Remarks to the Toronto Police Service Board,
Chief Myron Demkiw, Deputy Chief Robert Johnson,
and CAO Svina Dhaliwal,
November 12, 2024
Broadcast time: 01:30 PM
Date: Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024
Unit: Office of the Chief
Check against Delivery
Chief of Police Myron Demkiw
Today, I want to provide the Board with an update on different issues and some of the projects we have been working on, including crime prevention and traffic management.
But before I begin, I want to address the dynamic shooting event that happened last night in the Queen and Dufferin area.
Before midnight last night, plainclothes officers were doing a bail compliance check.
While officers were stationed in the area, a stolen vehicle pulled up, and three males exited the car and began shooting at people at an address in the immediate vicinity.
The rival group shot back.
Our plainclothes officers found themselves in the middle of the gun fight between these rival groups, their unmarked vehicle was struck multiple times, and we are very grateful that none of our police officers got hurt.
There were dozens of shots fired between the two parties.
So far, 16 guns have been seized, including handguns and rifles.
And 23 people have been arrested.
This investigation is ongoing.
This event highlights the importance of the law reform we have asked for in the past.
Gun fire in our public spaces must be recognized for the harm it causes not just for those involved directly, but for by-standers and the public at large.
I reiterate our call for law reform concerning shootings in public settings.
We have asked for law reform concerning circumstances where offenders choose to indiscriminately and brazenly use firearms in public places.
Many police leaders have also spoken about the urgent need for justice reform, to tackle repeat offenders and return a sense of safety to our communities.
And Chair, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to acknowledge the incredibly challenging and dangerous circumstances our members face every day.
I want to thank all our members who go into harm's way and specifically acknowledge those members who last night acted swiftly and with courage to apprehend the suspects involved in the shootout.
Our members were doing a bail compliance check and now they have taken at least 16 guns off the streets, preventing untold harm in our communities.
Our cops count. Police matter. This work makes a real difference.
Now let's look ahead at what will be a big week for Toronto as the city gears up for a series of six Taylor Swift concerts starting Thursday.
Swifties of all ages have been eagerly awaiting this moment, and I want residents to know that the Toronto Police Service is committed to ensuring these events are safe and enjoyable for everyone.
Public safety is always our top priority.
We're working closely with Rogers Centre, tour organizers, emergency services, and public transit authorities to coordinate everything from emergency response plans to road closures and traffic management.
Last month, Deputy Chief Pogue shared with you some of our initiatives to keep the city traffic flowing smoothly, particularly focusing on education and enforcement around blocking the box to support the City's congestion management plan.
Two weeks ago, we released an awareness video that I would like to play for you today. [Watch the video here]
Moving on from the topic of traffic management, I would now like to invite CAO Dhaliwal to talk about some of the findings of the Annual Use of Force Report 2023.
CAO Svina Dhaliwal
Thank you, Chief.
In 2023, there were 1,322 use of force incidents, which represents 0.32% of all our calls attended.
Use of force incidents decreased by 4.7% compared to 2022, and by 12% compared to 2019, representing the lowest rate in the last 5 years.
This decline is notable when considering that the demands for policing have increased. There are a greater number of officers deployed, and arrests and interactions generally with members of the public have increased.
While this is positive news, we know we still have work to do, such as better linking this information with our race-based data program, and by continuously examining the root causes to minimize these types of incidents.
Our training will continue to emphasize and prioritize de-escalation and communication methods.
I will now pass it over to Deputy Chief Johnson who will give you an update on Project Resolute.
Deputy Chief Rob Johnson
Thank you, CAO Dhaliwal.
Chair, when we last met, just a day after October 7th, we provided an update on hate crimes and Project Resolute.
Today I would like to share with you our latest numbers.
Since October 7th, 2023, we have made 174 arrests and laid 433 charges in relation to hate crimes.
Our expanded Hate Crime Unit continues to investigate every reported instance of hate, including on the ground at demonstrations, to gather evidence and investigate any suspected hate crimes, or hate speech, or signage.
It is important to remember that charges can be laid at any time--whether it's hours, days, or even weeks after an incident.
We have seen many examples of this in the recent past. And multiple investigations are still ongoing.
As we combat hate crimes, we also continue our outreach efforts.
Since October 7th, 2023, we have made 45,773 visits to various communities and places of worship.
Last month, we led a city-wide, interfaith Prayer Walk, we hosted our annual Communion Breakfast, and we attended the Cardinal's Dinner.
Many faith leaders participated in these events, which are meant to build bridges and show that we all stand united against hate and violence.
Now, on the topic of crime prevention, I will pass it over to Deputy Chief Pogue who will talk about Crime Prevention Week that just ended a few days ago.
She will also say a few words about our Make the Right Call campaign.
Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue
Thank you, Deputy Chief Johnson.
Earlier, Chief Demkiw talked about some of our traffic management efforts.
Another area in which we have been actively collaborating with the City of Toronto is to reduce 911 answering and response times.
Last month, we launched together the joint Make the Right Call education campaign.
The objective of this campaign is to reduce the number of non-emergency calls to 911 by increasing understanding of when to call 911, and when to contact an alternate service.
We are improving response time in part because we have added two classes of cadets, deployed largely to the front line.
On top of this, we expect our Make the Right Call awareness campaign to educate the public and reduce the amount of people calling our 911 line for non-urgent issues.
Learning more about other resources available gets people the right help, and it keeps the 911 line open for police, fire and paramedics to respond more quickly to emergencies.
Another way we are keeping the city safe is through crime prevention.
The purpose of Crime Prevention Week was to highlight crime prevention resources and initiatives, and to ask residents to get involved.
Last week, communities saw our members engage with businesses to promote the Retail Safety and Security guide.
We have conducted Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design audits.
We had booths at Woodside Square Mall and Jane Finch Mall.
We hosted a Youth Safety Symposium with a focus on Human Trafficking and Online Safety.
And much more.
As stated in the Community Safety and Policing Act, the duties of a police officer includes "preventing crimes and other offences and providing assistance and encouragement to other persons in their prevention."
Crime prevention is a shared responsibility.
It requires all of us to work together to help keep our homes, communities, and workplaces safe.
Thank you. I will now pass it over to Chief Demkiw.
Chief Demkiw
On the topic of crime prevention, I also want to acknowledge that November is Intimate Partner Violence Awareness Month.
Intimate Partner Violence goes beyond only physical abuse and can include financial, emotional, or spiritual abuse, along with coercive control.
Unfortunately, many victims suffer in silence.
At the beginning of the month, we launched an awareness social media campaign in partnership with Victim Services Toronto.
We will be showcasing some of the agencies that can support victims, in addition to the police.
Later today in this meeting, we will discuss further the topic of Intimate Partner Violence and what we are doing to address it.
Whenever I speak with residents, one of the main concerns I hear about is auto theft.
It is important to note that auto thefts have decreased by 21% this year due to focused responses in 2024.
This is good news, but we know there is still a lot of work to do.
Last week, we announced the results of Project Warden led by 53 Division, and we recovered stolen vehicles being fraudulently presented as legitimate used cars to buyers.
Over a week ago, we announced the results of Project Thoroughbred led by the 23 and 31 Division Auto Theft Suppression Units.
This ongoing investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of 84 people and the laying of 362 charges.
It revealed the existence of "chop shops" across the city, where stolen vehicles are dismantled and prepared for shipment overseas.
And in partnership with the Canada Border Services Agency, we recovered stolen vehicles from shipping containers, one of which was located in Belgium.
Two weeks ago, I am sure some of you saw the video of our officers intercepting a stolen vehicle on Queen Street.
We have been able to intercept more stolen vehicles with the help of a new technology introduced earlier this year called the Automated Licence Plate Recognition system.
This ALPR technology automatically scans the licence plates of vehicles passing police cars, allowing us to receive real-time alerts.
Up to 578 police vehicles have the ALPR system, which can translate to well over 1.1 million plates scanned every 24 hours.
In the case of a stolen vehicle, the system alerts the officers and allows them to work tactically and strategically.
We are seeing instances of the suspects trying to crash their way out after the cars are blocked in.
Just to give you an idea, the plates for stolen cars are updated daily in our system, and yesterday we had 109,429 plates for stolen vehicles from across the country.
In closing, I would like to say a few words about the recent International Association of Chiefs of Police conference that was held last month in Boston.
The IACP is the world's largest and most influential professional association for police leaders, counting more than 34,000 members in over 170 countries.
It was an opportunity to exchange with partners and colleagues on a wide variety of topics.
The Toronto Police Service presented our wellbeing strategies and programs, and I am proud to say that people recognized our leadership.
In addition to our wellness presentation, two Toronto Police Constables, who are also veterans, presented our Military Veterans Wellness Program.
More than 87 police services have implemented, or are in the process of implementing the Program, which has proved to make a significant impact in addressing the needs of veterans to reduce instances of suicide and homelessness.
And before I end, I want to add that during the conference in Boston, I was elected to serve as the Vice-Chair of the IACP's Global Policing Committee.
This is a great honour for me.
I look forward to working with the chairs of the 7 world regional offices on our mandate to build on our strategic plan for the international programs and activities of the IACP.
Engaging internationally is imperative for us to be effective locally and it aligns with our priority to build trust in our communities.
Thank you.
Nadine Ramadan for Office of the Chief
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