Increasing Police Presence to Combat Gun VIolence

In the wake of recent shootings in the city, Deputy Chief Rob Johnson has said that Toronto Police is increasing its presence and visibility in the areas most affected by gun violence.

“We know that the recent shooting tragedies across Toronto continue to deeply impact our city,” he said at a news conference at police headquarters on June 27. “I want to assure our communities that addressing gun crime is a top priority for our Service and every effort is being made to prevent shootings and advance our investigations.”

Johnson also noted that TPS is prioritizing its response to gun crime by implementing a dynamic Service-wide approach to its Gun Violence Strategy.

“We are deploying resources strategically to address these violent crimes and recent arrests demonstrate that our efforts are yielding results,” he said

Last Sunday, 23 Division officers responded to an intimate partner violence call involving a suspect with a firearm. Following a high risk take down initiated by the Gun and Gang Task Force, three people were arrested and two handguns were seized along with 150 rounds of ammunition and a laser sight for a semi-automatic handgun.

Shootings have increased by nearly 74 percent so far this year compared to this time in 2023.

“This figure includes both shootings (resulting in deaths or injuries) and firearm discharges (where evidence of gunfire, such as bullet holes or casings are found, but no injuries are reported),” said Johnson. “When it comes to deaths and injuries (excluding discharges), 2024 is consistent with the past several years, but shows an increase compared to 2023 which saw an unusually low number of shootings. This was an outlier.”

There have been 24 shooting deaths so far in 2024, compared to 24 in 2022, 17 in 2021 and 21 in 2020.

“Overall, shooting incidents in Toronto have been decreasing since 2019, with gun violence in our communities reaching a 10-year low in 2023,” Johnson said.

So far this year, Toronto Police has made 494 arrests for firearms offences, laid 2,242 charges and seized 363 crime guns.

In 2023, a total of 801 crime guns were seized.

Crime guns include firearms, air guns, toy guns and starter pistols that have been used or suspected to have been used in the commission of a criminal offence; firearms that are obtained, possessed or intended to be used to facilitate criminal activity; firearms that have a serial number removed, altered or obliterated and any weapon that has been adapted for use as a firearm.

“Over the coming weeks, we will share more information about our proactive efforts to deploy resources and prevent crime in affected communities,” said Johnson.

At the news conference, it was announced that a Tow Truck Task Force has been established.

Staff Superintendent Joe Matthews said the Service’s approach to combat gun violence includes data-driven decision making.

“We take a surgical and strategic approach when deploying resources to prevent crime as well as initiating investigations,” he said.  “The intelligence we are gathering is revealing some concerning trends. We have initiated multiple investigations across the city to combat gun crime.”

In the last six months, Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area have seen increased criminal activity surrounding a small segment of the tow truck industry. 

This includes shootings and firearm discharges, arsons and mischiefs, targeting tow truck companies, their vehicles and their drivers.

In April and May, there were nine tow truck arsons, seven of them occurring in the east end.

“To combat the violence, our Organized Crime Enforcement Section is leading a tow truck task force to ensure that all information and intelligence is being shared across the Service,” said Matthews. “This proactive preventative response also ensures that officers are equipped with the latest updates when engaging with community members and businesses.”

Since January 1, 2024, there have been 24 tow truck related shootings and discharges, representing approximately 12 percent of the total city-wide.

“Towing conflicts in the GTA have historically been about territorial disputes and rivalries,” Matthews pointed out. “However, it is important to re-iterate that this issue involves a very small segment of the towing industry.”

Comprising members from teams across the Service, including Intelligence, the Centralized Shooting Response team, Traffic Services, divisional investigators and data analysts, the Task Force will also liaise with police services across the GTA to share intelligence.

In addition to increasing its presence and visibility in the areas most affected by gun violence, Toronto Police is relentlessly pursuing and arresting offenders engaged in violence

Community members can contact police directly at 416-808-7000 or call Crime Stoppers at 416 222 TIPS (8477) if they have any information that could help officers remove the guns and capture the criminals who use them.

“We are committed to working with the community to eradicate this issue,” said Johnson.