Item - 2019.EX8.20

City Council considered Items EX8.20, EX8.26 and MM10.2 together.

The Executive Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council increase the 2019 Operating Budget for the Toronto Police Service by $4.5 million gross and $0 net to fund the Project Community Space program, with increased gross expenditures offset by $3.0 million in added revenue from a combination of $3.0 million in increased Federal and Provincial funding and a one-time draw of $1.5 million from the City's Tax Stabilization Reserve. 

2.  City Council request the City Manager to report back during the 2020 Budget Process on a requirement that any funding increases to the Toronto Police Services budget to address crime must be matched with funding of twice that amount to programs and services that address the root causes of violence and poverty reduction.

3.  City Council request the City Manager to report back during the 2020 Budget Process on opportunities for partnerships with existing agencies to fund programs and services that address the root causes of violence and poverty reduction.

4.  City Council, in light of the recent spate of gun violence, request the Federal Government to reconsider City Council's request in Item 2018.CC44.14 "Immediate Steps to Address Gun Violence" to fund the unfunded applications under the National Crime Prevention Grant, totalling $26.2 million over the next 5 years, and City Council request the City Clerk to forward this request to all Toronto Members of Parliament.

The Executive Committee considered Items EX8.20 and EX8.26 together.

Over the last several weeks we have seen a spike in gun violence in Toronto that is deeply troubling and absolutely unacceptable.

The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto are all committed to stopping gun violence. That commitment includes ensuring that our police officers have the resources they need to keep neighbourhoods safe.

One of my principal priorities as Mayor has been to work with other governments in order to deliver on our priorities and get results for the people of Toronto. That is why I brought all three levels of government together to provide $4.5 million to the Toronto Police Service to help fund additional initiatives to address the current violence. As you know by now, Chief Saunders has outlined, as appropriate, how those resources will be deployed.

The other governments agreed to provide funding to support immediate police efforts to keep communities safe and to help redouble efforts to prevent criminal activity and combat the activities of street gangs.

By way of this letter, I am asking the Committee to approve a $1.5 million contribution to the Toronto Police Service's budget (our share of the $4.5 million total) in order to assist Chief Mark Saunders in the deployment of additional resources to help reduce further violent incidents.

This additional funding is an important step in addressing a need to keep our streets safe. As Mayor I am continuing to work with my counterparts at the federal and provincial governments to obtain additional resources for the purposes of investing in communities to address the roots of violence and I continue, as agreed by City Council, to advocate for changes to our laws to strengthen penalties for those caught engaging in gun violence or gun trafficking.

I look forward to working collaboratively with many of you during this term and beyond to continue to develop productive public policy tools that can reduce gun violence in our city.