Toronto police has released its proposed net budget for the new year and is asking for nearly $1.2 billion, a 1.7-per cent increase over its 2023 budget.
On Monday, the Toronto Police Service (TPS) revealed its 2024 operational budget proposal which aims to prioritize core service delivery, response times, strengthening community trust, and improving safety across the city.
The budget seeks $1.186.5 billion, which is a $20-million increase compared to its budget last year. The service emphasizes that the increase remains below the rate of inflation.
“Working closely with the City staff, our budget continues a multi-year approach that began last year to address our top priority of response times. It also implements bridging strategies that delay but do not eliminate serious cost pressures within TPS,” Chief Myron Demkiw said in a statement on Monday.
The chief says the service plans to deploy approximately 300 new officers by the end of 2024 to serve the city’s communities.
“As our city’s population grows at record levels, spreading our officers’ time any thinner by not hiring would lead to increased member burnout and less safe emergency response for Torontonians. We must be able to be there when the public calls,” he said.
According to TPS, there has been a growing demand for emergency calls. This year, there was an 18-per cent increase in calls, a 43-per cent increase in reported hate crimes (YTD) and a sharp rise in violent car jackings, among other issues. As a result, a major part of the budget includes critical resources to assist with core emergency service areas.
Here are the priority areas the budget will tackle:
Response Times: Approximately 170 officers can be deployed to support high priority calls to keep with rising demand.
Road Safety and Vision Zero: The budget adds up to ten officers to assist in traffic flow and continue implementation of Vision Zero, the city’s plan to reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on city streets.
Improved Investigative Capacity: Around 110 officers can be added to help with investigating the most serious of crimes on teams that have been dealing with vacancies due to redeployment to other critical public safety areas. These officers will also help address increased needs in areas of hate crimes, carjackings and fraud. Ten officers will be assigned to ensure the service meets its disclosure requirements to ensure cases are not lost because of delays.
Hiring and Supervision: The service intends to build and maintain an adequate hiring plan that can include young officers not subject to retirement and more experienced frontline officers.
The service will present the budget proposal to the Toronto Police Services Board on Dec. 19 for a vote. If approved, it will then be reviewed by the City’s Budget Committee and to City Council in the new year.
