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Chief Myron Demkiw

Chair, I want to start today with a message of gratitude to our members who continue to work with integrity every single day.

I hope that those who were off over the Easter weekend were able to spend time with their families, and I want to thank those who were working to keep our city safe.

That includes all the officers involved in the investigation into the firearm discharge targeting a Jewish‑owned business, and in arresting a suspect just two days after the incident.

One of the reasons our officers were able to identify the suspect so quickly was because of our enhanced deployment in the area, both overt and covert.

That presence will continue for as long as it takes.

As we said last week during our media conference, our new Counter‑Terrorism Security Unit – which includes our Hate Crime Unit – also participated in this investigation.

Last week, we announced the new Unit Commander for the Counter‑Terrorism Security Unit, Superintendent Stefan Prentice.

Superintendent Prentice is well positioned for this role based on his experience in intelligence and his understanding of complex threat assessments.

Last month, in March, given the threat environment we are facing and the broader global context, I directed Chief Superintendent Stephenson to create our new Toronto Police Counter‑Terrorism Security Unit.

It is now up and running, and we will continue to build it in the weeks and months ahead.

I would also like to mention that, as we speak today, the Toronto Police Service is participating in a special bilateral exercise called Vital Archer, with the Canadian Armed Forces here in Toronto, and with our federal and provincial partners.

The exercise is also supported remotely by the United States Military.

This will include seeing police and military testing our interoperability over the coming days.

It is not connected to any real-world threat, and there is no risk to public safety.

It is however an opportunity for our police service to work with our partners in preparation for real-world scenarios.

This is the first time a Canadian municipal service has participated in these exercises, and we are pleased that members of our team will have the opportunity to collaborate with national and international partners.

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

Deputy Chief Frank Barredo

Chair, the Chief mentioned increased presence around community centres and places of worship, this includes of course the deployment of our new Task Force Guardian, with uniform officers equipped with tactical capabilities like patrol carbines and protective gear.

During Passover, Task Force Guardian was visible, for example around Synagogues.

But Torontonians also saw Task Force Guardian around critical infrastructure, high-traffic public spaces, and tourist attractions.

In fact, many people came to see us when we were deployed at the first home Blue Jays game of the season.

We understand that some people have expressed reservations, but I would say that the reaction so far has been positive. Many people who see our officers take the time to thank them and engage in conversation.

In the current context, this task force is necessary to deter attacks, reassure the public, and give the ability to respond quickly.

As a separate item today, but not completely unrelated, our teams have prepared a presentation on the situation as it pertains to the Bathurst and Sheppard area.

On March 15th, you will remember that antisemitic signs were displayed at the Bathurst and Sheppard intersection.

So far, one individual has been arrested and charged in relation to this incident and the investigation is still ongoing.

Also today, our teams have prepared a presentation on the topic of home invasions.

We recognize the impact these crimes have on families and communities.

We are taking strategic actions to address it.

When we look at other community safety indicators, many of them are going in the right direction so far this year:

• Homicides are down 38% compared to the same time last year.
• Shootings and firearm discharges are down 14%

And remember that, last year, those numbers were down as well. So, there is clear progress on this front.

Robberies and break & enters are also down.

However, auto theft is slightly up, and is something we are monitoring closely.

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

Deputy Chief Rob Johnson

Chair, as you know, FIFA is now two months away.

Today, our teams will deliver a presentation covering the various venues and locations, our training and preparedness exercises, and an overview of the special units and partners involved.

Everyone is looking forward to this exciting event, and we are putting every measure in place to ensure residents and visitors are safe in our city this summer.

Chair, today, I also want to highlight for you the work of our new Air Support Unit that helped track and arrest two street racers, earlier this year.

This happened after an officer spotted reckless drivers weaving through traffic at 100 kilometres an hour in a 50‑kilometre zone.

As you know, while we await the delivery of a TPS helicopter later this year, the OPP have been providing air support, with a TPS Tactical Flight Officer onboard.

I would now like to show you a video that demonstrates how air support allows us to make arrests while protecting public safety.

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

Deputy Chief Lauren Pogue

Chair, since our last Board meeting, we have officially opened a new Community Safety hub for the Lawrence Heights community.

This Hub will serve as a home base for our Lawrence Heights Neighbourhood Community Officers, where they will be able to meet with community members, and also work on prevention initiatives.

This is something the community asked for through various conversations, including at a town hall after incidents of gun violence.

Visible police presence matters. And this initiative is part of our efforts to have a hyper local approach, tailored to the unique needs of our communities.

And Chair, before I pass it back to the Chief, I just want to mention that the Service had the pleasure to attend a celebration with United Way in March for the One City One Campaign.

Together, a total of over $2.4M was raised in support of United Way Greater Toronto, with $271,000 contributed through the Toronto Police Service campaign.

This year’s campaign began with a more intimate and heartfelt kickoff at 11 Division, recognizing their exceptional participation in the previous year.

The Toronto Police Service has proudly partnered with the United Way for more than 30 years.

Throughout this time, our members have continually stepped forward, donating, volunteering, and demonstrating what community service truly means.  

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

Chief Myron Demkiw

Thank you, Deputy. And speaking of celebrations –

Thank you again Chair for joining us on March 27th as we celebrated the graduation of 7 police officers who went through 15 weeks of training with our Mounted Unit.

This included officers from Hamilton and Ottawa.

The fact that people come from all over the province, and even the world, to train with our Mounted Unit – the oldest unit in the Service – is testament to their culture of excellence,

Also since our last meeting, we had our Community Awards and our Spring Awards ceremonies to celebrate some of our best members, as well as community members who went above and beyond to help and protect others.

Every time we participate in these ceremonies, I am amazed by the stories, the courage and the skills of our people.

And it is always a priority to take time in our busy schedules to highlight these stories and show gratitude.

All of the positive impact we are seeing is because of our members and our police officers on the front line who continue to step up every single day.

We are always very grateful for their work.

And before I conclude, you will recall that some time ago we announced the promotions to the rank of Chief Superintendent.

I would like to highlight that Chief Superintendent Andy Singh formally stepped into his new role last month and is now leading Public Safety Operations.

I want to congratulate him once again.

His leadership continues to be highly valued and will be essential as he takes on this important responsibility.

Thank you, this concludes our update for today.