeting the full measure of Provincial guidelines. The Service presented their hiring plan to the Police Board publicly just last week, with very few changes to the summer proposal. I added on a motion to ensure the Board is considering the City’s ability to pay for the multi-year staffing plan, as well as the anticipated financial impacts of collective bargaining. If we can arrive at a hiring model that is reasonable, affordable, and achievable, both our city and our police force will be much better off.
Contract negotiations between the Police Board and the Toronto Police Association are moving into arbitration at the Union’s request. Not much can be said in the media while the arbitrator works with both parties.
As I said earlier in this E-Blast, we want to do right by our Police Service and the people of Toronto. We’ve seen investments in our police force lead to faster response times and decreases in major crime indicators like auto theft. Car theft incidents are down 20% month-to-month in 2024 as compared to 2023. At the same time, we’ve seen a troubling rise in gun violence this year. We also continue to struggle with the rise in hate crimes across Toronto, which requires serious attention from our police force.
All of us on the Toronto Police Service Board know that our police force needs to be adequately staffed and compensated. Our police officers are essential in keeping our city safe, and we applaud their hard work. As Budget Chief, my challenge here is the same as in every other department—to ensure that work is being done efficiently, effectively, and in a way we can afford.
As we move into Budget season, rest assured I will keep you up-to-date on police budget developments. I know that community safety is top of mind here in Don Valley North and that knowledge guides my work here at City Hall. I am also working with Toronto Police Division 33 to host a Community Safety Town Hall next month. Join us on Tuesday, October 22nd from 7 – 9 PM at the Fairview Library Theatre to discuss any safety concerns in your neighbourhood and learn helpful safety tips from officers themselves. We all have a role to play in keeping our neighbourhoods safe, so let’s keep communication open and keep working together—police officers, City Councillors, and neighbours alike.