Toronto Police Association Supports Findings by City of Toronto Auditor General

TORONTO, June 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Toronto Police Association is thanking City of Toronto Auditor General Beverly Romeo-Beehler and her team for their thorough, evidence-based examination of 9-1-1 Operations and Police Response to Calls for Service and is asking the Toronto Police Service and all levels of government to move quickly on the AG's recommendations.

"We were not surprised by the AG's findings, nor do we think our membership will find anything new in these reports," said Jon Reid, President of the Toronto Police Association. "The AG mentions several previous reviews. It is time for the TPS and all levels of governments to provide our members with the support they need. Appropriate investments in policing are needed now."

Among the conclusions drawn, the AG notes throughout her findings that the TPS has "effectively become the default response on some lower priority non-emergency calls, due in part to the lack of available effective alternate responses at the times they are needed." She also notes that "contacting the police has been their [the public] go-to response for assistance" and that this reality is "sometimes impacting police resourcing and the ability of police to respond in a timely to higher priority, emergency calls for service."

"The TPA and its members have known for years that without a proper investment in other social services, calls for help will continue to fall at the feet of policing; this cannot continue," reiterated Reid. "As the AG notes, our members want to help people, but we are also open to different ways of doing business, including having a non-police entity respond to certain calls for service, where and when it's appropriate."

The Association will continue to advocate for a proper investment in services that address root causes of crime and support for organizations that can step in at any time, on any day, to alleviate some of the pressures that have fallen to police. Balanced with appropriate resources for policing, Toronto residents will get the level of service deserving of a world-class city.

The full report by the Auditor General, can be read here.

Toronto Police Association

The Toronto Police Association represents approximately 8,000 full-time and part-time uniform and civilian members of the Toronto Police Service. Our members include frontline police officers, criminal investigators, community response officers, parking enforcement officers, communications operators, court officers, civilian specialists and support staff.
Please visit our website for more information: http://tpa.ca

For more information:

Meaghan Gray
Chief Communications Officer
647-530-8911