Today, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) submitted its 2025 operating budget request to the Toronto Police Service Board (TPSB). The 2025 budget request incorporates the multi-year hiring plan approved by the Board and supports safer communities and continuing modernization.

The 2025 budget request will be considered by the TPSB for approval on Thursday, December 12. If approved, the budget will be presented to Toronto City Council for consideration as part of the City’s budget process in the new year, with the Mayor to officially propose an annual budget to City Council no later than February 1, 2025.

Multi-Year Hiring Plan

At its meeting on November 12, 2024, the Board approved a motion recommending a multi-year hiring plan that helps the TPS improve operational stability, and manage workforce risks, as it deals with a rise in retirements anticipated over the next five years as well as an increasingly younger workforce.

For 2025, this hiring plan means approximately 109 net new officers (after separations), allowing TPS to address growth in demand and enhance core and priority services.

Key to this service enhancement will be the expansion of the Neighbourhood Community Officer Program into four new neighbourhoods. Residents will get to know and trust the officers embedded in their communities. Developing solutions in collaboration with communities drives trust and confidence in the TPS, reducing fear and crime.

Hiring more 9-1-1 communications operators is also a priority, and TPS is recruiting three classes of 30 operators each in 2025.

Progress

TPS is committed to fiscally responsible budgets, while also undertaking modernization to drive better core service delivery and trust. Impacts from investments from previous years are starting to materialize. Examples include:

Emergency Response:

• Overall calls into the 9-1-1 Communications Centre (emergency and non-emergency) have been reduced by 13 per cent.
• While the highest priority calls for service have increased from 2023, the Service has improved response times by 26 per cent; this is down five minutes in 2024.

Investigations:

• Firearm related arrests have increased by 12 per cent to 747 (by the end of the third quarter).

Road Safety: 

• Traffic enforcement (ticketing) increased by 12 per cent so far this year.
• 30 per cent of parking complaints were moved online instead of taking up valuable 9-1-1 Communications Operator time.

Prevention:

TPS has facilitated over 1,500 referrals to partner organizations in addition to 255 SafeTO call-outs.

• These are a combination of gang exits, FOCUS (Furthering Our Communities Uniting Services) referrals and other community-based referrals.  
• FOCUS Toronto, a collaboration of community agencies led by a partnership between TPS, the City, and the United Way, come together weekly to provide a focused, wrap-around, risk-mitigation approach to help vulnerable individuals and families who are at risk of potential harm and/or victimization.
• 70 per cent of the total FOCUS referrals come from the TPS.

2025 Budget Request

The TPS has proposed a budget increase of $46.2 million or 3.9 per cent, excluding collective bargaining impacts, which will be considered by the Board on December 12, 2024. Key aspects influencing this budget request are annualized impacts from the previous year’s request, and the multi-year hiring plan, which will help get more frontline officers in communities, responding to emergencies faster, and increasing our investigative capacity to close cases and give closure to victims of crime.

2025 Budget materials can be found on the TPS website at: www.tps.ca/budget