Chief Mark Saunders Keynote Speech | Chief's Gala for Victim Services Toronto 2018

Chief Mark Saunders said Victim Services Toronto performs vital work for a group of people that aren't often considered - victims of crime. “Victims don’t wake up in the morning and say ‘I’m going to be a victim, I want to be a victim’ it covers all socio-economic lanes. Having worked Homicide I saw it happen over and over again. We needed solutions to fix that,” said Chief Saunders, of policing evolving to work in concert with social services. “By being here you’ve made a statement that you understand what Victim Services does,” Saunders said, noting the agency handles over 20,000 cases each year. This year, they responded in the immediate aftermath of the Yonge-Finch van attack, the multiple-victim shooting on Danforth Ave. and to an increase in gun violence. “We know that the sooner you can get intervention into moments of crisis the better the chances of healing and helping and moving people forward, which is why Victim Services is important to have.”