Public Safety Response Team

The Public Safety Response Team (PSRT) is an intelligence led, flexible, multi-functional support to front line policing and community engagement initiatives. Members of this unit have been trained to provide an additional emergency response in the event of an extreme event, support for planned and unplanned events and search management. In addition, the PSRT members provide support to divisions experiencing an increase in violence by providing a visible uniform presence and by assisting the efforts of divisional Neighbourhood Community Officers.

The PSRT has a mandate to intervene, prevent, disrupt, supress and stop further gun violence. The PSRT accomplishes this through bail compliance checks on impactful offenders, the execution of warrants and arrests related to breaches of bail conditions. 
The PSRT mandate is supported by a rigorous selection process and ongoing training, which is positive, proactive and professional. This approach, combined with evidence-based deployments has produced valuable results in interactions with community members. The PSRT methodology requires acute sensitivity to local community concerns and frequent consultation with various stakeholders, not the least of which are community support agencies and at-risk youth.  

The PSRT mandate:

• Uniform Visibility & Crime Prevention: An intelligence-led PSRT platoon, specifically trained to the highest degree in the best practices of bias-free, impartial, and culturally sensitive policing, offers significant support to Divisions
• Support to Neighbourhood Policing Model: The PSRT communicates with and supports Neighbourhood Community Officers and community/police partnerships and initiatives
• Extreme Event Response: A highly visible uniform presence, specially trained, equipped and readily available for initial and ongoing response to public safety emergencies
• Search Management: Assistance to Divisions by providing timely response, expertise, DRONE operations and additional resources in the handling of critical searches
• Bail Compliance: The PSRT conducts thorough investigations into non-bail compliance of those charged with firearms and gang related offences 
• Gang Exit Strategy:  The PSRT refers community members to resources available through the Toronto Police Service Gun and Gang Exit Referral Strategy program
• Support to Specialized Investigative Units: Assistance to specialized teams in ongoing police investigations (e.g. canvassing, evidence search)