Letter to Mayor Tory re: TPS on the TTC
Dear Mayor Tory,
On Thursday, January 26, we learned through your live announcement with Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw and TTC CEO Rick Leary that 80 additional Toronto police officers would be deployed on the TTC, effective immediately, to increase law enforcement presence on public transit. Recent tragedies have increased the urgency to ensure safety for transit riders and operators, who are understandably concerned; however, there are a range of different approaches to increasing safety and wellbeing on public transit and in our communities.
As City Councillors representing different areas across Toronto and entrusted by our constituents to make informed decisions about City policies and resources, and as transit riders ourselves, we have a number of questions regarding this announcement that we wish to share at this time:
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What is the cost per day of deploying 80 additional Toronto Police Service (TPS) constables on public transit, who will be compensated through overtime pay?
How many shifts will the 80 additional officer deployments cover?
How long will this enhanced law enforcement presence be utilized for? Please provide a duration period, so we can understand total costs.
How often and on what timelines will the effectiveness of this approach be assessed?
Where will the funding to cover this increased deployment come from?
Will the TPS bill the TTC and/or the City of Toronto for these services?
What impact will the costs associated with this deployment have on the TTC’s operating and capital budgets, including the 9% cut to transit services included in the proposed 2023 budget?
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Recent data from the Toronto Police has shown systemic discrimination in use of force by police, including that Black Torontonians are 20 times more likely to be killed by a Toronto police officer than white residents. Toronto Police Service (TPS) data also showed disproportionate use of force against Indigenous, Latino, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian individuals. With this in mind:
What is the TPS and TTC’s planned approach to develop a system safety and wellness plan that ensures past violence and discrimination and Indigenous transit users, along with members of other racialized communities, will not be repeated?
How will the TPS and the TTC work with community stakeholders, City teams and partners (Toronto Community Crisis Service, Indigenous Affairs Office, Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit), and internal TTC departments including the Diversity Department, the Racial Equity Office, and Research and Analytics division, to co-design and test this approach?
How will community stakeholders be involved to help shape that approach, and what systems and measures will be put in place to ensure community accountability?
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Anecdotally from staff, an estimated 30% to 50% of TTC Special Constable interactions involve passengers who are experiencing homelessness, have a mental health challenge, are in crisis, or are under the effects of an intoxicant. Recent video footage shows officers waking a man who is sleeping on the TTC and not posing a risk to other transit riders. At a time when warming centres are often inaccessible, shelters are at capacity, and temperatures are below freezing, many are simply turning to the TTC as an only option for respite.
What alternatives were considered to increase safety on public transit and respond to the needs of people in crisis, including investing in trained crisis response and mental health outreach workers to proactively support these transit users?
How might an increased presence of TTC service staff support or flag instances where passengers may be in need of some sort of assistance, or flag elevated levels of risk?
How will TPS and the TTC ensure that additional officers dispatched to the TTC have the appropriate training to de-escalate non-violently when needed, and the ability to distinguish between individuals who require de-escalation and those who are simply seeking respite?
How does the cost of hiring 80 additional crisis response and mental health outreach workers to work on public transit, along with 80 additional TTC service staff, compare to the costs associated with deployment of 80 overtime Toronto police officers? What cost analyses were done to evaluate these options, and what were the total estimates?
We look forward to reviewing your responses to these urgent questions.
Signed:
Councillor Amber Morley, Ward 3
Councillor Gord Perks, Ward 4
Councillor Alejandra Bravo, Ward 9
Councillor Ausma Malik, Ward 10
Councillor Josh Matlow, Ward 12
Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 14
See the letter in full below:
