Community Helps Strengthen Service

To mark the fifth anniversary of the release of Missing and Missed – Report of the Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations, the Toronto Police Service reaffirmed its commitment to meaningful, measurable and community-driven change.

The Service has implemented 98 of the report’s 151 recommendations, reflecting progress in strengthening investigative practices, improving relationships with 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and enhancing support for the families and loved ones of missing persons.

“Like many things in life, it is not just the end result that matters, but the process itself,” said Chief Myron Demkiw. “The reflections, conversations, and actions on their own have already made this Service better. This means co-developing, co-designing and co-delivering; continuous engagement and honest, two-way dialogue and improved coordination with families during missing persons investigations.”

The Chief also recognized the ongoing efforts of the Missing Persons Unit and Search Management teams.

“What we have learned through the MMIT (Missing and Missed Implementation Team) process will continue to inform and strengthen other areas of the Service,” he added. “In the coming months, we will be issuing a call for applications for community representatives to join the Service’s first Equity Advisory Committee. This committee will follow the MMIT model to help shape a renewed equity strategy, drawing on data from our current framework, and will play an important role in advising on its implementation across the Service.

“While recommendations will be implemented, this work has shaped and will continue to shape how we serve and protect our communities through engagement that builds trust one relationship at a time.”

Eight years ago, the Toronto Police Service Board approved the terms of reference for the review and appointed former Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Gloria Epstein to lead it.

“I want to begin by doing something that the report insisted upon, and that is remembering those who went missing and those who are still very missed, remembering the families who carry that grief, often in silence and deserve so much more,” said Chair Shelley Carroll. “Going from policy to people, and from paper to practice, is what matters. Truth is built through consistency, transparency and presence. Making sure the communities we serve are at the centre of decisions continues to be essential.”

Missing and Missed Implementation Team Community Member Stacy Rodriguez said that prior to the review, communities often felt disconnected.

“We were operating in the dark, in our own little world before,” she said. “Now we have connected those dots, and together we have a way to measure and find the persons within our lives and within the community.”

Natalie Sitt, Community Co-chair of the MMIT, said it is important to recognize how the work has evolved.

“There is a growing commitment to doing this differently, creating space for open dialogue, listening to community experiences, and working closely with those most impacted,” she said. “That shift toward engagement, relationship-building and shared understanding is how trust begins to be rebuilt.”

Jenniffer Quintero Arias, the Missing and Missed Implementation Project Lead, emphasized that the work continues beyond implementation.

“As we move forward, we are reminded why this work matters,” she said. “Yes, because of the victims who led to this report, but also because of every conversation, every story and every relationship we continue to build. This work continues in how we show up, how we listen, and how we serve.”