Today, Chief Myron Demkiw, alongside Mayor Olivia Chow, Deputy Mayor Mike Colle, and members of the community officially opened the new Community Safety Hub in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood.

After a mass shooting in the Lawrence Heights neighbourhood last year, where one individual was killed and six were injured, Chief Demkiw made a commitment to the community that Toronto Police would establish a dedicated brick and mortar presence in the community. This Community Safety Hub, open today, will serve as a home base for the Lawrence Heights Neighbourhood Community Officers (NCOs), where they will be able to meet with members of the community and work on crime prevention initiatives.

“Today we’re delivering on a promise made to the Lawrence Heights community after they expressed the need for a hub like this in their neighbourhood,” said Chief Demkiw. “We know that a visible police presence plays an important role in preventing and deterring violence, and that being embedded in the community is essential to building trust at the local level. We are committed to this ongoing work.”

The Community Safety Hub will serve as a constant reminder of a police presence in the neighbourhood. While the NCOs are patrolling the neighbourhood, the Hub will have prominent signage, including a QR code, with contact information on how to get in touch with the on-duty NCOs. Duties that NCOs would normally need to do at their home division will now be able to be done at the Hub, meaning more time spent in the community.

The close proximity of the Hub to the Lawrence Heights Community Centre will inherently increase the sense of safety for those accessing the space.

“The Community Safety Hub in Lawrence Heights is about bringing people together to build a safer, stronger, and more caring community,” said Mayor Olivia Chow. “By creating a dedicated space for Neighbourhood Community Officers to connect with residents, we are strengthening trust, preventing crime, and helping people feel safe where they live, work, and raise their families.”

Space and related improvements for this community hub were provided in collaboration with the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

The Lawrence Heights Community Safety Hub is the third Hub of its kind in the city. Last year the Toronto Police established dedicated hubs at Fairview Mall and the Shops at Don Mills.