Chiefs of police from major cities across Canada gathered at Toronto Police Headquarters today to discuss a range of shared operational priorities and emerging challenges. Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw hosted a series of roundtable discussions on topics including the evolving threat environment across Canada, mental health strategies, protests and civil unrest, governance, and disclosure obligations.

“Police services across the country must continue to strengthen collaboration to respond effectively to evolving threats and challenges, especially at a time of uncertainty,” said Chief Myron Demkiw during the meeting. “This meeting is one of many efforts to improve integration and help reassure Canadians that the policing community is working together in response to operational pressures and realities, and to share best practices, tactics and strategies.”

The discussions included police leaders from Toronto, Peel, York, Vancouver, Halifax, Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Winnipeg, as well as the Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other organizations.  

Municipal, provincial, and federal police executives shared local trends observed from coast to coast to coast, solutions that have proven effective in their communities and could be applied elsewhere, and ideas for continued advocacy at all levels of government.

Participants also discussed efforts to detect, prevent, and disrupt terrorism in collaboration with federal partners.

“Crime knows no boundaries as criminal activity rapidly evolves through the use of advanced technology. Strong collaboration among police agencies is essential to share intelligence, leverage specialized expertise and stay one step ahead of the evolving threat landscape,” said RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme. “Given the RCMP’s responsibility for federal policing, discussions with fellow law enforcement officials on key issues facing major cities in Canada are critical to staying ahead. Together, we are united in our shared mandate to protect communities and keep Canadians safe.”

The Toronto Police Service recently launched its Counter‑Terrorism Security Unit to support existing frameworks, and to address the threats being faced in the city of Toronto that may fall below the threshold of terrorism offences but pose serious risks and require specialized investigative attention.