Organizational News

*check against delivery*

Chief Myron Demkiw:

Good afternoon, everyone.

Chair, I would like to start today by sharing Major Crime Indicators, many of which are going in the right direction.

So far in 2025, compared to the same time last year:

• Homicides and shootings are down
• Robberies and breaks & enters are down
• And auto thefts and carjackings are down

Auto thefts have decreased by nearly 39%.

Home invasions have decreased by 42% with 33 fewer incidents.

Homicides have decreased by 67% for a total of 11 compared to 33 at the same time last year.

Shootings are down by 46% for a total of 85, which is 73 fewer than the same time last year.

This year so far, we have made nearly 323 arrests related to firearms.

Some of the trends we are seeing so far are going in the right direction, but as always, we remain vigilant.

We are strengthening our relationships with partners –

We are stopping those who cause harm in our communities –

And we are entering the summer season prepared and focused.

Our members are doing outstanding work on the front line, and we will continue doing everything we can to make sure they have what they need to succeed – and to keep our city safe.

Thank you, I will now pass it over to Chief Superintendent Mann.

Chief Superintendent Mandeep Mann:

Thank you, Chief.

Chair, last year at this time, we had a Priority 1 average response time of 18.1 minutes.

But now, Year-To-Date, we have been consistently holding at around 13 minutes or below for 4 consecutive months.  

Last month, April 2025, we had an average response time of 13.1 minutes for Priority 1 calls.

As the Chief said, we are prepared and focused for the summer season, when we typically see a rise in call volumes.  

As always, we will be monitoring the situation closely.

And we will continue to do everything we can to maintain these averages and improve, through the strategic deployment of new recruits based on call demand, and the management of resources across the city.

As you know, our Communications Operators are very busy and our city relies on their professionalism 24/7.

Chair, I would like to take this opportunity to mention the Tri-Service Telecommunicator Awards that has been held on April 17th.

The Toronto Police Service joined the Toronto Fire Services, and Toronto Paramedic Services to honour our remarkable Communications Operators.

Their work is not easy, but it is essential, and it was great to be able to highlight them and their efforts.

We are all very grateful to have such dedicated members as part of our team.

Thank you, I will now pass it over to Deputy Chief Jonhson.

Deputy Chief Rob Johnson

Thank you, Chief Superintendent Mann.

Chair, later this afternoon, members of our Hate Crime Unit will present the Toronto Police Service 2024 Annual Hate Crime Statistical Report.

Over the past few years, reported hate crimes have been on the rise.

Combatting hate crimes and making sure our communities feel safe will always be a top priority for us.

And our Hate Crime Unit is at the centre of this work.

Today, in the report for 2024, we will discuss the four pillars of our hate crime strategy:

• The expanded mandate of the unit, including the centralization of all hate crime investigations
• Data optimization, which is part of the Service-wide strategy to use data more
• Increased resourcing
• And community engagement and ensuring that the public can report hate crimes more easily

As you will see in greater detail, this strategy is producing results.

For example, expanding the Hate Crime Unit has allowed us to make more arrests and lay more charges.

In 2024, 115 people were charged in relation to hate-motivated offences compared to 63 in 2023.

We have also laid more public incitement of hatred charges, an extremely rare charge.

Earlier this year, we laid charges of Wilful Promotion of Hatred and Advocating Genocide, which both required the consent of the Attorney General.

A publication ban prevents us from sharing more specifics of the case, but I can say that this extraordinary investigation is the result of meticulous work by our Intelligence services.  

The Hate Crime Report contains numbers for last year, but it is important to note that so far in 2025, we have seen a 47% decrease in reported hate crimes compared to the same time last year.

Despite this decrease, this is still a very serious ongoing concern.

We continue to take the issue of hate crimes very seriously. We also know that hate crimes can be underreported.

This is why making it easier to report hate crimes remains one of our top priorities.

The goal of initiatives like our online Hate-Motivated Graffiti Intake Form and the Crime Stoppers Awareness Campaign, is to make it easier for people to report incidents, which is essential for police to investigate.

Chair, you will recall we launched the Hate Crime Dashboard in July of last year to ensure more transparency.

We also consulted with the Chief’s Community Consultative Committees to ask for their input and feedback.

The public can always visit the Dashboard for more numbers, information, and resources.

We will continue doing everything we can to stop hate crimes in our city. 

Thank you. I will now pass it over to CAO Dhaliwal.

CAO Svina Dhaliwal

Thank you, Deputy Chief Johnson.

Chair, today's agenda also includes the 2024 Annual People Report that addresses a range of HR topics, including recruitment, appointments, and promotions.

As an introduction, I would like to share a few highlights with you and the public:

Annually, we continue to see an increase in applications and a strong pipeline of internal movement, as well as referrals recommending the Service as a great place to work.

We have narrowed, and in some cases, eliminated the socio-demographic disparities in hiring and promotional processes over the years through continuously refining processes and focusing on people development.

However, recruitment and selection gaps do remain in the cadet program, specifically for female and Indigenous candidates.

It's also important to note that while overall separations are well within normal levels, we are seeing an increase in resignations rather than retirements.

To this end, we have formed a series of focus groups that will be facilitated by a third party to better understand member needs, what keeps them here, and what attracts them to the Service.

We have also launched an employee engagement survey, and we are continuously reviewing our recruitment efforts.

Together, these initiatives will help chart a path forward that allows us to continue building on our successes and be an employer of choice. 

Thank you, I will now pass it back to the Chief.

Chief Myron Demkiw

Thank, CAO Dhaliwal.

Chair, as part of our shared vision for community safety and wellbeing, we continue to engage with Toronto’s communities to build trust.

An example of this is our Prayer Walks with faith leaders and community members to unite against gun violence, and all forms of violence.

Last week, with our partners, the Toronto Police organized a city-wide Prayer Walk that was held in every Division simultaneously.

Toronto Police Chaplain Wendell Gibbs was with me to lead the walk in 52 Division, and the Mayor participated as well in 33 Division.

I would like to show you a short video of the walk. 

I want to thank everyone who joined us representing different faiths, cultures, and communities –

We walked with Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others – all united in our shared humanity and in our commitment to a city that is safe for all.

And while we are on the topic of religion, I would like to congratulate the Catholic community on the election of a new Pope, Pope Leo XIV.

We recognize the importance of this moment for so many in our city and around the world.

While we engage with our communities here at home, we continue to engage with the global policing community.

I recently participated in the 2025 World Regional Chair Midyear Meeting of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, attending in my role as Vice-Chair of the Global Policing Division Committee.

In April, I also traveled to Ireland for the conference of the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Alumni Association, as President of the organization.  

The group shared learnings from previous terrorist attacks and discussed ways to improve our prevention and response efforts.

As reported by the Toronto Star according to Statistic Canada data, last year, Toronto was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in Canada and the U.S. for the second consecutive year.

As a major global city, Toronto faces complex and evolving safety challenges, and that’s why collaboration with police services and law enforcement agencies across the country and around the world remains essential to keeping our communities safe.